Read online information and introduce 4 brands

Adidas

Adidas acquired TaylorMade in 1999 and then merged with Maxifli in 2002. Three famous brands joined forces In the golf market, Adidas is popular in clothing and golf bags. TaylorMade has an advantage in golf clubs. The r7 driver has topped the sales and performance charts for several consecutive years. Maxifli golf balls and small accessories enjoy Famous. After integration, Adidas performed well in the market.

Adidas is determined to win the Chinese golf market. Last year, Taylormade-Adidas ended its decade-long agency era and directly entered China to form Adidas-Taylormade (China) Company. It has been brewing in the Chinese market for ten years and has accumulated considerable connections and distribution resources. It can be said that it is well prepared. However, in such a huge market, it is an arduous task for Adidas to establish a sound distribution system and an effective anti-piracy system, and to use outstanding young players to promote the popularity of golf. Task.

"It is difficult to accurately estimate how long it will take to gain a foothold. We can only roughly say that it will take five years." Dennis Allen, Vice President of Adidas-Taylormade Asia Pacific, believes that "China is A huge market, including developed cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, as well as many small and medium-sized cities, requires time to adjust and achieve appropriate human resource allocation and sound marketing structure.”

He said, TaylorMade does not consider setting up golf equipment stores for the time being, but will achieve the purpose of opening up the Chinese market by expanding distribution channels and improving the distribution system.

Compared with other regions, the foundation of golf in mainland China is relatively weak. There are many Japanese companies in Taiwan, golf is very popular, and Hong Kong also has a good golf atmosphere. This is also an important reason why Taylormade places its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong.

“In China, we adopt a global strategy, just like we do in the United States, Europe, and Japan, so that we can maintain stable brands, products, customers, and consumer groups. The general strategy is the same. , Of course, there will be some differences when it is implemented in a new market." Dennis said.

The high level of product piracy is one of these differences. Dennis is deeply saddened by the proliferation of pirated products. It is said that when he came to China not long ago, he found that 70% of Taylormade products were counterfeit, and Lei Lei was furious. In an interview with this magazine, he repeatedly said that in China, Taylormade not only plays the role of a golf equipment manufacturer, but also plays the role of an educator in the golf industry.

Among the golfers currently sponsored by TaylorMade, Spain's Sergio Garcia is the top star. In 2003, Adidas-Taylormade sponsored Liang Wenchong, who was emerging at the time, but there are currently no new sponsors in China. Dennis said, "We are in the process of sponsoring Chinese golfers and cannot disclose it yet. I think there will be a large number of powerful stars emerging in China. It depends on the popularity of golf in China. Twenty years ago, China has achieved very good results in the Olympic swimming event because swimming has a good mass base in China. Now, we also hope that golf will become more popular in China with a huge population, so that sooner or later its own top players will emerge. "

Although we have encountered many difficulties in China, Dennis said, "We will not give up and we are confident that we will grow together with the Chinese golf market." As for the new golf equipment that the outside world is concerned about. , he only said that a series of new poles will be released in the middle and end of the year, but he cannot disclose too many details for the time being.

Acushnet

Acushnet, which owns the four major brands Titleist, Footjoy, King Cobra and Pinnacle, is one of the few giants in the golf industry in the world. Through agents ten years ago, Acushnet It entered the mainland market, but did not renew the agency contract after it expired at the end of last year. Instead, it chose to officially enter China in January this year.

This is the first time that Acushnet is testing the waters in mainland China and is not in a hurry for success. "China is a brand new market, and a lot of resources need to be invested. It may take several years to see results." Acushnet Asia Pacific President Zhao Zhuliang said recently, "There are not many difficulties in the Chinese market. Industry taxes have just been increased. This is The biggest obstacle. "

Compared with the agency era, Zhao Zhuliang believes that the sales situation is certainly better, especially the service level will be better, and new products will be launched much faster. Of course, he also hopes that the distribution channels will be better. Smoother. He did not shy away from the impact of counterfeit products. However, he admitted that he would face it proactively and carry out anti-counterfeiting operations. ”

For the huge Chinese market, famous brands often cannot escape the fate of being counterfeited. But Zhao Zhuliang’s confidence is obviously well-founded.

Last year, Acushnet joined forces with other big brands , complained to relevant Chinese government departments about the proliferation of counterfeit golf equipment, causing the industrial and commercial authorities to take action and destroy a large number of domestic black spots selling counterfeit golf equipment.

In addition, Acushnet also adopted high-tech means. For example, digital anti-counterfeiting technology is used on each ball to protect the interests of itself and its 14,000 authorized dealers. It is understood that this newly introduced "golf trademark security system" is used by 5 production plants around the world. All 48 million balls produced each year are marked with special dyes that make the marks neither visible to the naked eye nor replicable. These marks are not only used to prevent counterfeiting, but also to be traced to their destination.

Acushnet employees can now use a handheld device, a red scanner, to identify whether the ball in their hands is produced by their own factory. The scanned data is recorded in a database, and Acushnet can know exactly when each ball was made based on its digital trajectory. Where it was shipped. If a ball is shipped to a non-designated location, Acushnet can trace the originator.

And, unlike other brands, Acushnet's brand strategy focuses on helping to promote golf in China. In terms of development. “We hope to take some measures to help Chinese professional players, top amateur players and young golfers improve their standards, such as introducing foreign coaches and establishing a dedicated Club Fitting Center in China. These are currently being carried out intensively, but the specific situation cannot be disclosed yet. "Zhao Zhuliang said.

Although the details of the project have not yet been announced, Acushnet is already taking action. The Chinese youth team went to the United States for a two-week training camp from February 3 to 19 this year, and the first stop they arrived was Titleist Global Testing Center. It is understood that in order to equip each player in the training with the most suitable golf equipment, Titleist specially arranges for the players to receive professional testing in the testing center from wood clubs to irons to putters. During this period, two more China-U.S. Youth Friendly Matches were arranged.

At the CITIC South Station of the CITIC Amateur Tour in early April, Titleist gave each player a new Titleist Pro V1/V1x golf ball on the sign-in day. These are strong signals: Acushnet’s full-scale entry into China has become a reality.

Callaway:

If there is a pattern for foreign brands to follow when entering the Chinese market, then. , it should be like this: first, take the form of a general agent, and use the resources of strong local agents and dealers to make up for the lack of marketing and cultivation; secondly, when the market cultivation stage is over and the local consumption characteristics are gradually mastered, even After taking control of some dealer resources, Callaway began to operate the local market independently. However, after terminating the Chinese general agent relationship with Tianying Company for many years, Callaway did not directly operate the Chinese golf equipment. market, Callaway is not yet fully prepared.

However, Callaway will not give up easily in China's increasingly expanding golf equipment market, but will actively develop new market strategies in order to gain a foothold. Within 10 years of being represented by Tianying, Callaway has gradually established its own brand image in China. However, as imitation clubs, fake clubs and smuggled clubs flood the market, Callaway still hopes to rely on other golf equipment manufacturers to complete the early market cultivation and promotion and further improve the entire market strategy and sales network. At the same time, Pan-west, Singapore's number one golf equipment dealer, also wants to get a piece of the big pie in China. As a result, the two parties hit it off, and the power of Callaway's general agent in China fell into the hands of Pan-west.

Because Pan-west has not yet fully grasped the Chinese market, it suffered a setback due to import taxes in the early days of taking over, and lost millions worth of goods. Not only does it face problems in the construction of sales pipelines, Pan-west must also be prepared to face market competition from Callaway's Hong Kong and Macau agent Sportsmark. In this regard, the newly appointed general manager of Pan-west Golf Products Co., Ltd. Albert Wee once said in an interview with the media: “Any good brand will encounter many difficulties when facing market impact, but I believe that Callaway’s loyal users Will definitely continue to support our brand.”

Indeed, the Fusion series, X series and Big Bertha series launched by Callaway in 2005 have caused great response in the market, especially its tours. Stars Mickelson and Sorenstam have won multiple tournaments with the help of Callaway clubs. It is reported that in 2006, Callaway will appear more in various golf supply stores and driving ranges. Just like their marketing focus, Callaway emphasizes the technological nature of its products. In terms of product development and upgrading, it will Will put more effort into young players.

Nike Golf:

Golf, Tiger, Wie Shengmei, Zhang Lianwei, these words together become Nike. Nike, originally the name of the goddess of victory in Greek mythology, is a sportswear and equipment company with annual sales of US$9.5 billion on earth in the 21st century. As the overlord of the world's sports industry, Tiger Woods has taken over the role of Nike's spokesperson since Jordan retired from the NBA. From 2005 to the present, it has been a surprising year for Nike Golf. Not only has it achieved great results in sales, but its efforts in the development and research of golf equipment in recent years have also been well received by all walks of life. Moreover, the frequent exposure and brilliant records of the stars it chooses to sponsor have brought waves of applause to Nike Golf. The biggest beneficiary of Tiger Woods' successive victories on the golf course is Nike. The magical chip shot on the 16th hole in the final round of the Masters last year made Nike steal the show. The ball with the small hook mark stayed at the entrance of the hole for several seconds before falling into the hole. This classic shot was not only continuously broadcast on major TV stations, but was even Major companies list it as one of the most successful marketing cases and conduct repeated studies.

In a recent interview with You Guochen, executive director of MDC, the general agent of Nike Golf in China, Hong Kong and Macau, he mentioned that golf is still in the development stage in China, and all major international brands are affected by the market. The crackdown on counterfeit goods has made it difficult for them to promote their products. But the success of the star strategy undoubtedly gave it a favorable position in China's vast market space, even if signing the Tigers for $40 million was considered a crazy move at the time. Unlike other golf equipment companies that develop clubs suitable for beginners, Nike targets the needs of high-level golfers from the beginning. At the same time, they do not manufacture clubs and then promote them. Their approach is to sign contracts first. A star golfer then makes clubs according to his needs.

But obviously, Nike Golf’s ambitions are not just that. China's golf market still needs to be developed, and whether it can take a leading position depends on the strategy it adopts. In China, Nike Golf has become a well-known brand among Chinese consumers. In the future, they will develop more diversified peripheral products and continue to increase brand exposure.

It is particularly worth mentioning that Nike Golf will add golf supplies stores in China. This unique move is undoubtedly an effective way to combat counterfeiting. In addition, in addition to advertising, Nike Golf will also actively hold trial sessions to target major communication targets and sales groups, in order to enhance the brand memory of Nike Golf among existing and potential consumer groups.

Should be

One of the top ten golf equipment brands in the world

No. 1 Dunlop

Since its founding in 1910, it has been One of the most prestigious brands in the world. Arnold Palmer, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Watson and Fuzzy Zoeller were all loyal fans of the dunlop brand. The good performance of dunlop clubs helped them win many honors.

Second place TaylorMade

TaylorMade - Adidas Golf Co., Ltd. (TaylorMade-Adidas-Salomon AG, referred to as TaylorMade Golf. Since its establishment in 1979, TaylorMade Golf has always been the leading golf technology company Pioneer of development.

Third place Adidas

In the world of sporting goods, Adidas has always represented a special status symbol, which some people call "victory." "Three lines." Since its founding in 1948, Adidas has helped countless athletes achieve great results and achieved many great achievements.

The fourth place is Beaverton

Headquarters are located in. Nike, a company in Beaverton, Oregon, is a world-famous sporting goods manufacturer that produces a wide range of sporting goods: clothing, footwear, sports equipment, etc. In fiscal year 2002, the company's operating revenue reached a record high of 4.98 billion US dollars. , an increase of 2% over fiscal year 2001.

Fifth place Ben Hogan

Since its establishment in 1953, Ben Hogan has always been the representative of high-end golf products over the years. Golf equipment, such as clubs, game balls, accessory products, etc. have always been closely associated with the Ben Hogan brand. As the company enters its glorious 52nd year, Ben Hogan has carried out significant innovations and launched a series of products. A series of new products.

Sixth Etonic

Etonic began the production of golf shoes in the 1950s. In the 1980s, Etonic was considered a highly professional brand leading technological trends. In 2002, Etonic produced the first sports dual-depth shoe, the Etonic DRx product, which simultaneously met the needs of fashion and sports comfort.

Wilson was founded in 1914. The United States is a sporting goods company with a considerable history. It was one of the first companies to produce tennis rackets, racket strings and two types of tennis shoes. In 1970, Pepsi-Cola acquired Wilson. In 1984, Michael Jordan signed with the Chicago Bulls. Wilson Think Tank.

Eighth MacGregor

MacGregorGOIf was founded in 1897. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and is currently the largest company in the world. The oldest golf equipment supplier is a global brand company with a long history and rich experience. In the 108 years of developing golf equipment, it has continued to innovate and has a brilliant record of success, including winning 59 competitions. Champion.

Ninth place Callaway

Callaway founder Ely Callaway founded the Callaway Golf Company in 1982. At that time, it was not called Callaway but called Callaway Hickory Stick USA. , Inc., at that time their main products were mainly putters and wedges, but the most special thing was the shaft, because it was not made of iron at that time.

Tenth place PING

Since Karsten Solheim invented heel-toe balance in 1959, PING has been good at challenging conventions. The Specify line continues to develop putters that look, feel and weight for golfers of all abilities. < /p>

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