This month’s Milan Show will play host to a major Norton relaunch. Alan Dowds gets an insight into what’s happening at Solihull from Christoph Hohmann, the brand’s super-confident chief marketing officer.
There’s been quite a lot of ‘noise’ around Norton in recent months, and it seems clear that the Indian-owned brand is set to make some ‘noise’ of its own at this months Milan show, with a range of new bikes all with full Euro 5+ compliance, and a new direction for the future. As a prelude to whats coming, the company has recently appeared at events alongside Keir Starmer and Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi!
I spoke with the firm’s chief marketing officer, Christoph Hohmann (left), to get a sense of what might be coming and a look at what role Norton’s British dealer network will play over the short and medium term.
First, who is Hohmann? Where has he come from, and how does he see his role at Norton? “I’m married, with two kids, and I’m originally from Germany – though I’ve now lived abroad longer than I ever lived there. I’ve worked in the car industry for 25 years, from Detroit to Shanghai, from Prague to Crewe. Most recently, I spent 17 years at the Volkswagen Group, including 11 years at Bentley Motors. I started with Norton on 1 March, and it’s been a crazy ride.”
Does he have a bike? “I have got my CBT, I’ve been riding a 125 scooter forever, and I’m in the process of getting my licence, and I’ve just paid for one of the factory’s last remaining Commando 961s.”
Norton’s chief marketing officer Christoph HohmannSo where is Norton right now? “We are on the cusp of greatness, we really are. There’s a comparison; what BMW did with Rolls-Royce or what VW did with Bentley is what TVS has done and will do for Norton. Nobody can see it yet, it’s as if we’re just a few months away from the Bentley Continental GT being launched. The difference is that it took Volkswagen 22 years to get to grips with Bentley!
“There’s huge ambition. We’re doing everything at the same time: new retailer network, new corporate ID, new bikes, new agencies, new people, new everything. It’s very exciting, and it’s all coming together just at the right time for Milan.”
Norton currently has 13 UK dealers, is the aim to increase that quickly? “Fundamentally, yes. We want a sizeable market share in our premium luxury segment. To achieve that, we need a strong dealer network presence. Nobody’s going to want to go to a dealer if they have to ride too far, so we need the geographical coverage, but we’re not going to increase at any cost. We only want partners who can deliver a real premium luxury service,” said Hohmann.
“Our core message is that Norton is going to become a fully-fledged international motorcycle manufacturer. From selling a few hundred bikes in the UK with just two models, we will have a broad range of models, selling them in all the key markets in much bigger numbers, from a luxury premium position. And not just that, we will be bringing something to the market that isn’t out there right now. The design is so different. It’s modernist, it’s cool, it’s sleek, it’s elegant. It’s very different to what else is on the market. And people will appreciate that.
“At the same time, we will stay true to the brand. We’re standing on the shoulders of giants – there’s 127 years of heritage here. I’m all about heritage, especially British heritage brands. I have an old Jaguar, an old Bentley, and an MGB convertible. I know the importance of history, and as CMO, I am very carefully curating that transition into the future, but not forgetting that transition will come because our new bikes will be radically different. People will be surprised, we hope they will be positively surprised.”
There were rumours, after TVS moved in, that Norton would move into volume production, but Norton is now primarily focused on premium branding, offering small-volume luxury models. “Yes – again, the analogy is Bentley. It will still be premium and it will still be small volume. The growth will not come from ‘piling them high’; growth will come from expanding into more segments and many more markets. However, we will maintain our premium luxury positioning and continue to handcraft bikes in the UK. The UK will always be super important to us. It’s always going to be emotionally and spiritually important, because it’s the home of Norton.”
Norton has revealed that it will soon be producing 7000 bikes a year at Solihull, with a target of 20,000 to meet global demand.
“Norton is on the cusp of greatness. This is a sincere invitation to join us on our journey… It’s going to be an amazing ride”
What can a new dealer expect from Norton in the medium term? There are new bikes coming, but what about clothing and accessories? “Yes, we want to establish Norton not just as a luxury bike brand,” said Hohmann, “but also a luxury lifestyle brand as well. We’ve hired someone from the high-end fashion industry to help us explore alternative revenue streams, including merchandise and accessories. We are also exploring brand partnerships with other luxury brands.
“We also understand that for a retailer to deliver luxury experiences, they need to have proper margins, and there needs to be good warranties. Ultimately, we will come up with a very good package. We’ve conducted extensive competitive analysis, travelling to competitor retailers in various countries to understand what Ducati and BMW are offering in terms of warranty and margins. We’re going to be very competitive here and offer a full package.”
And Hohmann believes it makes a lot of sense for prospective dealers to get in early on what he says is a long-term proposition. “As I’ve already said, Norton is on the cusp of greatness, and this is a sincere invitation to people who want to join us on our journey to do it now before everybody else does. We might get more picky over time! TVS is not going to stop before Norton is a huge success, so I would urge dealers to get in early and shape the future of Norton by being there at the beginning. It’s going to be an amazing ride, I’m sure of it. It’s going to be a good opportunity for retailers to make some real money and have some real fun.”