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Starting a new brand - who do you sign?

KEV

KEV

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It's been awhile since we've had this conversation so let's fire it up. Say you are going to start your own equipment company and you can sign any current player to a deal. Who do you go with? I thought it might be interesting with many names seemingly taking a step back (Spieth, Day) and some on a comeback (Tiger).

Let's hear your thoughts.
 
I would look at Tiger and someone like Matthew Fitzpatrick. Tiger followers will by the brand of clothing he wears and equipment he uses no matter what. He also has loads of TV coverage and pictures so the brand will get out there.... A young up and coming player like Matthew Fitzpatrick just to cover off the future.
 
Brooks Koepka and Tommy Fleetwood would be a good start.
 
I go out and try to sign the following players:

Koepka
Finau
Fleetwood
Matsuyama

Young athletic players that gets you a lead or two in each of the 3 largest golfing markets (US, Europe, Asia). Koepka/Matsuyama hasn't been the most gregarious in interviews but I think you could market the hell out of them and Finau/fleetwood are great with the press.
 
If I'm only interested in selling clubs it's Tiger. If it's also an apparel company I'd sign Rickie or Rory.
 
Rickie Fowler...the kids love him...will get kids involved with golf..

Brooke Henderson..she is a tremendous icon in Women's golf..have to involve the young girls to get them interested...

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If I want eyeballs on my products, Tiger is the easy answer.
 
I’ll start with Tiger. He just in different category. People who is not even a golfer knows Tiger. For equipments and apparel.

I’ll pick a In Gee Chun for high end apparel for female golfers.
It’s amazing how much asian female golfer/ non-golfer spends on high end apparel. They don’t even bother to look at Nike brand. It’s some brand I can’t even pronounce.


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For me it's pretty much everyone Nike already has with Tiger at the top, and Brooke Henderson.
 
Tiger certainly helped Scotty Cameron sell a lot of putters. And I think both Payne Stewart and Zach Johnson helped Seemore attain retail store shelf apace, if not respectable putter sales.
For clothing, if the hat or shirt or pants are distinctively unique, and the player gets lots of television time, I think a Tour pro can help sales of same.
Ricky wearing the Puma stuff and, or, John Daly wearing Loudmouth brand pants had potential to seriously grow awareness and sales, but those two players don't seem to be in contention or get enough t.v. time to make it happen.
 
If i’m putting a 4 some together on who to sign with a new brand/start up i’m going with the following...

1. Tiger - nobody moves the needle like Tiger on anything golf
2. Rickie - Apparel, solid golf year in year out
3. Rory - apparel, clubs, (gotta grab the European market)
4. JT- classic apparel, steady game, no drama outside of golf
 
Tough call. How many can I pick? What am I selling?

I think if I’m selling putters I’d go with James Miles.

Shafts are definitely going to Big Soil


Lifestyle brand is probably going to be JDax, PhillyV, or DucatiGirl.


I’m all about regular players. They may not move the needle, but they’ll all talk about the brand and put stuff in words anyone can understand.

All of them would be better at communicating than DJ, Tiger or most any pro.


I grabbed some names out of a hat for the members here, but honestly picking someone that understands and can communicate and answer real world user questions is the way I would go. Might not get the name recognition, but I think value for dollars you won’t beat the ROI, even if you are paying an amateur. (Which is probably not allowed by the USGA).
 
KEV said:
It's been awhile since we've had this conversation so let's fire it up. Say you are going to start your own equipment company and you can sign any current player to a deal. Who do you go with? I thought it might be interesting with many names seemingly taking a step back (Spieth, Day) and some on a comeback (Tiger).

Let's hear your thoughts.
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It's funny that you start this thread because I am in my capstone classes for grad school and I have to do a business proposal, so I am writing a business plan to start a golf company similar to top golf, but gives you the whole experience of a round of golf and you walk a course with virtual reality glasses and play any course you want with concessions and music playing in the background for the new millennials that are leaning towards that environment. It's all indoors. Kind of cool to do the research and learn even more about the sport and where it is going.

But on the equipment side of things I honestly don't know who I would sign because it would all depend on funds and such.

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dazeedmonds said:
Tough call. How many can I pick? What am I selling?

I think if I’m selling putters I’d go with James Miles.

Shafts are definitely going to Big Soil


Lifestyle brand is probably going to be JDax, PhillyV, or DucatiGirl.


I’m all about regular players. They may not move the needle, but they’ll all talk about the brand and put stuff in words anyone can understand.

All of them would be better at communicating than DJ, Tiger or most any pro.


I grabbed some names out of a hat for the members here, but honestly picking someone that understands and can communicate and answer real world user questions is the way I would go. Might not get the name recognition, but I think value for dollars you won’t beat the ROI, even if you are paying an amateur. (Which is probably not allowed by the USGA).
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Ha - I hopped in here to say the same thing, Daze. I'd use 4 amateurs and show stats with their current equipment and show them over the course of the season how they improved with my clubs.

To me, that's more effective. If I see someone showing great improvement and they're at my level, then I'm going to be more likely to buy that gear than whatever the current world #1 is using. I can't play like them - but I can play like other duffers!
 
Fowler.

Cobra was basically in the dumps and Puma had barely entered the market. Not the case with either now.
 
If I'm starting a new brand I don't want to waste all my (limited) marketing dollars with an old school big splash signing. Everyone already associates Tiger/Rory with Nike; Phil with Callaway; Rickie with Puma; etc. So to build a brand that people will associate with my guy I'll go with a dude who can hit it a mile, has a great personality, is young and promising enough to earn a following, and won't cost me an absolute fortune to sign: Andrew "Beeeeeeeeeeef" Johnston.
 
KingVeo said:
If I'm starting a new brand I don't want to waste all my (limited) marketing dollars with an old school big splash signing. Everyone already associates Tiger/Rory with Nike; Phil with Callaway; Rickie with Puma; etc. So to build a brand that people will associate with my guy I'll go with a dude who can hit it a mile, has a great personality, is young and promising enough to earn a following, and won't cost me an absolute fortune to sign: Andrew "Beeeeeeeeeeef" Johnston.
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This is a great example that I want to use. These guys that you listed have been with their brands for a very long time, don't you think that them making a move to another brand would bring a lot of eyes to your brand?
 
The obvious choice here would be Tiger. There is probably not another golfer who could get you that kind of publicity. For me, though I would get a few up and coming pros on my team such as Dylan Meyer, Aaron Wise, Austin Cook, etc and the focus on personalities outside of the game such as Erik Anders Lang, Barstool Sports, Paige Spiranac, Rick Shiels, Me and My Golf etc. There are quite a lot of non-professionals with huge followings that I think would raise a brands awareness better than pros.
 
KEV said:
This is a great example that I want to use. These guys that you listed have been with their brands for a very long time, don't you think that them making a move to another brand would bring a lot of eyes to your brand?
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That's a really good point that I think would make a big splash for my brand (in the short term at least). I just can't get over what an expensive misfire Tiger has been for Bridgestone and how often people forget he even plays their ball. I guess it comes down to what you want your brand to be and I'm looking for a more "fun" ambassador that has the potential of being my brand's "icon" while being realistic with what kind of budget a new company would have to do something like this. With an unlimited budget and eyes on your product being the goal, Tiger is definitely the right call here.

...but be careful what you wish for because if Tiger starts using your product and loses his comeback momentum then a lot of that burden falls on your brand's shoulders. I'm thinking the Bubba/Volvik experiment of 2017 and how bad Volvik got dragged through the mud after Bubba's strong start to 2018.
 
4 people:
Tiger Woods (needs to explanation)
Rickie Fowler (for reasons that others have stated)
Paige Spiranac (for the social media following)
Matthew Wolff (the second he turns pro, I'm opening the checkbook for him. We can get George Gankas on a package deal)
 
I know a guy who started a golf clothing brand named Uraway.
 
Koepka, Wood's and Rory. If it's all different parts of the market. Each has their own niche, think it would go over well
 
I’d probably pick someone who isn’t currently on a club deal and could use some exposure. A multiple tournament winner and perhaps a major, or two. Give them an opportunity to grow themselves along with the business. A lot of players that have been mentioned are already automatically associated with brands. UA you think Spieth, Cobra is still Rickie but Bryson is making his move, Nike is and will always be Tiger. This company needs someone that doesn’t have a brand already attached to them.

Brooks Koepka!!
 
Jaysfan said:
Koepka, Wood's and Rory. If it's all different parts of the market. Each has their own niche, think it would go over well
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I know he's been mentioned a few times but it's Koepka really that marketable? It send like he falls out of attention shortly after he wins, at least to me.
 
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