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Loyalty to a Brand

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PhillyV

PhillyV

Original Ass-Cap : G15' & G18'
Albatross 2024 Club
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So this has come up a couple times in other threads so I figured I would start one just based on this discussion.

So the scenario here is you are loyal to a specific brand. You game all their clubs, support them via social media and are an ambassador for their brand. But now there is going to be an event involving multiple OEMs and theres a chance you have to game and stick with and review equipment from a different OEM. Could you do it?
 
Currently ? No it is one thing I will be struggling with signing up for events this year. I feel I have ties to my current equipment and company that needs to be LONG term.

That doesn't mean I want to stop learning about equipment or other companies but it does mean I am going to be gaming and supporting Callaway.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
 
Think of it as a service to THP though. Yes that certain OEM should remain special to you and loyalty should and probably will always be present, but providing honest reviews of different clubs is information that allows the rest of us to make informed decisions.
 
lightningbolt44 said:
Currently ? No it is one thing I will be struggling with signing up for events this year. I feel I have ties to my current equipment and company that needs to be LONG term.

That doesn't mean I want to stop learning about equipment or other companies but it does mean I am going to be gaming and supporting Callaway.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
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This for me. 100%. I have tried a few other things since The Grandaddy, but I will be playing Callaway for the foreseeable future.

Whether that is the "right" thing to do or not, the experience they gave me is so incredible, the only thing I can think to repay them with is by repping their stuff
 
PhillyV said:
So this has come up a couple times in other threads so I figured I would start one just based on this discussion.

So the scenario here is you are loyal to a specific brand. You game all their clubs, support them via social media and are an ambassador for their brand. But now there is going to be an event involving multiple OEMs and theres a chance you have to game and stick with and review equipment from a different OEM. Could you do it?
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I know this is hypothetical, but I just want to say that we have not announced any event that involves multiple brands. :D
 
I don't have a specific equipment company and try to play what works best for me. There are so many options that it is near impossible to test them all which is why I try to get involved in as many as possible. I am very partial to UST shafts though!!
 
Sure I could. I don't get paid or get perks from any of the golf bands I play. I play what I like and what works best so this would be no problem. Are there brands I like better than others, sure but I try and bag what gets me the lowest scores. I am not a huge Callaway guy but I swore I'd give the Apex a full year before I sell them. If I adjust and they are as good as everyone says, they will remain.
 
The Golden Ticket has me pondering this question. My answer is if it's better and fits my game - I can be traded.

In the end it's about getting the ball in the hole with the least amount of strokes.
Whatever club(s) accomplish this, goes in the bag.
Can't be close minded.
 
I can and have done it. But I've found that I don't like being loyal to a single brand any longer. My loyalty is now more focused on me. I'm playing the clubs that make me want to swing them again. There are so many legit offerings out now that it's just fun to play around. After playing this game for over 30 years, I've done the loyalty thing and missed out on some good equipment.
 
Yes, absolutely. I'm not a big brand loyalty guy though (as you can see by my bag lol). There are several brands I favor because of good experiences in the past, but I'll never rob myself of an experience just to continue pushing a single brand.
 
For me, the brand loyalty is giving a company the benefit of the doubt more than I might give to another company. When Callaway tells me that a technology has improved, I tend to believe them more because I understand what they've done in previous lines better. I've gamed these prior clubs and understand how (and a little bit of why) they work for me. At the end of the day though, I'll happily try a different branded club because its short-sighted not to do so with all the great lines and equipment being produced...but I am more skeptical of others claims based on unfamiliarity. If they show me they are worth it, I'll give them a chance to knock the chevron out of my bag, and if it can't, I'll go back to what I know and have confidence in.
 
RNG said:
I don't have a specific equipment company and try to play what works best for me. There are so many options that it is near impossible to test them all which is why I try to get involved in as many as possible. I am very partial to UST shafts though!!
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Ditto...I play what suites me and my game and I have to like the way it looks to me.
 
I would have no problem doing it. You can still support the other brand by being active on social media or being active in the threads with their equipment.
 
TexasHacker34 said:
This for me. 100%. I have tried a few other things since The Grandaddy, but I will be playing Callaway for the foreseeable future.

Whether that is the "right" thing to do or not, the experience they gave me is so incredible, the only thing I can think to repay them with is by repping their stuff
Click to expand...

And thats why i brought this up. The people at Callaway have done so much for me and for others here that being anything other than a brand ambassador would feel like an injustice. As long as the people are still at Callaway, i dont know how it would feel or if i could throw anything else in my bag for a year.
 
Due to what Callaway as a brand has done for me, I can't see myself working with another brand in the foreseeable future. They have me as a customer for life, I am already pondering new stuff I can buy/try from them even after getting a whole new bag of gear.
 
I don't think it would be a problem. I think it would be really good for the testing phase as you could easily compare the brand your loyal to and the ones your reviewing. I think I could easily put into play a new brand of clubs. And although it may take some time to adjust, I don't think there would be that much if any falloff of my game, especially if the clubs are fit for your swing.
 
T2GRN18 said:
I can and have done it. But I've found that I don't like being loyal to a single brand any longer. My loyalty is now more focused on me. I'm playing the clubs that make me want to swing them again. There are so many legit offerings out now that it's just fun to play around. After playing this game for over 30 years, I've done the loyalty thing and missed out on some good equipment.
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I'm with you here dude. Haven't played as long as you have but I enjoy playing what I like to look at and the feel of and that's what I'm going to do. Also in the same breath if I take a chance at an event and get selected I'm not going to worry because I know just about all the OEMs out there will have fantastic clubs and perform well and if part of that event is spending an extended period of time reviewing them well I will follow through with that commitment.
 
PhillyV said:
And thats why i brought this up. The people at Callaway have done so much for me and for others here that being anything other than a brand ambassador would feel like an injustice. As long as the people are still at Callaway, i dont know how it would feel or if i could throw anything else in my bag for a year.
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So ***hypothetically*** if you got into say the Morgan Cup and you were sponsored by say Titleist you wouldn't take the opportunity??
 
Loyalty to a Brand

Having thought a little bit about my response.
I feel like this has been covered before on THP, but I think my answer is somewhat different now.

First of all, it's no secret that Callaway dominates my bag.

Callaway has provided me with a full bag that has been fitted to me personally.
However, I would try other brands equipment to see if it is a better fit for me, with Callaway getting first crack, and if Callaway loses a spot in the bag, I remain open minded in having them return.
The Zoo Crew I think would agree with this sentiment. While I was in California spending my time with them, I NEVER was told play our equipment.
I think they (and many other equipment companies for that matter) want us to enjoy the game, play the clubs that help us do so, and have an open mind to trying their future releases.

Just my opinion







Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Six4three5 said:
So ***hypothetically*** if you got into say the Morgan Cup and you were sponsored by say Titleist you wouldn't take the opportunity??
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If I enter a contest to get into the event, I'm 100% all in on whatever it calls for. Now its just a matter of do i enter or not
 
Good question Phil. I can only respond from my experience last year with The Grandaddy and how that changed me. Being treated the way we were made me "want" to keep playing and reviewing the equipment we received. I'm not sure if you can put a time frame on that or say how long that should last because that is different for each player, but based on my experience I will always give Callaway first shot at my bag and see if their offerings work. I will interact with them on social media and hope they continue to see my appreciation for the opportunity given.

With that said, I enjoy golf gear and learning more about technology that goes into making the clubs work. I think I would be short changing myself and this community by not venturing out of my comfort zone & trying new equipment. Whether that involves a THP sponsored event or not, I know I can find the balance of being appreciative of my experience and still play other OEM offerings to offer my perspective.
 
PhillyV said:
And thats why i brought this up. The people at Callaway have done so much for me and for others here that being anything other than a brand ambassador would feel like an injustice. As long as the people are still at Callaway, i dont know how it would feel or if i could throw anything else in my bag for a year.
Click to expand...

So let me ask you this. Is it Callaway hardgoods? Or is it being driven by the experience and memories forged by such an amazing opportunity? I have no issue with either one honestly. And we all have our reasons for playing what we do. It's what makes this game unique.
 
PhillyV said:
If I enter a contest to get into the event, I'm 100% all in on whatever it calls for. Now its just a matter of do i enter or not
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I'm right there with you dude. I look at the events as a commitment and if I can't fulfill that commitment I won't enter.
 
Provided I went through a fitting it wouldn't be a problem to remain loyal to a brand for a long-term review. I also like the discipline of sticking to a product line, gaining a comfort level and seeing how that would impact my play over time. Lastly, it's frankly the right thing to do, if someone makes an investment in you then respect and loyalty should be returned.
 
The minute a company starts giving me stuff for free or at a significant discount is when I'll become loyal to them. If I'm paying what anyone else pays, why should I be loyal to a particular manufacturer? Things like customer service can play a part in building a certain degree of loyalty, and may make me more likely to buy that company's products in the future. I don't owe them anything, though.

This isn't to say I'm completely devoid of loyalty. I'm a faithful Costco customer, but it is because they sell good products at good prices and have excellent service. The same can be said for GameStop, Chick-Fil-A, and Amazon. That doesn't mean I won't up from a competitor if it works better for me...it just means those are the first places I look when pondering a purchase. Golf equipment is no different.
 
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