Harley Davidson launched a global agency review last month, encompassing creative, digital and media assignments, Adweek reports.
A company representative told the publication that officials issued requests for proposals “at a holding company level,” adding that the company is focused on “driving demand and growing our reach and impact with customers globally” amidst falling sales numbers and wishes “to ensure we have the most effective and efficient resources in place to support this work.”
Lately the brand has worked with Victors & Spoils on creative, Digitas LBi on digital and Starcom MediaVest Group for media buying and planning. It’s unclear if those agencies will be participating in the review. The review follows the departure of chief marketing officer Mark-Hans Richer in November, with Harley Latin America chief Sean Cummings subsequently receiving a promotion to senior vice president of global demand and being tasked with marketing oversight.
The company said it plans to increase marketing spending by about 65 percent this year. “We expect a heightened competitive environment to continue for the foreseeable future, and now is the time for us to dial things up,” Harley Davidson president and CEO Matt Levatich told analysts during an earnings call last October.
As Adweek points out, Harley Davidson’s marketing strategy will likely seek to regain lost market share, especially among women and younger adults. It’s unclear when the review is expected to conclude.