Wilson Staff Model Golf Balls and Baller Box
erock9174
Well-known member
Does Wilson manufacture their own balls or are they more of a Snell and design the ball but have a 3rd party factory produce them ?
Interesting ball for a company that really hasn't competed in the high-end of the market for awhile.
And at that pricing it would have to be amazing to get people to switch from an established high end ball.
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And at that pricing it would have to be amazing to get people to switch from an established high end ball.
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Yep, we missed Bridgestone for a couple of years there.
Sometimes I wonder if the "Right" gets magnified when a "Not so Right" shows up.
I still say part of it is timing - Every other ball manufacture did their ball release earlier this year when there was real interest.
Releasing now is just not good. Should have either sped it up or delayed it.
Don't companies do marketing studies to judge the "appetite" of their consumer?
Well that was quick....before I shell out $50 a dozen for a Wilson ball, I would like to be able to gauge it's performance against the Professional that I have in my rotation to actually see if it's worth it. If they are going to maintain their price structure of $50 a dozen, they will have a tough road to travel. Hopefully they'll get their marketing right on this ball.
Having played the Duo, I'd have no doubts about its quality. That price seems steep, though, for one trying to nudge its way into the top tier.
I wish they'd find another numeral font, too.
I wish they'd find another numeral font, too.
I like the look of the ball including the font and have found Wilson to make good quality golf products. However. I doubt that they are $15 better than the Snell MTB that I play now. It seems like a strange time to introduce a brand new golf product. Wilson should consider sending two ball samples to their standard or e-mail address lists to try them out and get some consumer feedback.
Well, if we could take the reaction here as a valid sample of what Wilson will be up against out there, I do not think this launch will be very good for them. The subscription idea on just balls alone is a little silly without a SIGNIFICANT savings in doing so. Convenience is one thing. But, they are literally selling a product that is readily available at all of the facilities that you would use it at anyways. And, they're charging more for it. Amazon subscriptions and the like are one thing. It saves you a trip to the store and replenishes your supply. But, how hard is it to grab a few sleeves at the course when you check in? You are there anyways.
Then, looking at this from a consumer perspective. You guys are exactly right. These other brands have created a story from their marketing. They are selling us. They have invested in their product and brand image. Wilson just put a premium price on a product we know very little about. I just cannot understand this pricing.
I won't say I am forever uninterested in these. But, I won't be buying them until Wilson does something to prove to me that it's worth more than I would pay for anything else.
Then, looking at this from a consumer perspective. You guys are exactly right. These other brands have created a story from their marketing. They are selling us. They have invested in their product and brand image. Wilson just put a premium price on a product we know very little about. I just cannot understand this pricing.
I won't say I am forever uninterested in these. But, I won't be buying them until Wilson does something to prove to me that it's worth more than I would pay for anything else.
TRA024
Well-known member
How about they reverse this and offer six free dozens of balls when you buy new Wilson irons (shipped e.g. every second month). Perhaps nudges a few people to buy the irons and gives a risk free trial for people to try their balls. I agree with so many good options this model will be very short lived (maybe a Titleist can get away with it but not Wilson).
That is a great idea. Then build on with other STAFF items. Glove, hat, bag, putter. Since they are clearly taking note this could happen by tomorrow.
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- #165
While I love things getting thrown in, the margins on irons sold at retail don't leave a lot of room. DTC, maybe a bit more, but not enough for an every month shipment. In my opinion anyway.
JB no doubt knows the margin implications. Based on finding the right formula for GWP balls I would champion going STAFF product only to really drive HOME the better product angle which hopefully helps them change the perception issues. that takes in a lot of good products
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TRA024
Well-known member
My train of thought was that while the margin on the irons aren't that large on balls they are larger (maybe I'm way off here?) and this from Wilson's point of view would be more of a marketing cost (where free balls have a lower cost for them but higher price point for consumer thus making it a nicer deal) and a way to get more people either play their irons and / or balls. The six dozen was more of a random nr, more thinking about ways for Wilson to get some market penetration. If you like the balls you may continue the subscription and then the subsequent margins on more volume and ball margin would make-up for the cost on the front end.
I'm actually surprised that there isn't yet any brand that would have ventured into some kind of "concierge medicine" type of set-up (maybe PXG) where you pay a annual fee and with that they will give you clubs, balls, clothes, gloves, lessons, annual fitting, etc etc. Obviously a lot of golfers love the tinker aspect but I'm sure there's some C-suite section of the market that would be on-board with this.
So did Wilson abandon the "Baller Box" moniker? If the plan was to go with something that bold, I presume then there would be a willingness to lean into it and have some fun. For example, and strictly as a hypothetical, have a monthly perk which plays it up:
Month 1: Entourage. We know that a big baller and shot caller like yourself needs a good entourage. But you can't have your crew playing inferior equipment. This month, we are sending a free box to a member of your entourage. Send us the address, and we will hook them up.
Month 2: Bottle Service. Ballers get bottle service. This month we will be sending you a Wilson water bottle to rep out on the course. Stay hydrated, fam.
Month 3: Baller's Bling. Free ball marker.
Month 4: Get that Bag. Free golf ball bag.
Month 5: VIP's Only. Access to a special finish set of irons like they did with the V6 Raw.
I could go on all day......
Month 1: Entourage. We know that a big baller and shot caller like yourself needs a good entourage. But you can't have your crew playing inferior equipment. This month, we are sending a free box to a member of your entourage. Send us the address, and we will hook them up.
Month 2: Bottle Service. Ballers get bottle service. This month we will be sending you a Wilson water bottle to rep out on the course. Stay hydrated, fam.
Month 3: Baller's Bling. Free ball marker.
Month 4: Get that Bag. Free golf ball bag.
Month 5: VIP's Only. Access to a special finish set of irons like they did with the V6 Raw.
I could go on all day......
X.Man
Well-known member
I'm not sure I would have released and announced both at the same time. What could be a good ball in this new STAFF model is over shadowed by a wonky subscription service. Is the subscription service only for the STAFF ball? (There i go proving my own point asking a question about the subscription service and not the ball!! 
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- #171
We updated our article and this thread early this morning that the company has suspended the subscription service. We got word at 11:15pm last night that this was taking place and said we would update at that time.
We cannot say why nobody reported on this new ball or service yesterday, as that was the embargo date. But can say our timeline is accurate.
1badbadger
Member
Pricing a single dozen $2 more than the normal price of the most expensive/popular ball on the market is a little bold. And with the Buy 3/Get 1 Free offer Titleist is running you can get 4 dz Pro V for $9 more than 3 dz Staff. It needs to be a hell of a ball to compete with that. I really think players will not like the logo on the ball either. It's too big. You'd be surprised at how much a little detail like that can affect a player's decision on which product to buy.
This was exactly what I was thinking. They haven't created the demand for their ball at this point, so it's an unproven product at a top of the market price. And other manufacturers with top-tier balls are offering much better deals on them.
I don't play top-tier tour balls, but if I did I wouldn't be even slightly interested in/curious about Wilson's ball. Not when I can buy 3/get 1 from Callaway, Bridgestone, Titleist, Srixon, etc., and I know they're proven quality balls with an established track record.
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Intrigue is such a unique and important concept in marketing. Pedigree is super important (See Titleist). But intrigue can add something to the mix. I always view intrigue in marketing as creating demand when it doesn’t exist through a myriad of ways. Swell like buzz, even in small levels. Love it or hate it, Driver vs Driver did that. The struggles at release are well documented, but the general idea of the show, brought intrigue.
A subscription program and high price CAN do that. But to create demand, thus intrigue, something more has to be brought to the table for the core golfer (THPers). Whether that is data, testing or something even more creative to explain why it deserves the buzz.
I mean even simple items such as:
the ball is more expensive, because it costs way more to create than anything we have ever done before.
We held back nothing in R&D to create the most complete golf ball ever made
Both of those statements would create intrigue enough to where personally as a golfer, I would want to at least try it once. I don’t think I am alone in that sentiment either.
Funny because I just wrote a very similar post in the thread about brands having predestined market share. A product can quickly develop intrigue and demand via social media/forums, user reviews, etc. If people start testing the ball and talking it up on IG, YouTube and golf forums, they're reaching a niche of golfers who are much more into the game and the gear than the average weekend warrior, and a lot more likely to give something new a try if it's getting a lot of buzz. I just don't think they're there at this point in the game - maybe the ball will develop a cult following and become a huge thing, but it's pretty gutsy to come right out and position yourself at the top of the market without throwing out a lot of hype and generating some buzz/anticipation first.