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Cobra Golf, Marketing Strategy, and Target Consumers

SuperStroke
I have been out of golf more than in until a little over a year ago, but I have remained somewhat conscious of the game throughout and I have thought well of Cobra for years, though I never owned any of their clubs. I think they are making a pretty bold move to attract younger buyers, but there are a lot of older golfers like myself that may be turned off by the abundance of orange and other rather of over the top colors. I think it is fine to offer them, but I wish they would offer options so more traditional folks wouldn't walk past. When you are making drivers with multiple color options for the head, is it that much trouble to add black? They might sell more clubs.
 
They actually did do that this year PJ. Good addition to their line for sure.
 
I think apparel wise they are doing very well with the Puma gear...the loud colors and styles are really popular with younger players

Hard goods on the other hand is a different story...I think they are trending the right direction with some of the latest offerings and they are doing a pretty good job bringing the name back into the mainstream.
 
Hawk said:
They actually did do that this year PJ. Good addition to their line for sure.
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Yep, I even said it to Jose when we were out there at Cobra, adding in a Black driver was a really smart move. To me, it brings back some of the "traditional" Cobra users and gives the opportunity to have a blend of the age spectrum.

Now, the TO thing? MASSIVE for Cobra, it bolsters an already really good R&D crew. When someone like him comes in and is impressed with the line that he didn't have anything to do with, that is saying something IMO.
 
Hawk said:
They actually did do that this year PJ. Good addition to their line for sure.
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Dang, again my ignorance shows through! Thank goodness this is the internet. :)
 
PirateJim said:
Dang, again my ignorance shows through! Thank goodness this is the internet. :)
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Ha! Nah, they are just coming out now, so I'm sure plenty others don't know either.
 
I like the direction Cobra is going, for a variety of reasons. First and probably foremost (for me) is that their clubs perform. The Amp and Amp Cell products I've tried simply work. The Baffler clubs are great, and their wedges are to me the best value out there for performance at price. Second, the performance and technology, particularly the adjustable clubs, are easy to understand. The combination of MyFly and the SmartPad technology makes adjustment simple and clear. The clubs stand out in a crowd and are instantly recognizable. "That's that Amp Cell, isn't it?" is a common question I get, and that's using the notably less ostentatious blue driver. The orange is a dead giveaway, and I can only imagine the looks you get rocking the new Bio Cell+ even in black.

That "stand out from the crowd" carries over to the apparel. Bright colors, exciting designs, and slimmer cuts favor a younger crowd who have had a lot more exposure to European stylings. Fortunately Puma has the wherewithal to combine that was some great materials that are comfortable and move really well.

Does all this equal band loyalty and sustained sales? I think it does. A conversation that came up in an economics class was when customer loyalty starts, and the consensus is that it really starts when expendable income is low. In other words, if I'm buying a new...whatever, club, shirt, car, you name it, and it's all the money I've got, my emotional investment and financial investment are both very high. I'm going to wear that shirt a lot, I'm going to hit that club and drive that car. Provided the financial investment pays off (the shirt doesn't fall apart, the club hits well, the car is not a lemon), the emotional investment deepens.

So by targeting young people with (presumably) less income (or their parents having less income), they stand to produce a much deeper emotional and long term investment in their product. Continued performance matters, obviously, but targeting young people, and doing so in a very adroit manner, is a great marketing strategy for CPG.
 
I think they are heading in the right direction. I think they are going to surprise some people this year again.
 
It's funny I see a lot of kids on the course now with Cobra equipment. Whenever I see it, I smile because it looks fun! Rainbow assortment of irons and Woods- paired with Puma gear, it's nice and refreshing. It's not something I'd ever use because it's not my style really because I'm old and like classic looks. A lot of it reminds me of Jordan's sneakers. Kids saw them and wanted them (I know I did).

I like what Cobra offers and what they're doing. I know my eight year old wants cobra clubs next year. If she thinks the stuff is cool maybe it will increase her interest in the game which is a good thing.



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Puma is an interesting marketing study, being the step child to Titleist in it's Acushnet days, they were primarily branded as the easier to hit (older players) club to Titleists players offerings and so they didn't have there own ball/wedge/putter offerings.

They then broke completely from that mold with bright colors and youthful energy with the apparel and Rickie Fowler. By all that tried them, the AMP line was very solid (myself included) but not sure how well they sold. The apparel is obviously doing pretty well, but not sure if the clubs are seeing similar traction.

They have a smaller tour staff, but have some solid pieces. Fowler, Blixt and Poulter on the PGA, Lexi Thompson on the LPGA and adding the Shark as an ambassador should appeal to the more mature segment as a link to the companies past. The more traditional colorway (black) will help out with that as well.

Really though, I have to think their overall club success is dependent on Rickie and how he plays. If he does well and is competing on Sundays, I think they will get the average consumers attention to at least give the clubs a chance.
 
Jman said:
Now, the TO thing? MASSIVE for Cobra, it bolsters an already really good R&D crew. When someone like him comes in and is impressed with the line that he didn't have anything to do with, that is saying something IMO.
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+1 The Smartpad is a piece of magic.
 
Jman said:
Now, the TO thing? MASSIVE for Cobra, it bolsters an already really good R&D crew. When someone like him comes in and is impressed with the line that he didn't have anything to do with, that is saying something IMO.
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I'm hoping TO keeps the great things they did with the AMP Cell Pro line heading in the right direction. I love what they've produced and see an opportunity to add even a little more forgiveness to one of the best players irons out there today.
 
they have a pretty big set up at the Honda, a big tent area with all there products & open seating overlooking the tee on the 17th hole
 
The 17th hole at the Honda is all Cobra / Puma this week. Actually they're all over the course with Bio cell demos and Puma girls giving away towels, sunglasses and free drink tickets with a Puma gear purchase. They were the only OEM who stood out today and definitely got my attention. Hopefully this marketing strategy works out for them.
 
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