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Could a Brand Come Back?

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JB

JB

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There have been brands that have died off over the years due to lack of sales, acquisition and a myriad of other reasons. Whether it be

Nickent
Ram
Tommy Armour
Macgregor
Ben Hogan
Adams
Founders Club

The list goes on. Do you think any of them could be relaunched and packaged and make a come back and be even moderately successful?
 
Could a Brand Come Back?

I definitely think any brand can come back if it has the financial backing and right leadership to execute a successful strategy in the golf marketplace.

As has been said choices are always good for us consumers

My picks would be Adams and Ben Hogan from the list as most likely

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With the right financials and leadership it's possible but very difficult. Not only would they hedge to overcome the stigmata of a failure but also finding a market share is always difficult for a new company. A familiar name may help but it's again a two way street as people will know you failed before.
 
Not on the list but I think Nike could start making clubs again tomorrow and be successful. Especially if they attach themselves to the right person again.


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I believe a brand can come back. With the correct leadership, financial backing and a clear vision it can be done


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Could a brand come back? It is possible but unlikely for reasons already stated. Ben Hogan recently tried (and still is I believe) but their success is minimal.

If I was in charge, I would rebrand even if everything is pretty much the same as far as manufacturing quality. Of course you would have to utilize some of the newer technology to bring the new clubs up to date.
 
I could see McGregor coming back as a high end forged players brand. I think Golfsmith didnt ruin them legacy too much and many golfers are aware of their status when they were the premium brand in golf.
 
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TripleF said:
Could a brand come back? It is possible but unlikely for reasons already stated. Ben Hogan recently tried (and still is I believe) but their success is minimal.

If I was in charge, I would rebrand even if everything is pretty much the same as far as manufacturing quality. Of course you would have to utilize some of the newer technology to bring the new clubs up to date.
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One of he issues (there were many) with Ben Hogan coming back is they didn't own the name.
 
I think so, but I think it would require a massive influx of capital to look like you never left. I think if PXG had come back as Tommy Armour, that might have worked, for example.

But I can't imagine, given our current economic climate and the state of golfing hard goods in general, that anyone is likely to try to create a profit-driven new company, let alone resurrect an old name. Golf is slightly odd that way, where a company can simultaneously enjoy resounding success on the golf course while being sold in a fire sale to an investment company.
 
It's possible that some might come back probably with minimal success. They died for a reason and unless that brand had a very good following in a previous life, people tend not to forget things about the brand when it died either good or bad.
 
buckeyewalt said:
It's possible that some might come back probably with minimal success. They died for a reason and unless that brand had a very good following in a previous life, people tend not to forget things about the brand when it died either good or bad.
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I agree somewhat, but the reason isn't always bad... take adams (and correct me if I'm misinformed) but it seems like they were doing a lot right and producing some innovative tech... so much so that TMAG encroached on their ideas and absorbed the company to avoid a lawsuit... then effectively ruined the name "Adams" by reducing it to SGI... if Adams could reopen independently and create some more innovative products they could see some success... although it's probably more about the people and not the brand

Again, grain of salt as this is a potential rumor mill, someone more informed could correct this statement
 
Is w/s back? They meet the modestly successful statement from the question at least. The Internet golfers rightly love their stuff, and they have a few players on tour, but none in the middle of the spotlight. They're definitely not to where they were on the tour. Hopefully they can get an up and comer that helps further them. Dvd was cool, but usga ruined that momentum. If that's the evidence of a brand making a comeback, it shows how hard of a road it is.

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Nike has the brand name to make a comeback, while I think Adams Golf was popular enough to start up again. Of course, either company would have to temper sales projections - that's just the nature of the recent golf industry.
 
rallo said:
I agree somewhat, but the reason isn't always bad... take adams (and correct me if I'm misinformed) but it seems like they were doing a lot right and producing some innovative tech... so much so that TMAG encroached on their ideas and absorbed the company to avoid a lawsuit... then effectively ruined the name "Adams" by reducing it to SGI... if Adams could reopen independently and create some more innovative products they could see some success... although it's probably more about the people and not the brand

Again, grain of salt as this is a potential rumor mill, someone more informed could correct this statement
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Interesting thought and there are a lot of rumors on that. Do you think Adams success had a lot to do with the people

Chip Brewer
Tim Reed
Michael Vrska

Or maybe the Heritage of those early designs. Sometimes people fall in love with a club and that translates to brand regardless of the engineering is the same anymore.

It's all very interesting.
 
JB said:
Interesting thought and there are a lot of rumors on that. Do you think Adams success had a lot to do with the people

Chip Brewer
Tim Reed
Michael Vrska

Or maybe the Heritage of those early designs. Sometimes people fall in love with a club and that translates to brand regardless of the engineering is the same anymore.

It's all very interesting.
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"At the end of the day, it's people that matter" (obligatory Christmas Vacation quote)

So I'm with you, if they were going to have success they would need some great minds in place.

As for the rumor mill about TMAG and Adams. Do you find it weird they were absorbed right during the speed slot era? Do you also find it strange that they were purchased and relegated to producing SGI clubs when adams had previously been producing SGI, GI, and players lines?
 
rallo said:
"At the end of the day, it's people that matter" (obligatory Christmas Vacation quote)

So I'm with you, if they were going to have success they would need some great minds in place.

As for the rumor mill about TMAG and Adams. Do you find it weird they were absorbed right during the speed slot era? Do you also find it strange that they were purchased and relegated to producing SGI clubs when adams had previously been producing SGI, GI, and players lines?
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Haha. The process started before that but an interesting point is that Mike Fox who is Taylormades ball person now (you can see him in the THP tv spots) was at TM and went to Adams and told THPers that he heard those rumors and believes they were true.
 
rallo said:
I agree somewhat, but the reason isn't always bad... take adams (and correct me if I'm misinformed) but it seems like they were doing a lot right and producing some innovative tech... so much so that TMAG encroached on their ideas and absorbed the company to avoid a lawsuit... then effectively ruined the name "Adams" by reducing it to SGI... if Adams could reopen independently and create some more innovative products they could see some success... although it's probably more about the people and not the brand

Again, grain of salt as this is a potential rumor mill, someone more informed could correct this statement
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I totally agree with what you're saying about TMAG and Adams. I had an Adams hybrid and really liked it and some of their iron offerings were really good. When they departed they were known as a SGI company even though they really had some good player irons. I really liked the MB2 that had a smoked KBS shaft. Should have bought it, but didn't. If Adams decides to return they will need those kind of innovations and product offerings or else they will just be another limited run SGI company.
 
Are companies like Ram and Founders Club actually dead? I still seem to see them in stores (mainly "non-golf" stores however).

I absolutely loved Adams as a brand, and think that of any of the brands, they could come back with some success (if they could get back to what they were doing successfully). I miss seeing Adams hybrids in stores. They were some great product.
 
Like others have said I think it's possible with strong financial backing. The other big aspect I think is marketing. You would need to get the brand front and center with some Callaway-esque marketing.

I still wonder what would have happened had Ben Hogan had good marketing (and owned their own name...).
 
I keep dreaming that someone will buy Yes! and bring them back from the dead. I think they could have some success coming back for another go.
 
Is it possible? Yes. It's also possible that I'll win the lottery next week. Is it probable? No, not even close. The stars would have to align to get together a massive financial backing, poach the most sought after talent in the industry, and hope people love at least one club they produce in year one. The chances of building a house of cards back to its original form is next to none.
 
Like others have stated, strong financial backing headed by experienced leaders/managers who love the game.

Also, the brand should have left the market with a positive image.
 
Could something like Armour/Hogan be brought back as a boutique brand within a larger OEM? Like the Lexus/Genisis/Acura in cars? That seems like the most likely way we'd see something like this. Hogan had its own issues with not owning the name but I think that was still a steep hill to climb for them.
 
KEV said:
Like others have said I think it's possible with strong financial backing. The other big aspect I think is marketing. You would need to get the brand front and center with some Callaway-esque marketing.

I still wonder what would have happened had Ben Hogan had good marketing (and owned their own name...).
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Hogan is a perfect example of what could have been. Their PTx and VKTR hybrids are great clubs that could have (arguebly did) brought them back. Unfortunately, great equipment couldn't overcome management/business "issues" not the least of which is not owning the name.

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DufferToo said:
Hogan is a perfect example of what could have been. Their PTx and VKTR hybrids are great clubs that could have (arguebly did) brought them back. Unfortunately, great equipment couldn't overcome management/business "issues" not the least of which is not owning the name.

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I think not starting with the PTx was a mistake. I know Terry's big thing is blades but I think that limited their sales at the start.
 
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