Last March, we wrote about Wolf Brand Scooter’s CEO Diana Hammer as the fresh face of the millennial generation, who has taken control of her company’s destiny through sheer determination, hard work and dedication. Her strategy of growing their dealer base carefully and delivering top quality products and customer service has been paying off.
“Our intention since day one, has been to give dealers more than they expect,” Hammer said. “We get great feedback from our dealers about how we’re doing, and many of them say we’re as good as, if not better than, the big guys (Kymco, Genuine and Vespa) sales, service and parts wise.”
One of the things Hammer has been able to build upon is brand loyalty with not only her dealers but core customers as well. She said that the Wolf Brand has been doing very well in college towns, where students need to get around efficiently and have convenient parking options.
“We’ve been doing so well in university towns that we were even voted ‘No. 1 Scooter’ by College Magazine. And that was up against all of the top brands! So, we were very proud of that,” Hammer said.
While the scooter market is relatively small in the U.S., in other parts of the world such as Taiwan, Italy and South America, scooters are the main form of transportation for a large percentage of the population. Many foreign brands have tried to enter the U.S. market and failed because they don’t have parts or customer service. The brands that have made it offer full service and warranty to stand behind their products. Wolf Brand, now in its tenth year, has been able to find its niche and grow their footprint because Hammer and her team are committed to the company and its success.
As Hammer explained it, “We are a ‘real brand’ now in our 10th year. Other scooter brands have come and gone like many a Hollywood marriage, but we are here to stay.”
When Wolf started back in 2009, it was run like a small “mom and pop” shop. Today, they remain loyal to their roots, but Hammer has taken the company to a whole new level. For example, Wolf Brand scooters are now carried in nearly 300 locations and are available in premier scooter shops and powersports showrooms across the country.
Hammer attributes much of their success to her general manager and close friend, Justin Marmolejo.
“He’s been with me since nearly the beginning,” she said. “Justin supports me and handles much of the day-to-day stuff so that I can work on growing the brand and focus on the future. He supports our dealers like they are family, and he knows the industry inside out. With Justin’s expertise, we’ve been able to reduce our warranty claims by 85 percent since 2009. In addition to that, he runs our team daily. No parts go unshipped, no dealer goes uncalled and nothing gets missed. He’s on his game for sure and dealers know and love that. It’s the dependability they gravitate towards.”
Wolf Brand has continually punched above its category by offering high-quality scooters, exceptional service and an unbeatable price point. Dealers are always surprised by how much Wolf Brand provides for such a low price point. And the dealer margins are excellent as well, according to Hammer.
“College kids and dealers just can’t seem to get enough,” Hammer said. “The colors, choice of styles and options — there’s a lot to love.”
It’s takes some time for Wolf to add a new model though, maybe one a year, as it has to be dependable and stylish enough to join the Wolf pack. The newest model is called the Rugby. It’s an edgy, off-road style scooter with knobby tires and a partially exposed frame, a digital speedometer and cool side-by-side headlights. For budget-conscious college kids, they can get the RX-50 for around $1,100 retail. That’s less than most kids’ laptops.
Hammer said their primary commitment to dealers is always to have plenty of parts and scooters in stock and to offer quick turnaround times from their warehouse.
“Many dealers have told us we’re better to deal with than a lot of other brands out there,” Hammer said. “It’s probably because even though we are a leading scooter brand that is distributed nationally, we still operate a lot like a ‘mom and pop’ company, due to our personal touch with dealers. We take the time to get to know our dealers and what they want, how they want their parts shipped, when they need a container load for the season, etc. We don’t make dealers jump through hoops, have dedicated floor space or buy a certain amount annually. When a dealer comes on board with us, it becomes more than just a dealer contract. It’s a new name and face to get to know more about and help grow.”
As for the competition, Hammer said they are not worried because they are used to being up against or in showrooms full of Vespas and Genuine scooters and they still manage to bring in the highest sales volume because of their lower price point and high-quality strategy.
“We usually beat our competitors in sales volume at most of our main dealerships,” Hammer said. “Our dealers will usually tell us how we do against the other brands they sell. Some of our dealers are more geared toward other brands, and we are brought in to offer variety. But we usually come out on top as far as sales volume. I think that says a lot about what we have to offer and what sells on the floor.”
Our primary focus is quality, dealer support and a well-stocked warehouse. Everything else comes naturally, according to Hammer.
“We’ve always been good at appealing to the younger millennial crowd. Probably because we are millennials ourselves,” she added.
As for the future of Wolf Brand, Hammer said they are planning to add a new 125cc mini motorcycle that will be launched this summer. They are also looking at an EV in the coming years. Stay tuned to Wolf Brand as they are on the hunt for new and exciting products and more dealers to join the pack.
