Harley-Davidson nearly died in the 1980s competing with Japanese bikes. The company survived by building rider clubs and turning employees into riders, creating brotherhood instead of chasing technology. Human connection, not innovation, is what makes a brand last.
Chapters
Every company will have built-in intelligence. What matters in creating enduring brands is the power of human-to-human connections. I want to go all the way back. What is one of the most enduring brands of all time? It's Harley-Davidson. In the '80s, this company almost went bankrupt when the Japanese manufacturers commoditized electronics. Now the leadership were faced with like, what do we do? They decided to capitalize on their people, on their community members, and said, let's Rebuild the company on the ethos of community. The president of Harley went out there and he said, we're going to create rider clubs. Employees became riders, riders became employees. People started to come together like weekend warriors, the camaraderie and the brotherhood of riding together. And then they started creating impact. And that just tells you that innovation will come and go. But until the day robots are buying from robots, it is the power of people connecting with one another that will take you into being an enduring brand.