As much as we try to steer clear of “theme” issues, they seem to have a way of taking over each production cycle. This issue we seem to be back to banging the drum about "the omnichannel" taking over powersports. Dealernews just participated in back-to-back Zoom conferences, the first was how the “real world” is handling the pandemic-pushed paradigm shift (participants included everyone from a certain high-end women’s undergarments manufacturer to WalMart interestingly they are still addressing the shift to Text and SMS retail communications that Eric Anderson talked about last month). Juxtaposed with women’s wear approach to the omninchannel was the MIC Communications Symposium. David Savlowitz and Michael Ponton were back to discuss the new challenges — and opportunities — ahead.
There may be new challenges, but this industry is still suffering from some of the same old problems. And like the Borg on Star Trek, you will be assimilated, or you will cease to exist…
The inability to understand and address the omnichannel has been something that our staff PhD Dr. Paul Leinberger, has been warning dealers in his monthly columns for the past three years. More recently Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz pronounced the new LiveWire stand-alone brand signified the omnichannel was here. “LiveWire is the first OEM with a hybrid omni-channel model, combining the best of digital and physical, allowing the customer to interact with the brand on their own terms.” The Motor Company’s interpretation launches online at LiveWire.com and at 12 incoming LiveWire brand dealers in California, New York and Texas, with additional locations planned this fall.
It isn’t just Harley heralding the new world order. The recent RumbleOn/RideNow mash up proves it is already here! We went in depth with the RumbleOn model back in March:
https://issuu.com/dealernews/docs/issue__3_march/32
And Dr. Leinberger addressed on what the omnichannel means to your business here:
https://www.dealernews.com/Home/post/what-does-omnichannel-really-mean-to-your-business/2021-06-08
The question is not when or if the omnichannel will assimilate the powersports industry… the theme here is how will you avoid ceasing to exist in a Brave New World of the omnichannel?