Vroom, Vroom!

I came across an article in the NYT about Harley-Davidson and the company's recent financial woes. Seems that Harley, a classic Outlaw archetype brand, is seeing fewer of its core target -- baby boomers -- shelling out dough for the bikes. To add insult to injury, younger riders are turning to Harley's rivals. Harley, it appears, ain't doing so well.

It's sort of interesting that such an iconic brand is finding itself in such a pickle -- and it's in this mess precisely because it was (or IS) such a defined brand. The whole premise behind effective branding and marketing is to create a story that resonates with the audience and makes your consumers feel that they belong with your brand....that they need your brand. Harley's whole image was creating a "bad boys" family of bikers. But now that the economy is suffering, being a bad boy isn't enough for these men (and sometimes women) to shell out tens of thousands of dollars for the thrill of experiencing the Harley story. And because Harley defined its brand so clearly, the company is having a tough time getting embraced by those riders outside of its usual target.

I know that marketers can't please everyone, and that they have to focus on their key audience. But what do you do when your core audience -- the people you have been going after for decades -- suddenly drop your brand? How do you evolve and attract new customers without isolating your original target completely? Thoughts?