Triumph embarks on brand revamp to take on Harley

by Mark Kleinman, Marketing 18-Sep-03

Triumph Motorcycles is to combat the high-profile centenary celebrations of rival Harley-Davidson by undertaking a project to refine its own global brand identity.

The company, one of the world's oldest motorcycle brands, has appointed branding consultancy Corporate Edge to oversee the project after a competitive pitch led by Triumph's commercial director Tue Mantoni.

Harley-Davidson has garnered heavy press interest from its 100th birthday celebrations this year and Triumph, a privately-owned British company, is keen to reassert its brand heritage in key international markets.

Based in Leicestershire, it has wholly-owned distribution companies in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden and the US. It offers financial services to its customers under the Triumphcare name.

The company, which dates back to 1900, dropped out of the market in the 80s before being relaunched in 1991. It made a loss in the 12 months to June 30 2002 after a fire destroyed its factory.