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OEM Marketing: Confused

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Sean

Sean

Earthbound Extraterrestrial
Albatross 2024 Club
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A general question for you folks. We see a ton of ads on TV featuring this and that professional golfer playing this and that set of irons/driver/golf ball, etc. I don't know about you, but I tune those ads out because I'm not a professional golfer.

What Martin Kaymer, Luke Donald, KJ Choi, etc., play has no impact on what I purchase because I don't have their swings or their talent. So my question is, why do OEMs continue to market their equipment that way? Or, am I just an anomaly?
 
Sean said:
A general question for you folks. We see a ton of ads on TV featuring this and that professional golfer playing this and that set of irons/driver/golf ball, etc. I don't know about you, but I tune those ads out because I'm not a professional golfer.

What Martin Kaymer, Luke Donald, KJ Choi, etc., play has no impact on what I purchase because I don't have their swings or their talent. So my question is, why do OEMs continue to market their equipment that way? Or, am I just an anomaly?
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I used to play every club that Freddie Couples played. When he switched, I switched. There are idiots who do that out there.
 
Because the average golfer will buy what the pro plays because they think it will make them better. Then they join THP and realize to play something fitted to them - not someone on TV.
 
Sean said:
A general question for you folks. We see a ton of ads on TV featuring this and that professional golfer playing this and that set of irons/driver/golf ball, etc. I don't know about you, but I tune those ads out because I'm not a professional golfer.

What Martin Kaymer, Luke Donald, KJ Choi, etc., play has no impact on what I purchase because I don't have their swings or their talent. So my question is, why do OEMs continue to market their equipment that way? Or, am I just an anomaly?
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I would say that you are the anomaly. Kind of the same thing with shoes and gloves and all that with other sports. People want to wear what the pros wear and play what they play.
 
If you dont think that pros playing what they play has any role on the marketplace....See TaylorMade and Titleist ads with their slogans "Most used on Tour". Then look at the direct correlation between that and what consumers buy.
 
I can understand if you personally are not influenced by marketing, but do you really not see how marketing and PR influence buyers in every possible facet? Most white kids can't dunk a basketball, but they want to wear Jordans.
 
I was all excited to start buying Perky Jerky until Duval dropped them. Well, that and I found out they don't have a spicy flavor.
 
JB said:
If you dont think that pros playing what they play has any role on the marketplace....See TaylorMade and Titleist ads with their slogans "Most used on Tour". Then look at the direct correlation between that and what consumers buy.
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I know there's a correlation: the r-squared is probably in the .80 or higher range. I just don't understand it is all.
 
The major brands aren't stupid, they all know that consumers will buy something that is advertised on TV if they give it a good marketing campaign. If you have big name Golfers advertising products then it stands to reason that a lot of people will buy what is being advertised.

Luckily we don't have all that many Golf adverts on TV over here in the UK, well non that I would consider buying after seeing anyway
 
I got Pings and didn't know which player was repping them in 2009.
Bought a TM R9-460 last year and didn't know was on Team TM.

I guess I just know that I'm not making or getting paid to play so I also tune them all out.
 
Golf is unique in that players can use different equipment and even different balls. OEM's are certainly capitalizing on the pros' use of equipment and the general public's accessiblity to such.

But I'm with you, Sean, in that it doesn't even register on my radar what pros are playing. The only time I'll take notice is the rare occassion when a pro doesn't have an endorsement deal and therefore isn't getting paid to play any of his clubs. Then I'll at least have a casual interest.

But the masses want to play what the pros play, don't see that changing anytime soon.
 
I don't get to watch much golf on TV so I don't really know what ads are currently out there. I don't recall many that say a specific model, mostly just the make. Maybe I'm just not looking that hard at the ads. Don't most of them just associate a brand and a player?

I've always thought that they were trying to get us to think Luke Donald = Mizuno, not Luke Donald = Mizuno MP-XX irons. So that when you go shopping and see Mizuno in the store, you can associate a successful Tour player with the brand, not necessarily his specific clubs.

Granted, some ads will be brand/model specific, but every industry does that. Michael Jordan sold Nike, but he was never trying to sell anything other than Air Jordans. Many of Tiger's ads are 'general' Nike Golf ads, while some of them are specific to a certain model.

It also depends on the purpose of the ad. Is it to get the brand recognition or to introduce a new product? Maybe an ad is just Luke Donald and the new Mizuno clubs he is playing. Not necessarily trying to get you to buy what Luke Donald is playing, but introducing a new product via a spokesperson. They aren't saying go buy these because a Tour player uses them, it's more here is something new we have and look, even Tour players use them. The consumer can take it either way.
 
WITB thread is one of my favorites despite not being talented enough to use pro equipment!

If a pro uses an item, it automatically gains credibility. They have a lot at stake to use the best equipment out there. I know the sponsorship checks sway their opinion, but they wouldn't put themselves at a competitive disadvantage by using sub-par equipment. Also, this allows the manufacturer to justify the ever-increasing price tags.

As far as endorsing things other than golf clubs, that's a whole different story. I've never wanted a Buick despite seeing Tiger drive one.
 
mcook77 said:
Because the average golfer will buy what the pro plays because they think it will make them better. Then they join THP and realize to play something fitted to them - not someone on TV.
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This is exactly how I see golf marketing and I'm really thankful I never bought into it. Brand also has nothing to do with what professionals I like to follow either. I like them for whatever reason, but it is not because of what is in their bags.
 
Going back to the WITB comment, it's interesting to see some of the pros don't always use the latest and greatest. An example is Tom Lehman, who still carries a Taylor Made V Steel fairway wood in his bag. It's refreshing to know the pros still use things that work well for them. I still carry a V Steel 5 wood in my bag.
 
I always try and make purchases after either reading about the club in a forum like this or a blog by someone who reviewed it and liked it obviously it comes down to personal choice. I'm always interested in who is playing what but it doesn't factor that much into my decision making.
 
discovergolf said:
I always try and make purchases after either reading about the club in a forum like this or a blog by someone who reviewed it and liked it obviously it comes down to personal choice. I'm always interested in who is playing what but it doesn't factor that much into my decision making.
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I completely agree. In the end, it comes down to if I hit the club well or not. But I do read reviews, see what people are saying about it, and who is playing it.
 
Tbonafide said:
WITB thread is one of my favorites despite not being talented enough to use pro equipment!

If a pro uses an item, it automatically gains credibility. They have a lot at stake to use the best equipment out there. I know the sponsorship checks sway their opinion, but they wouldn't put themselves at a competitive disadvantage by using sub-par equipment. Also, this allows the manufacturer to justify the ever-increasing price tags.

As far as endorsing things other than golf clubs, that's a whole different story. I've never wanted a Buick despite seeing Tiger drive one.
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I couldn't agree more. If I am up in the air about a club, ball, piece of equipment, whatever, I will see what who plays it and why (if possible). You know something is quality if it is being used on tour; not that it is necessarily the right thing for me, but it gives me the peace of mind that it is a quality piece of equipment.
 
I couldn't agree more but coming from a marketing background they are really selling their gear equipment to the "regular" golfer. Most of us on here are not your " regular" golfer so we are not usually swayed by pros pimping gear. But as long as the OEM's put their products in the hands of their pros they will be seen by people.


Tapatalkin' this mutha.
 
Hawk said:
I was all excited to start buying Perky Jerky until Duval dropped them. Well, that and I found out they don't have a spicy flavor.
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Pretty desperate to be downing bottles of Bacos. I'm sure I can find you some spiced jerk so you don't have to put yourself through that again.
 
I really like the WITB's too only because I'm an equipment junkie myself. But I also think all the OEM's make top quality stuff. That said whatever a pro plays won't influence my purchasing decisions. What would have a bigger influence is what you folks on THP have to say as you are my golfing peers.
 
i buy what i like, i could careless what pros are playing, granted i dress in alot of puma as fowler is my fav, but i dont own anything titleist
 
if i only played what tour pro's played my irons wouldnt be in the bag or my driver wouldnt be in the bag. What tour pros play does not affect my decision at all, sure its cool to know that you are playing the same clubs as a tour pro but does it really matter?
 
HoosierGolfer said:
This is exactly how I see golf marketing and I'm really thankful I never bought into it. Brand also has nothing to do with what professionals I like to follow either. I like them for whatever reason, but it is not because of what is in their bags.
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I find myself rooting for whichever pro's are playing the brand of irons I play. For instance right now I am rooting just a little harder for Ricky Barnes. I don't know why I just do
 
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