Obviously they make money selling them or they wouldn't continue to make them. But is it enough to where it would kill them if they stopped? That I don't know
Brand Talk - Wilson Staff
Obviously they make money selling them or they wouldn't continue to make them. But is it enough to where it would kill them if they stopped? That I don't know
- Staff
- #77
I don't really know when he started influencing the releases much, but I think DXI Superlight was weak and D100 was pretty weak as well. Honestly, I still think that going all-in on the ultra light thing just seems very 2011-2012 and isn't going to gain them much. That 200 driver is a great example - you all saw impressive results with it, but only one person went truly ultralight. Maybe if you offer that option as a complement to a full line, but not as a flagship offering.
The M3 line was good in theory, but lacked in execution. Pretty poor sound and what I'd consider a very lacking adjustable system just based on how extremely large it was. They improved that with the 200 line though.
- Admin
- #78
Well that kinda correlates with exactly what some of us were saying in here. How can you expect to compete in a market where you can't even get a staffer to play your driver?
Is this normal? Do tour pros play with different manufacturers equipment in their bag? I wouldn't think so besides a putter or a ball. But maybe I'm wrong.
Spivey
Active member
I love this thread!
I remember WS being a player's iron when I started golfing. And the balls - I played WS TC tour balls from the beginning of my golfing career.
The #PersonalDistance event opened my eyes tremendously to the brand.
Their marketing (and overall golf presence) is MUCH smaller than the big guys, so they did not want to market the way the big guys did.
If I remember correctly, they are not looking to be the #1 seller of product in any line - the strategy is to grow the brand in a more personal manner. Which means to me that you will not be seeing WS in every golf store, but will be very pleased to find exactly what fits your game IF you can get yourself fitted and have someone close by to do so.
I really like the V4 irons - I believe that these may be the iron that puts WS back into a lot of player's hands. I know that, had I not purchased new clubs before the WS event, I would have held out for these irons, and would have searched them out to get them.
Balls - The WS line of balls for 2015 is very strong - again, they are nowhere near the top ball seller, but the Duo line has done very well for them, and therefore has done very well for many golfers.
I am excited for WS in the near and far future - I will continue to play their driver, balls, I own their bag, and will seriously test a set of irons the next time I purchase clubs.
I remember WS being a player's iron when I started golfing. And the balls - I played WS TC tour balls from the beginning of my golfing career.
The #PersonalDistance event opened my eyes tremendously to the brand.
Their marketing (and overall golf presence) is MUCH smaller than the big guys, so they did not want to market the way the big guys did.
If I remember correctly, they are not looking to be the #1 seller of product in any line - the strategy is to grow the brand in a more personal manner. Which means to me that you will not be seeing WS in every golf store, but will be very pleased to find exactly what fits your game IF you can get yourself fitted and have someone close by to do so.
I really like the V4 irons - I believe that these may be the iron that puts WS back into a lot of player's hands. I know that, had I not purchased new clubs before the WS event, I would have held out for these irons, and would have searched them out to get them.
Balls - The WS line of balls for 2015 is very strong - again, they are nowhere near the top ball seller, but the Duo line has done very well for them, and therefore has done very well for many golfers.
I am excited for WS in the near and far future - I will continue to play their driver, balls, I own their bag, and will seriously test a set of irons the next time I purchase clubs.
I'm not a golf marketing expert. I can only imagine that it costs a lot of money to have a full lineup of clubs in a place like Golf Galaxy (due to sheer volume and number of stores). Interesting fact, Golf Galaxy is not listed as a retailer on the Wilson website. I can certainly confirm that the golf galaxy in West Des Moines doesn't have any Wilson Clubs. But it appears Golf Galaxy has no issues ordering it for you since Wilson Clubs are present on their website.
But anyways, one thing that is extremely effective is word of mouth. Word of mouth happens quite a bit on places like THP. But it also works extremely well on the golf course. Take my golf course, for instance. If I show up with a Wilson driver (which will be happening by the end of July) there will be some people who ask me about it. If I tell them it's the greatest thing since sliced bread (or simply that it's long and straight or whatever my thoughts are), they are going to want to take a swing with it. So I let them take a swing. This is by no means scientific statistical proof, but let's say that 1 out of 10 people end up getting a Wilson Driver after that. Now there are 2. And those people go play other courses for scrambles or whatever, and the word of mouth continues to spread. Before too long, you have a wide geographic area covered of at least one or two people who are playing a Wilson club or clubs. The word of mouth can continue to spread.
Of course, word of mouth depends on their being a good product as well.
And, it's by no means the fastest method, but you have to start somewhere. Obviously, signing a high end tour pro or having one of your tour pros have a string of strong weekends and TV coverage is more effective, but I suspect it costs quite a bit more as well.
Either way, I'm going bananas waiting to try their clubs out. I finally located a store in Des Moines that carries their clubs, and I'm going to be trying them out next time I am up there.
~Rock
But anyways, one thing that is extremely effective is word of mouth. Word of mouth happens quite a bit on places like THP. But it also works extremely well on the golf course. Take my golf course, for instance. If I show up with a Wilson driver (which will be happening by the end of July) there will be some people who ask me about it. If I tell them it's the greatest thing since sliced bread (or simply that it's long and straight or whatever my thoughts are), they are going to want to take a swing with it. So I let them take a swing. This is by no means scientific statistical proof, but let's say that 1 out of 10 people end up getting a Wilson Driver after that. Now there are 2. And those people go play other courses for scrambles or whatever, and the word of mouth continues to spread. Before too long, you have a wide geographic area covered of at least one or two people who are playing a Wilson club or clubs. The word of mouth can continue to spread.
Of course, word of mouth depends on their being a good product as well.
And, it's by no means the fastest method, but you have to start somewhere. Obviously, signing a high end tour pro or having one of your tour pros have a string of strong weekends and TV coverage is more effective, but I suspect it costs quite a bit more as well.
Either way, I'm going bananas waiting to try their clubs out. I finally located a store in Des Moines that carries their clubs, and I'm going to be trying them out next time I am up there.
~Rock
Erky
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Phil Mickelson was gaming a TaylorMade 3 wood within the last couple years. Snedeker was gaming a TaylorMade driver, Ping hybrid and Callaway 3 wood as recently as last season. It's actually pretty common for a pro to have multiple brands in the bag, and those two players are closely identified with Callaway and Brigestone.
Spivey
Active member
I think Zack Johnson has a Titleist putter cover on his SeeMore putter, also.
The point is there's tons of mixed bags all over the tour. Full 14 club and ball deals are rare. Just because a wilson staff tour player has a different brand driver doesn't mean wilson doesn't offer a good driver. Just means the other company was willing to pay more to have it in that players bag
- Admin
- #85
Ok so its more common than I thought. I said I could be wrong. I'm not up to date on all the tour stuff. I'm not trying to bash Wilson, I like what they are trying to do and I at least like the looks of some of their new stuff, I just was stating what my perception of the company was.
Ole Gray
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I think it would be cool for Wilson to do something similar to what Bridgestone did for THP'ers. Have three or four clubs that would be passed among several THP'ers for first hand trial runs. A good way for hands on product reviews plus word of mouth does wonders for sales.
Have not even considered Wilson as a manufacturer for a number of years but when I was at the Bridgestone event this weekend I saw how well Spivey hit his Wilson driver and it really opened my eyes to the possibility of their clubs. It will be interesting to see how difficult it is to find a place to try them which is similar to Bridgestone (who is launching their try it demo program in February). I would like to talk to the people at Wilson to see if they have a plan that is as good as the one Bridgestone presented last week.
I had read the article below elsewhere which seems to confirm Tim Clarke's desire to exit the entry level business. I guess this should aid in the brands image.When I have volunteered at the Wells-Fargo tourney I check out what guys have in the bag. Many pros are playing a mixed bag. The TM guys seems to play mainly Taylor-Made stuff which may be a function of their contracts.Hey it is their job. They should play the tools they like best.
Clarke adds that Wilson Golf is getting out of the entry-level equipment market.“We’ve really exited that price segment. There’s no doubt that if you get too low (pricewise), it’s hard to get your price up. We’ve worked very diligently to be profitable this year while de-emphasizing and exiting a lot of low-margin, high dollar volume categories.”
Wilson is reportedly planning to remove the Wilson name from the boxed-set Ultra’s you see in department stores, but Clarke says the overall Wilson brand will always have a retail presence.
Clarke adds that Wilson Golf is getting out of the entry-level equipment market.“We’ve really exited that price segment. There’s no doubt that if you get too low (pricewise), it’s hard to get your price up. We’ve worked very diligently to be profitable this year while de-emphasizing and exiting a lot of low-margin, high dollar volume categories.”
Wilson is reportedly planning to remove the Wilson name from the boxed-set Ultra’s you see in department stores, but Clarke says the overall Wilson brand will always have a retail presence.
dcbrad
locked and reloaded
I agree, the stock shaft pairing was not very good for any golfer with any semblance of swing speed, no offense to anyone. But it is an excellent head, and paired with a better shaft, it would "fit" a lot more of the general public.
woody_74
Well-known member
I could not watch the video at work, but from personal experience I didn't think of Wilson irons as anything, but a wal-mart brand till being on THP. When I bought my last set of irons the guy I was with tried to get me to consider them, but I couldn't get over that in my head. Now hearing about the D200 iron line and where Wilson is going they are on my radar.
Like several on here, the very first set of irons I bought with my own money were Wilsons and I played their orange staff ball proudly back in the 80s. However, their distribution channels continue to be very limited. I have to drive almost 4 hours to get to the nearest fit cart. Once there, most of the staff know little about the line since they do not move much Wilson product. With more golf shops cutting back on floor space (and especially club space), I fear Wilson may fall even farther behind. In my case, because of the limitations I noted above, Wilson is not an option when I am considering new clubs. Honestly, that makes me sad.
- Staff
- #92
No doubt that it's a very nice. Forgiving and tons of fitting options if they are made readily available to the consumer.
Agree to an extent....but it's not just mixed bag issues. The point is that they are one of the few OEM's without a tour player gaming a driver that they make.
This debate isn't about quality of their equipment but rather lack of visibility that I think they need to help grow the brand.
Your point is well made. I guess THP'ers play what they feel is best for their game versus the weekend player who plays what he sees pros play.
This is just a fascinating thread for me. I play regularly with 20+ guys all of whom are devoted golfers, watch the tour regularly and even travel to tour events. I have never heard any discussion about what clubs particular players use. Nor have I heard much discussion about equipment in general at the tour level unless it is truly revolutionary (such as when the ProV1 was introduced). Almost all of them choose clubs by going into the store and demoing them.
I was overjoyed to find my local shop has started stocking more Wilson irons, and even had some FG M3 hybrids. It's not much - they still don't carry fairways or driver, and definitely no fit cart - but it's a step in the right direction. I did my best to show off how awesome my FG M3 fwy wood is on the sim haha. And I was crushing the 21* hybrid.
I agree with others though, they badly need to get at least a few guys to game some of their metalwood line, otherwise many folks will not take them seriously - and that is entirely wrong.
I agree with others though, they badly need to get at least a few guys to game some of their metalwood line, otherwise many folks will not take them seriously - and that is entirely wrong.
I view the guys you are playing with more like us - the educated consumer.
But tons of equipment flies off the shelf cause it's white and DJ bombs it. It's Tiger/Rory red (now volt), or Fowler orange.
I'm one that will play anything that helps my game but the lack of exposure for Wilson and opportunity for me to readily try it is just lacking which I think inevitably leads to lack of sales.
- Thread starter
- Admin
- #98
Cant be the same driver as everybody else. THey wont sell. They must go the alternative route. See Cobra for this example.
I dont agree with either of these actually. People absolutely buy what the pros use. In fact in just about every category, "most used on tour" is also most purchased at the store.
However I dont think no tour pros using the Wilson driver is a huge deal. How many Adams drivers were out on tour the last few years? Mizuno? Cleveland? Heck, even Cobra? 5-6 total between all of those brands?
People choose based on perception, whether that be tour or anything else. Im truly interested in the idea however that someone would go the cant wait to try it route with Nike, Cobra, Cleveland, etc on THP and not even care about trying the Wilson. So similar in all honesty.
- Thread starter
- Admin
- #100
Yeah I think you will find that in just about every category, those that lead the count on tour lead in sales. The only one that is off right now is hybrids with Callaway leading most recent sales but 3rd in count.