Harley-Davidson
partnership story
18+ years
Length of Relationship
About
Harley-Davidson came to us for a parts catalogue in 2008. Eighteen years on, we run the dealer ordering platform (DSS) behind most of their global stock, their European email programme in six languages, a core rider retention programme and the annual buying show for 700 dealers. DSS and the email programme both started from our proposals.
June 2008
Partnership begins
- Print Collateral
Our relationship with Harley-Davidson began with print. We produced brochures, leaflets and point-of-sale materials for their European marketing teams, helping dealers sell parts and accessories.
Launch materials followed for new clothing collections. Then came the internal dealer standards guides, covering everything from showroom layout to brand and compliance requirements.
It was the beginning of a partnership that would soon move far beyond print.
September 2009
The Big Book - annual parts and accessories catalogue
- Print Collateral
At over 1,000 pages, The Big Book gives riders everything they need to make a Harley their own. We manage each edition from artwork and pagination to market approvals. Press passing, print production and distribution follows.
By 2011, 85,000 copies were reaching dealers in five languages. We continue to produce The Big Book annually.
July 2012
My Dream Harley and MotorClothes, global customer websites
- Website build
Four years of print work had given us a close understanding of Harley-Davidson’s products and dealer network. The next step was to take that knowledge online.
Harley-Davidson wanted two global customer websites. My Dream Harley covered parts and accessories, while MotorClothes showcased apparel and merchandise.
Riders could explore the full range before buying through their local dealership. They arrived knowing what they wanted, helping drive enquiries and footfall worldwide.
We ran both sites for over eight years, managing design, data and hosting. Round-the-clock support kept them running until they became part of Harley-Davidson.com.
March 2013
Dealer events
- Networking events
- Commerce
Twice a year, regional teams and dealers gathered across EMEA, the Americas and Asia Pacific to see what was coming next. We worked closely with those teams to plan and deliver selected events and their supporting communications.
February 2014
Comms Tool, website build
- Internal communications
- Bespoke development
As the volume of dealer communications grew, finding the right asset became harder.
We built Comms Tool to give dealers one place to access the materials produced for them. They could log in, find what they needed and download it directly.
September 2014
DSS: the platform behind most of Harley-Davidson's global dealer orders
- Bespoke development
Harley-Davidson still managed dealer orders through manual processes. They were slow, prone to error and expensive to manage.
Our experience across the dealer network helped us see a better way. We proposed, designed and built DSS, one online platform where dealers could browse and order parts, accessories and merchandise.
A successful European pilot led to rollouts across Asia Pacific and the Americas.
DSS improved ordering, stock visibility and reporting. It also gave Harley-Davidson a simpler way to launch products to dealers worldwide.
More than a decade later, the platform remains at the heart of their global dealer operations. It handles over one million product variations across 60+ markets, with 100% uptime in 2026.
July 2016
Digital campaigns across EMEA
- Social media
- Advertising
By 2016, the relationship had expanded from dealer platforms into digital marketing.
Harley-Davidson asked us to support social media campaigns across 27 markets and 16 languages, with new activity every month across Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and X.
We develop the campaigns, create the content and design the visuals and support media buying with a specialist partner.
The work keeps existing riders engaged while introducing Harley-Davidson to younger audiences who may not have considered the brand before.
May 2017
DSAT, retail experience standards website
- Bespoke development
- Website build
Setting retail standards was only part of the job. Harley-Davidson needed a practical way to see whether dealers worldwide were meeting them.
We built DSAT, a single platform where dealers submitted their evidence. Harley-Davidson could review and approve it in the same place, creating one consistent process across the network.
January 2022
Email: won a pilot, now weekly campaigns across 13 markets
- Salesforce Marketing Cloud
- Email marketing
Email was Harley-Davidson’s primary direct sales channel, and at the time another agency handled the campaigns.
We saw room for improvement and put forward recommendations for one campaign. A pilot followed which outperformed the existing results.
In its first year the programme returned 831% ROI, grew email revenue by 154% and lifted open rates from 22% to 43%.
That performance opened the door to further campaign work. It eventually led to our appointment as Harley-Davidson’s email marketing partner.
Today, we manage weekly ecommerce and brand emails through Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Campaigns run in six languages across 13 European markets.
We support product launches, events and regional activity alongside the weekly programme.
April 2022
Change Cycle, email lifecycle programme
- Email automation
Already working on their email marketing, we then took on and redesigned Change Cycle, Harley-Davidson's email lifecycle programme. It runs as a series of automated behaviour-triggered emails, sent to users based on their engagement.
We remapped the programme using their customer data, stripping back the touchpoints that were causing users to opt out before key messages landed. We rewrote the copy for a stronger emotional connection and rebuilt the automations around customer behaviour.
Change Cycle continues to be one of Harley-Davidson's most important retention programmes, bringing existing riders back for their next bike. We now manage the programme and update the content yearly in line with the latest bike line-up and ongoing optimisations.
August 2022
Ride Custom website, a dealer incentive programme
- Website development
Ride Custom is a dealer incentive programme for the Asia Pacific region, set up to sell more parts and accessories through custom builds.
We designed and built the platform behind it. Dealers could plan their builds and order the parts they needed in one place.
Year-round kits added further value, giving dealers an ongoing sales tool for the region.
June 2023
Barcelona dealer buying show
- International events
Each year Harley-Davidson brings over 700 dealers, licensees and staff from across Europe to Barcelona to preview upcoming ranges and place orders. Two days, with break-out sessions for each market.
We manage the dealer buying show from planning to delivery. This covers logistics, attendee registration and on-site coordination. We also design and create the exhibition spaces and merchandising displays.
December 2024
Africa Eco Race, content-led campaign
- Campaign management
Harley-Davidson entered the Pan America 1250 into the 2024 Africa Eco Race. To show riders what the bike could do, we built a content-led campaign around the race itself, combining a cinematic video series, an immersive landing page and a targeted email strategy to turn the adventure into test ride bookings.
The email reached over 460,000 subscribers and 45 test rides were booked.
April 2026
H-D Custom Gallery, a microsite for custom motorcycle builds
- Website development
Building on years of campaign work, Harley-Davidson asked us to create H-D Custom Gallery, a microsite celebrating the creativity and craftsmanship behind custom motorcycle builds.
We designed and built the platform to showcase custom Harley-Davidson motorcycles from across Europe, giving riders a place to browse builds and find inspiration for their own.
New campaigns and content continue to expand the gallery.
June 2026
Creators Custom Clash, a Europe-wide campaign
- Influencer marketing
- Social media
- Email marketing
Two months later, H-D Custom Gallery became the platform for a Europe-wide competition.
Creators Custom Clash brought together six creators, each designing and building a custom Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
We developed the campaign experience within the gallery. Audiences could meet the creators, follow each build and vote for their favourite.
Email and digital communications kept riders involved as the motorcycles took shape.
TODAY
Our partnership continues
Our relationship with Harley-Davidson began in 2008 with print, and has since expanded into email marketing, digital development, global campaigns and more. As one of our longest-standing partners, they continue to trust us with their biggest projects, working with us as an extension of their marketing team.
Begin our partnership
Our average client relationship runs to eight years. Our longest is over eighteen. Those numbers exist because the work keeps delivering and the intelligence keeps compounding the longer we work together.