- Joined
- Jan 10, 2008
- Messages
- 43
- Location
- Seattle, WA
This was originally posted at midliferider.com.
Good dogpile material, food for thought, gas for the grill, etc.
Dear Piaggio
Gosh, it’s been so long, where do I start. We’re all well here. Kids are good. Wife is wonderful. Bikes are neat. Our little Vespa is the cutest darn thing on two wheels. My new RSV1000R Factory is a real stunner. People drool when they see it and it sure gets down the road in a hurry. You? Doing well here in the big PX?
I just hate getting unexpected letters from family, and seeing as how I own two of your bikes, well, I kinda feel like family. You just know they either want something, usually money, or they’ve been pissing around about something and now what to “clear the air” or some such nonsense.
Just so you don’t panic, I’m okay on the first front . . . though I do love that free financing you’re offering on Guzzis, and the tasty year-end price break I got on that rip-snorting liter bike you obviously weren’t able to otherwise move was , well, I really appreciated that. Thanks a bunch.
One of the things I really like about my new-year-old RSV Factory is that I don’t see them coming and going on the street. For that matter, I don’t see them anywhere. Same with your absolutely stunning Tuono. And but for the fact that I hang around the local dealer like a lost dog, I don’t think I would ever have seen a Caponard in the flesh much less the SXV or RXV. Hopefully the new Shiver won’t be so shy and will want to come out and play with the other kids on the block.
All of this got me to wondering. Are you doing this on purpose? Being all coy like this? Keeping the good china in the cupboards in case the neighbors stop in for leftovers? Some reason why you don’t call or write? Invite the friends and family over more often? Maybe show up down at the parents-teacher conference or the Wednesday-night poker game?
I know, I know. My family was all immigrants to this mighty land too. It takes awhile to figure out that you’re not in Belarus anymore. Probably it’s like that for you guys too, huh? All that success in 125s and 250s just doesn’t cut it over here. Bummer. But definitely keep up the racing bit. Moto-ST is the best series going here in the land of the free. I have to believe people will notice.
Sooooo, yeah, I did want to “clear the air” on a couple of things. And please know that we all love you very much. We only offer “constructive criticism” because we care.
Stay in Touch
I know, I know, you’re kind of busy. And it’s not like Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, or most of the others do a great job of this either. Buy while you guys were busy buying and rescuing Aprilia and Guzzi, Web 2.0 happened. Who can make any sense out of why all those people are lurking around on fan forums, much less Facebook and MySpace? Why would anyone write a blog, much less read one when there are all those advertising supported fanbooks they could be reading? And even assuming there are answers to those questions, why would companies like Piaggio, and brands like Aprilia, want to participate?
I have to imagine you’re asking yourselves the same questions. Yeah, this whole “consumers taking charge” of the media they make and consume thing is probably going to pass any day now. And mixing it up on the forums and blogs is just asking for trouble.
WAKE UP! All the action is out here with the precious few fans you have. We’re passionate. We care deeply. We tell our friends. We share pictures. Heck, we wear people out to the point that we’re ordered out of the room. And yet, when it comes to Uncle Piaggio, nothing. I’m all over the forums, and if you’re there, we must be missing each other.
I’ve owned a Vespa for four years now. I can’t remember the last time I heard from you. Actually, I can’t remember the first. I took my wife to Italy and rode scooters around Tuscany for a week with Italy by Vespa. Spent a bunch doing it too. Nothing. I bought Aprilia’s flagship bike, which means I bought everything about the company as well, and I got a form letter alerting me to the fact that I could call if my bike fritzed while I was out riding around.
Don’t mistake me; I really appreciate you thinking about me like that. Buy you need to go attend some conferences on building and nurturing your “community.” Do something that maybe only Harley has done, and get directly involved with your customers. Talk with us. Listen to us. Mix it up with us. Reach out to us. There’s a conversation going on out here, and you need to do better than lurk, if you’re even doing that.
And no, “That’s what our dealers are for” doesn’t cut it. I love Dave at Moto International, but you want me to love Aprilia more.
Get Physical
There aren’t that many of us, so why not invite us over for dinner. Or maybe a track day. Something. Saturn did this to great effect in the early days of building their brand. Harley has managed to figure this out. I’m not talking about being virtual right now. I’m talking physical.
How about this. Make a deal with one of the many track-day sponsors out there. You could be the official sponsor. You could have bikes there for people to ride. You could give out swag. I know you know where the tracks are, so it’s not that. I’m sure Dave and Brian at 2-fast or Moira Zinn at Elite Track Days would be all ears (just to pick two).
Better still, how about taking a track school under your wings. I know that guys like Reg, Keith, Kevin, and Freddie have longstanding relations with the big boys over the Pacific, but there are plenty of dates for the dance. Right here in Pacific Northwest is Puget Sound Safety who runs a couple of fine advanced riding clinics on the track and a bunch of Lee Parks Total Control Clinics. You could start there. I have their number.
I’m just full of ideas. Here’s another. Sponsor a spec series. No, I don’t mean Moto-ST. I mean something like the old Boxer Cup. Until you get some new engineering and a couple of hundred more CCs, the RSV is kind of stuck without a clear identity. Beating other brands is fine, but out here with the cash-paying crowd, ripping around the track beating other riders is where the action is.
Decide What You Want to Be
For the last zillion years, car, boat, bike, and motorcycle manufacturers have drunk the Alfred Sloan Kool-Aid without even knowing who he is. Quick history lesson: He was the guy who turned GM into the colossus it was for so many years before people who hate cars and hate car buyers even more took over the company. He had two insights that continue to echo through the ages.
Assemble a bunch of brands so that the buyer never needs to leave home. Start out in a Chevy and wind up in a Caddy with stops along the way in a Pontiac, Olds, and Buick.
Franchise your distribution. It saves capital that you don’t have anyway. It also makes buying that new fangled whatsit feel that much safer knowing that some pillar of the local community is betting his money and reputation on it.
Alfred Sloan was a very, very savvy capitalist, and following his lead makes a ton of sense. So I say this with all due respect: You’re running plays from an 80-year-old playbook. To make it work, the various brands not only have to be different from each other, something later GM execs forgot, but they have to make sense, both to the consumer and in the overall competitive context.
In terms of the brand portfolio . . .
The Vespa is a home run all the way around. That’s an American term for a brilliant dinner, several bottles of the choicest Barollo or perhaps an Amarone or Ripasso, and a fine Vin Santo. And a Limoncello! Nice job selling them through stand-alone boutiques too. Very Ducati (yikes!)
I never really understood Guzzis but I’m growing to love the whole idea: the history, mystery, and romance associated with the brand are transporting. I truly dig the loopey rabidity with which owners regard their bikes and the company that makes them. I could even see myself buying the Stelvio as long as it’s not another Tiger. More on that idea later.
What I can’t get my head around is how Aprilia fits in the grand scheme of things. I get how it sits in a different place than does Guzzi, but beyond that, what? Is it the “not-Ducati,” like Pork is the other white meat? Are you playing Maserati to Ducati’s Ferrari, with MV holding up the Lambo end of things? Are you the “value” superbike? Before the 1098, you were more Italian Superbike for the money, but that’s gone bye-bye and isn’t that strong a position anyway. And meanwhile, KTM and Buell have jumped into the big-twin sport bike market with killer offers. Say, isn’t it starting to get a little warm in here?
And who is the customer? Judging by the price point and the overall level of sophistication and componentry, I would say guys like me: middle aged, have some money, looking for something a big different. Something to get the heart rate up and the nether parts firm to remind us that we’re still got what it takes.
When I look at the graphics, I flash on uncomfortable memories that had something to do with imbibing, inhaling, or ingesting controlled substances. It’s like Gixxer meets Andy Warhol except even Suzuki has grown up a bit, and oh yeah, did you hear? Poor old Andy “passed away.” The service was very nice and the food after was really quite good.
It’s not that you don’t make sensational bikes. I love my RSV and I may yet buy a Tuono. My guess is that the folks back home have a very clear picture of the brand. Over here in the largest-market-in-the-world-for-everything-until-China-passes-us, some other brand is sitting in all the obvious spots you want. I wonder if you shouldn’t go to school on Audi: The thinking man’s performance bike.
And While You’re At It, Get a Color
This is a picky point, but think about owning a color. Not actually owning it. I don’t think you could take a color off the market, particularly one of the primary ones. They’re needed elsewhere.
KTM has Orange. All of Italy has Red, but it seems that they boys in Bologna have run off with it. Nothing in blue. It doesn’t flatter you. Too Teuntonic. Green is clearly out of the question. And I’m pretty sure it’s not that purple-color you have on the Bol d’ Or. I do love the black on grey of my RSV Factory. I’m not coming right up with something here, but I’m sure you’ve got someone who can work on it.
Or here’s an idea: All of these are free by the way; we’re family. Why not go the “art car route” pioneered by BMW back in the day. This may run counter to my previous nagging about some of your weirder color schemes, but it’s a classic niche brand play that Leica, BWM, and even Ducati have managed to run with great success. Tart up a limited edition of your premier offer by “borrowing equity”, that’s a fancy branding term, from someone else. My wife is a pretty darned good artist. I can put you in touch if you’d like. If that seems too close to home, there are plenty of folks you could find who could do something nifty for you.
Or, better still, and I’m just riffing here, how about getting all web 2.0 and edgy and let your customers design your bikes. I was thinking about just the graphics here, like they do for t-shirts at Threadless. But why not the entire bike?
I know, I know, it’s your kitchen and you don’t like letting anyone in there while you’re cooking. But this gets back to that whole “engage with your customer” thing and getting all web 2.0eeey like we were talking about. If you don’t know this, and you must, none of us can seem to leave our bikes alone. We’re always foolin and farkling around. Some of it you just don’t want to know about, what with the EPA and the Eurocrats taking emissions so seriously (not to mention CARB). But that still leaves plenty of room for paint and other kinds of aftermarket goodies.
Or how about letting your dealers design your bikes? What? “Betty, get in here, Uncle Bob is drinking again!” No, I don’t mean what you think I mean (what did you think I meant?). I mean stepping more firmly into the aftermarket like Ducati did, or BMW did with their M brand, or Mercedes did with AMG, and making it possible for dealers to buy and install the tasty bits at a better price than the rest of us can.
Oh, And About Your Dealers
I haven’t been to all motorcycle dealers, but I’ve been inside a bunch of them. As you know, they’re kind of all over the place. Some are true emporiums. Some are much less. This is the other side of the Alfred Sloan model.
A huge part of buying my priller was getting to buy it from Dave at MI. You should set up a shrine to him. He cares. He gets it. He knows his bikes and his brands. His dumpy little establishment reeks charm. I wouldn’t change a thing. In fact, I had an opportunity to buy an Aprilia from another dealer with a showroom that would do Toyota proud. I passed.
But hear me on this. It’s not the fancy tile or pricey clothes, though they may help. At this point in the game, the sellers and the buyers have to both love the brand for the sale to happen. It’s all about true believers, and helping keep those true believers in business. Just think about it.
Fix the Caponard; It Might Fix the Brand
It’s probably a small thing and I almost hate to mention it having talked your ear off while your dinner is getting cold. Who knows how it happened, but while nobody was looking, the mighty BMW GS ran off with the prettiest girl at the dance. It’s not just the class leader; it’s the whole school.
It’s possible that game is played and done, but I don’t think so, nor do you judging by the fact that you’re bringing the Stelvio to market. Again, I’m just spitballing here (horrible Americanism), but the faux bruiser corner of the market is well occupied at this point by the Tiger, Ulysses, V-Strom, Multistrada, and now the Stelvio (unless I missed something). Standing all alone over in the hyper-performance corner is KTM with the other icon of the category, the 990 Adventure.
Hint, hint. Go over there and play. You already have done it once with your wonderfully mad Tuono. Well go do it again with nobbies. Make the Capo more like Tony than Antonio. Make it a halo bike. Give some lunatic a couple of days and free run of the parts locker and you’ll have it done. It will do wonders for your brand.
Well, that’s pretty much it for now. Sorry to have gone on so long, but like I said, I felt like I needed to “clear the air.” Write soon and say hello to everyone back where you are.
Ciao
Good dogpile material, food for thought, gas for the grill, etc.
Dear Piaggio
Gosh, it’s been so long, where do I start. We’re all well here. Kids are good. Wife is wonderful. Bikes are neat. Our little Vespa is the cutest darn thing on two wheels. My new RSV1000R Factory is a real stunner. People drool when they see it and it sure gets down the road in a hurry. You? Doing well here in the big PX?
I just hate getting unexpected letters from family, and seeing as how I own two of your bikes, well, I kinda feel like family. You just know they either want something, usually money, or they’ve been pissing around about something and now what to “clear the air” or some such nonsense.
Just so you don’t panic, I’m okay on the first front . . . though I do love that free financing you’re offering on Guzzis, and the tasty year-end price break I got on that rip-snorting liter bike you obviously weren’t able to otherwise move was , well, I really appreciated that. Thanks a bunch.
One of the things I really like about my new-year-old RSV Factory is that I don’t see them coming and going on the street. For that matter, I don’t see them anywhere. Same with your absolutely stunning Tuono. And but for the fact that I hang around the local dealer like a lost dog, I don’t think I would ever have seen a Caponard in the flesh much less the SXV or RXV. Hopefully the new Shiver won’t be so shy and will want to come out and play with the other kids on the block.
All of this got me to wondering. Are you doing this on purpose? Being all coy like this? Keeping the good china in the cupboards in case the neighbors stop in for leftovers? Some reason why you don’t call or write? Invite the friends and family over more often? Maybe show up down at the parents-teacher conference or the Wednesday-night poker game?
I know, I know. My family was all immigrants to this mighty land too. It takes awhile to figure out that you’re not in Belarus anymore. Probably it’s like that for you guys too, huh? All that success in 125s and 250s just doesn’t cut it over here. Bummer. But definitely keep up the racing bit. Moto-ST is the best series going here in the land of the free. I have to believe people will notice.
Sooooo, yeah, I did want to “clear the air” on a couple of things. And please know that we all love you very much. We only offer “constructive criticism” because we care.
Stay in Touch
I know, I know, you’re kind of busy. And it’s not like Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, or most of the others do a great job of this either. Buy while you guys were busy buying and rescuing Aprilia and Guzzi, Web 2.0 happened. Who can make any sense out of why all those people are lurking around on fan forums, much less Facebook and MySpace? Why would anyone write a blog, much less read one when there are all those advertising supported fanbooks they could be reading? And even assuming there are answers to those questions, why would companies like Piaggio, and brands like Aprilia, want to participate?
I have to imagine you’re asking yourselves the same questions. Yeah, this whole “consumers taking charge” of the media they make and consume thing is probably going to pass any day now. And mixing it up on the forums and blogs is just asking for trouble.
WAKE UP! All the action is out here with the precious few fans you have. We’re passionate. We care deeply. We tell our friends. We share pictures. Heck, we wear people out to the point that we’re ordered out of the room. And yet, when it comes to Uncle Piaggio, nothing. I’m all over the forums, and if you’re there, we must be missing each other.
I’ve owned a Vespa for four years now. I can’t remember the last time I heard from you. Actually, I can’t remember the first. I took my wife to Italy and rode scooters around Tuscany for a week with Italy by Vespa. Spent a bunch doing it too. Nothing. I bought Aprilia’s flagship bike, which means I bought everything about the company as well, and I got a form letter alerting me to the fact that I could call if my bike fritzed while I was out riding around.
Don’t mistake me; I really appreciate you thinking about me like that. Buy you need to go attend some conferences on building and nurturing your “community.” Do something that maybe only Harley has done, and get directly involved with your customers. Talk with us. Listen to us. Mix it up with us. Reach out to us. There’s a conversation going on out here, and you need to do better than lurk, if you’re even doing that.
And no, “That’s what our dealers are for” doesn’t cut it. I love Dave at Moto International, but you want me to love Aprilia more.
Get Physical
There aren’t that many of us, so why not invite us over for dinner. Or maybe a track day. Something. Saturn did this to great effect in the early days of building their brand. Harley has managed to figure this out. I’m not talking about being virtual right now. I’m talking physical.
How about this. Make a deal with one of the many track-day sponsors out there. You could be the official sponsor. You could have bikes there for people to ride. You could give out swag. I know you know where the tracks are, so it’s not that. I’m sure Dave and Brian at 2-fast or Moira Zinn at Elite Track Days would be all ears (just to pick two).
Better still, how about taking a track school under your wings. I know that guys like Reg, Keith, Kevin, and Freddie have longstanding relations with the big boys over the Pacific, but there are plenty of dates for the dance. Right here in Pacific Northwest is Puget Sound Safety who runs a couple of fine advanced riding clinics on the track and a bunch of Lee Parks Total Control Clinics. You could start there. I have their number.
I’m just full of ideas. Here’s another. Sponsor a spec series. No, I don’t mean Moto-ST. I mean something like the old Boxer Cup. Until you get some new engineering and a couple of hundred more CCs, the RSV is kind of stuck without a clear identity. Beating other brands is fine, but out here with the cash-paying crowd, ripping around the track beating other riders is where the action is.
Decide What You Want to Be
For the last zillion years, car, boat, bike, and motorcycle manufacturers have drunk the Alfred Sloan Kool-Aid without even knowing who he is. Quick history lesson: He was the guy who turned GM into the colossus it was for so many years before people who hate cars and hate car buyers even more took over the company. He had two insights that continue to echo through the ages.
Assemble a bunch of brands so that the buyer never needs to leave home. Start out in a Chevy and wind up in a Caddy with stops along the way in a Pontiac, Olds, and Buick.
Franchise your distribution. It saves capital that you don’t have anyway. It also makes buying that new fangled whatsit feel that much safer knowing that some pillar of the local community is betting his money and reputation on it.
Alfred Sloan was a very, very savvy capitalist, and following his lead makes a ton of sense. So I say this with all due respect: You’re running plays from an 80-year-old playbook. To make it work, the various brands not only have to be different from each other, something later GM execs forgot, but they have to make sense, both to the consumer and in the overall competitive context.
In terms of the brand portfolio . . .
The Vespa is a home run all the way around. That’s an American term for a brilliant dinner, several bottles of the choicest Barollo or perhaps an Amarone or Ripasso, and a fine Vin Santo. And a Limoncello! Nice job selling them through stand-alone boutiques too. Very Ducati (yikes!)
I never really understood Guzzis but I’m growing to love the whole idea: the history, mystery, and romance associated with the brand are transporting. I truly dig the loopey rabidity with which owners regard their bikes and the company that makes them. I could even see myself buying the Stelvio as long as it’s not another Tiger. More on that idea later.
What I can’t get my head around is how Aprilia fits in the grand scheme of things. I get how it sits in a different place than does Guzzi, but beyond that, what? Is it the “not-Ducati,” like Pork is the other white meat? Are you playing Maserati to Ducati’s Ferrari, with MV holding up the Lambo end of things? Are you the “value” superbike? Before the 1098, you were more Italian Superbike for the money, but that’s gone bye-bye and isn’t that strong a position anyway. And meanwhile, KTM and Buell have jumped into the big-twin sport bike market with killer offers. Say, isn’t it starting to get a little warm in here?
And who is the customer? Judging by the price point and the overall level of sophistication and componentry, I would say guys like me: middle aged, have some money, looking for something a big different. Something to get the heart rate up and the nether parts firm to remind us that we’re still got what it takes.
When I look at the graphics, I flash on uncomfortable memories that had something to do with imbibing, inhaling, or ingesting controlled substances. It’s like Gixxer meets Andy Warhol except even Suzuki has grown up a bit, and oh yeah, did you hear? Poor old Andy “passed away.” The service was very nice and the food after was really quite good.
It’s not that you don’t make sensational bikes. I love my RSV and I may yet buy a Tuono. My guess is that the folks back home have a very clear picture of the brand. Over here in the largest-market-in-the-world-for-everything-until-China-passes-us, some other brand is sitting in all the obvious spots you want. I wonder if you shouldn’t go to school on Audi: The thinking man’s performance bike.
And While You’re At It, Get a Color
This is a picky point, but think about owning a color. Not actually owning it. I don’t think you could take a color off the market, particularly one of the primary ones. They’re needed elsewhere.
KTM has Orange. All of Italy has Red, but it seems that they boys in Bologna have run off with it. Nothing in blue. It doesn’t flatter you. Too Teuntonic. Green is clearly out of the question. And I’m pretty sure it’s not that purple-color you have on the Bol d’ Or. I do love the black on grey of my RSV Factory. I’m not coming right up with something here, but I’m sure you’ve got someone who can work on it.
Or here’s an idea: All of these are free by the way; we’re family. Why not go the “art car route” pioneered by BMW back in the day. This may run counter to my previous nagging about some of your weirder color schemes, but it’s a classic niche brand play that Leica, BWM, and even Ducati have managed to run with great success. Tart up a limited edition of your premier offer by “borrowing equity”, that’s a fancy branding term, from someone else. My wife is a pretty darned good artist. I can put you in touch if you’d like. If that seems too close to home, there are plenty of folks you could find who could do something nifty for you.
Or, better still, and I’m just riffing here, how about getting all web 2.0 and edgy and let your customers design your bikes. I was thinking about just the graphics here, like they do for t-shirts at Threadless. But why not the entire bike?
I know, I know, it’s your kitchen and you don’t like letting anyone in there while you’re cooking. But this gets back to that whole “engage with your customer” thing and getting all web 2.0eeey like we were talking about. If you don’t know this, and you must, none of us can seem to leave our bikes alone. We’re always foolin and farkling around. Some of it you just don’t want to know about, what with the EPA and the Eurocrats taking emissions so seriously (not to mention CARB). But that still leaves plenty of room for paint and other kinds of aftermarket goodies.
Or how about letting your dealers design your bikes? What? “Betty, get in here, Uncle Bob is drinking again!” No, I don’t mean what you think I mean (what did you think I meant?). I mean stepping more firmly into the aftermarket like Ducati did, or BMW did with their M brand, or Mercedes did with AMG, and making it possible for dealers to buy and install the tasty bits at a better price than the rest of us can.
Oh, And About Your Dealers
I haven’t been to all motorcycle dealers, but I’ve been inside a bunch of them. As you know, they’re kind of all over the place. Some are true emporiums. Some are much less. This is the other side of the Alfred Sloan model.
A huge part of buying my priller was getting to buy it from Dave at MI. You should set up a shrine to him. He cares. He gets it. He knows his bikes and his brands. His dumpy little establishment reeks charm. I wouldn’t change a thing. In fact, I had an opportunity to buy an Aprilia from another dealer with a showroom that would do Toyota proud. I passed.
But hear me on this. It’s not the fancy tile or pricey clothes, though they may help. At this point in the game, the sellers and the buyers have to both love the brand for the sale to happen. It’s all about true believers, and helping keep those true believers in business. Just think about it.
Fix the Caponard; It Might Fix the Brand
It’s probably a small thing and I almost hate to mention it having talked your ear off while your dinner is getting cold. Who knows how it happened, but while nobody was looking, the mighty BMW GS ran off with the prettiest girl at the dance. It’s not just the class leader; it’s the whole school.
It’s possible that game is played and done, but I don’t think so, nor do you judging by the fact that you’re bringing the Stelvio to market. Again, I’m just spitballing here (horrible Americanism), but the faux bruiser corner of the market is well occupied at this point by the Tiger, Ulysses, V-Strom, Multistrada, and now the Stelvio (unless I missed something). Standing all alone over in the hyper-performance corner is KTM with the other icon of the category, the 990 Adventure.
Hint, hint. Go over there and play. You already have done it once with your wonderfully mad Tuono. Well go do it again with nobbies. Make the Capo more like Tony than Antonio. Make it a halo bike. Give some lunatic a couple of days and free run of the parts locker and you’ll have it done. It will do wonders for your brand.
Well, that’s pretty much it for now. Sorry to have gone on so long, but like I said, I felt like I needed to “clear the air.” Write soon and say hello to everyone back where you are.
Ciao
