Hogs are just part of the funHarley dealers' extravaganzas lure wanna-buysBy RICK BARRETT
Posted: Sept. 25, 2007
Bonduel - At Doc's Harley-Davidson dealership, a giant African tortoise crawls across the showroom floor with helium balloons tied to its shell. The 27-year-old beast is a slow-moving billboard for that day's store specials. It's an unusual approach to selling motorcycles, but the customers like it, said Steve Hopkins, dealership owner. In the universe of Harley, where events such as bikini bike washes and pig wrestling have long been used to attract customers, Doc's and other dealerships are taking entertainment to a new level. Saturday, Doc's had a costume party with a pirate theme. The event attracted about 4,000 people from as far away as Colorado. One Harley enthusiast flew in from Michigan in a private plane. There was a 50-foot-tall pirate ship, with eight square sails, and part of the dealership's parking lot was painted with Caribbean colors. More than 3,500 pounds of meat were cooked on a 40-foot grill. The food and entertainment were free for guests, but cost the dealership about $45,000. No worries, though. Doc's typically sells enough motorcycles, accessories and clothing to offset the cost of the annual customer appreciation party. Better yet, the event creates goodwill that lasts for years. "Some Harley dealerships are cold and clammy. Here, it's more like coming to grandma's house," Hopkins said. The party is a way for new riders to meet the Harley "family," said Patrick Handley, who rode his Softail motorcycle from Chicago after hearing about the unadvertised biker event from a friend in Green Bay. Bridging the gapMotorcycle dealerships say entertainment helps as Harley-Davidson attempts to reach a younger, more diverse audience. The median age for a Harley buyer is 47, compared with 38 for other motorcycle companies. Harley must bridge a generation gap between baby boomers, who turned the company into an icon, and younger riders, who might have no brand loyalty. The company also must reach out to consumers who previously never thought of owning a motorcycle. "Now we are getting more into the general public. Many of these people haven't come to grips with spending thousands of dollars for a toy," said Ed Lemco, a motorcycle industry consultant who has done work for Harley-Davidson. Some dealerships are having trouble connecting with consumers who come to their shops for entertainment but never purchase a bike. There's only about a 12% "conversion rate" for showroom visitors who become motorcycle buyers, according to industry statistics. "A dealership can throw a great party and attract all kinds of people. But if you don't connect these people to sales, then you've done nothing more than make yourself into a local celebrity," Lemco said. At Doc's, one of the smallest Harley dealerships in the nation, the value of having entertainment such as live buffalo, exotic animals, a muscle-car collection and a fishing pond seems to have paid off. On a per capita basis, Doc's is among the top 15% Harley dealerships in annual sales. "We are at the dead bottom of the list for the number of potential customers in our territory, so we have to do a lot of things to bring people here," Hopkins said. "There are bigger dealerships that sell many more bikes, but they're also stuck with leftover 2007 models now. We sold out of our 2007 bikes." Doc's has an eclectic mix of motorcycles, sports cars and animals. Next to the fishing pond there's a lighthouse that doubles as a small hotel room for overnight guests. For its 2006 annual party, Doc's built an 88-foot roller coaster shaped like a dinosaur. Guests rode down the dinosaur's tail in small carts, two at a time. There was 3,000 board feet of lumber in the tail alone. "We keep doing fun things to bring people back. And I really believe it has helped our sales," Hopkins said. Dealerships changingA Harley dealer in Sheboygan has a 1950s-style custard stand next to the motorcycle showroom. It's a popular destination for bikers and tourists headed north to Door County. More than once, the custard business has helped land a motorcycle sale. "One young couple, with four kids, stopped for custard and burgers. The dad left with a bike and full riding apparel," said Laura Lawrence, general manager of Route 43 Harley-Davidson. The dealership has chili cook-offs, salsa contests, and fashion shows where people and their pets dress up in motorcycle attire. Times change, and dealerships have to change with them, said Gino Ikeler with Uke's Harley-Davidson in Kenosha. Ikeler is a longtime, serious motorcyclist who believes in promoting the sport as a family activity. "If you grow up with a Harley parked in the garage, there's a good chance you will buy one" as an adult, he said. "Every time I see a baby stroller in the dealership, I take a picture of it." The flip side is that Harley's "bad boy" image doesn't necessarily mesh with petting zoos and play areas. "There are people who clearly are turned off by all of this," Lemco said. "A little grease on the floor doesn't bother them, and they want long-haired people with tattoos behind the service counter." Overall, such marketing is a balancing act, said Patty Bush, owner of Doc's Harley-Davidson in St. Louis, a much bigger dealership than Doc's in Bonduel. Bush was a hair stylist for 30 years before she took over a Harley dealership. Her store, previously 308th in Harley sales in the nation, is now ranked 16th among more than 600 dealerships. Doc's in St. Louis has organized dozens of charity fund-raisers and has hosted celebrities from "Saturday Night Live." The dealership also had a special event with Mickey Carroll, one of the last surviving cast members from "The Wizard of Oz." Has the entertainment resulted in motorcycle sales? It's hard to say, according to Bush, yet the attention helps when people get the notion to shop for a bike. "We can't measure every ounce of the value of some things," Bush said. "But I know the Playboy models bring in a slew of people."
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Harley Dealers
