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Mark Crossfield or TaylorMade: Who do you side with?

ddec said:
but he's going to review it, he said so himself. So what does it matter to the followers if he buys the product or not? I think he'll do a fine job when he does it.
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Stop speaking middle ground common sense in here, we are supposed to be one side or the other. Sheesh dean, polarizing or bust dude.
 
Wake said:
But do you think Russia would invite her in to write a story knowing the US military was paying her?
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She's also written for a variety of travel sites, so maybe. She's not paid by the Army, but by various companies within the military veteran community, including the Association of the United States Army.

My point is that organizations with competing market shares can play along within the realm of marketing. Within the military/veteran community, there are a ton of organizations putting out near-identical products and aiming their marketing at fellow military/veterans. Got Your Six Coffee, Black Rifle Coffee, etc., making coffee, talking about being veteran owned, the whole bit. My wife's written press releases for both of them, though our coffee consumption is sponsored by Got Your Six, because they offered a partnership rather than a one-time thing. Sword & Plough and R. Riveter, both make handbags, both veteran-focused, both have had stuff put out that Rebecca has written, despite her being a Sword & Plough brand ambassador. Don't get me started on veteran-owned t-shirt companies. But that's how marketing works: you can't hope to say your product is better if you pick and choose who gets to test it, IMO.

I don't understand why TM can't get along with a guy who has been saying for years that everyone's new hawtness is subject to strike and swing speed. In fairness, I'm biased; I've met and gotten a lesson from Mark and I think he's a very good teacher and a good dude. While he's playing this up for hits, I think anyone would. Being snubbed is almost better than business as usual.
 
Jman said:
Stop speaking middle ground common sense in here, we are supposed to be one side or the other. Sheesh dean, polarizing or bust dude.
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damnit sorry.

I side with MC. Every company should send every piece of equipment to everyone who has been writing or recording reviews since August 2015.
 
ddec said:
but he's going to review it, he said so himself. So what does it matter to the followers if he buys the product or not? I think he'll do a fine job when he does it.
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Some of the best reviews come from when the reviewer buys the product.

I think this whole thing is childish on both sides. That’s said I still don’t understand the going on staff with a company when your main draw is club reviews. If I were a company I personally would not send him anything either.


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Based on the tweets I saw and the portion of the vlog I watched, I can see where MC is coming from. It seems there has been some bad blood brewing there for awhile so it wasn't too surprising to see him put TM on blast. While I do agree it's TM's prerogative to send equipment to whomever they want, their reasoning with MC strikes me as petty and given what has been going on with the company the last thing they need is buyers looking at other options.
 
I watched the video of him coming out as a Titleist staffer, and I watched today's video. Honestly, I think the whole thing was a bit silly and short sighted on both sides.

Taylormade's review was not well thought out when they are putting out videos of their staff pros saying how the new drivers are the bees knees... And Crossfield comes across like a jilted lover who can't believe his ex girlfriend doesn't want to come to a house warming party for him and his new girl.

It is a business, airing this stuff out there I can't imagine is going to endear him to other brands who may or may not have interest in having him review clubs. If people are on the fence, you might as well just go ghost mode and not respond to anything as he says he is going to review the product anyway and still be fair and unbiased.... so what did TM lose? They look a bit douchey (I would argue less than Crossfield in this video and I like his Vlogs) but will this video affect any of our interest in the new clubs?

I don't fault him for taking the paycheck from Titleist but to think other OEMs wouldn't have some reaction is naive. At the same time, TM marketing not handling something all that well is not shocking in the slightest.
 
Take some of the titlest money and go buy it
 
Crossfield does nothing but complain about marketing in his reviews so why anyone sends him equipment is beyond me.

But then I might have an axe to grind since he banned me on Twitter and Facebook.
 
The more I think about it, this is just a chance to throw a company under the bus and make a stink about nothing.

I’m sure there have been times where THP HQ didn’t receive every release from a company that they’ve asked for. It’s not a big deal, go about business as usual and do your job.

If someone asks why you haven’t done anything on a release, just be honest and say we didn’t receive it in for review and if we get a chance to hit one either from them or someone who lets us borrow it for a day, we’ll put something together.

Why is this even a big deal?
 
Agreed. I also am left assuming that MC other equipment providers do so with no hesitation. Now, if they all start backing away from it then theres something else to it. Otherwise, I have always felt his reviews were genuine and well informed. Keeping in mind he doesn't just do OEM vs OEM reviews.....he does many many many different types of comparisons on similar tech.
mr.hicksta said:
Based on the tweets I saw the the portion of the vlog I watched, I can see where MC is coming from. It seems there has been some bad blood brewing there for awhile so it wasn't too surprising to see him put TM on blast. While I do agree it's TM's prerogative to send equipment to whomever they want, their reasoning with MC strikes me as petty and given what has been going on with the company the last thing they need is buyers looking at other options.
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Suddenly I need more info....:bulgy-eyes:
fupresti said:
Crossfield does nothing but complain about marketing in his reviews so why anyone sends him equipment is beyond me.

But then I might have an axe to grind since he banned me on Twitter and Facebook.
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PKorf said:
Suddenly I need more info....:bulgy-eyes:
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I called him out because of his tendency to crap on every club that it's just marketing and blah blah blah. I also pointed out how every Mizuno club was magic to him.
 
I normally side with the reviewer instead of the OEM, but I actually unfollowed Crossfield on Twitter because of the continual gritching about it. Enough already, review the clubs that are sent to you & if the other OEMs don't want to send you their clubs, that's their business decision. Also, here's a novel idea.... go buy the club to review.

Have to admit that I was tired of his insightful "Good Morning y'all" tweets as well.
 
hahaha Ive noticed he does love Mizuno
fupresti said:
I called him out because of his tendency to crap on every club that it's just marketing and blah blah blah. I also pointed out how every Mizuno club was magic to him.
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Jman said:
He's not. He's a teaching professional that also talks golf gear.
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Then he shouldn't get bent out of shape if he doesn't get free gear to review.
 
ddec said:
he (MC) just did what we all have wanted to do for years hehe
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just-do-it-gif-11.gif
 
Love me some Crossfield and Shiels and anyplace out there that reviews all of the new equipment. Anyone only getting info from one source or who can’t look at things from all sides needs to take their blinders off.
 
i would like to think mc’s deal with titleist doesn’t preclude him from talking about any specific gear.

i do think he can remain objective. it comes with the territory on the path he has chosen.

i haven’t read anything, but if he is airing it out then i don’t like that. just like a different site did with a boutique company. nobody looks good, everybody looks childish, everybody loses.


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I've watched Mark's videos over the years and they're okay. I'm not a fan or a hater. However, he comes across as a spoiled brat by conflating loads of "facts" in this video. Sponsored PGA pros and YouTube club reviewers are not the same thing. Golf Digest is a separate entity who does business with lots of OEM companies. Mark, with his Titleist agreement, is hardly the same thing as a magazine. TaylorMade was involved with conversations until November...big deal. In my line of work, we get involved with lots of discussions for lots of reasons. Just because we're talking doesn't mean the other party is getting the "deal'.

Companies make decisions they feel are in their best interests everyday of the week. #shocking. Perhaps Mark should devote his next video to the Law of Unintended Consequences.
 
I guess I have one question, what is the upside for TaylorMade? Is a Crossfield review really going to make the difference? Is this any different then Callaway not sending gear to MyGolfSpy and then they try to play the victim card?

I have no qualms about companies trying to control their own narrative, they just have to accept the consequences.
 
I side with mark because I like that goofy British dude. At the same time totally feel like TM is justified. Someone like mark can definitely get someone to send him a club, or can ask the local fitter or get one thru the golf center where he works/teaches


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Mark Crossfield or TaylorMade: Who do you side with?

mikedean441 said:
Take some of the titlest money and go buy it
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Sadly doesn’t work that way, which I’m sure you know. Staff deals go as follows.

You get a certain amount of money per year. That money is spent on apparel, clubs bags, backpacks accessories etc. all must be bought at retail without the PUD% (personal use discount) which can be a big chunk. Callaway gives assistants 40% off. I was quoted a set of Apex MBs for 490.00.

My dad is on staff with TM, he gets enough money for hats balls and irons and woods each year. It’s more worth it for him now since adidas and TM split


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Watching that video is 15 minutes of my life that I will never get back. TM has the ability to send out review material to whoever they want. They probably don't want a review of their clubs by a guy wearing a Titleist logo throughout the interview. Their social media strategy hasn't been the most effective out there. But then Crossfield sounds very petty and childish, and essentially burns any bridge he might have had to TM by putting this video out there. Sounds like sour grapes on his end.
 
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