My latest interview with Klaus-Peter Schneider, the co-Founder of Snyder Golf confirmed my assumptions that golf is struggling with its image and perceptions.
The game of golf is still associated with exclusionary/snob, being slow, difficult to play…just a few stigmas of golf….
Some golf club management companies (e.g. Troon, ClubCorp) and golf equipment manufacturers (e.g. Callaway Golf, TaylorMade Golf) recognized golf entertainment venues as ‘saver routes’.
David Lorentz, NGF Chief Research Officer says
“For starters, we can do some counter-punching with better information and context. Take “expensive” as an example….We can tell a better story by focusing more on our customers (and prospects) than ourselves.”
I believe those brands, products, and services will succeed and stay in business who can come up with compelling engagement strategies that lead to significant, high-effort/active customer participation.
The effective engagement strategy can be recognized by high level of customer engagement in one of the following formats:
- brand ambassadors,
- influencers,
- collaborators, and
- innovators.
We can say customer engagement is a two-way street. It’s worth considering what 5WPR 2020 Consumer Culture Report found:
“Dining out is one of the TOP splurges”
I thought to share with you these insights to better understand the motivations of Bridgestone Golf to cooperate with TGR, Tiger Woods Ventures, and PopStroke Entertainment Group.
PopStroke selects Bridgestone Golf as official ball partner
For those of you who are not familiar with PopStroke here is a quick intro:
- PopStroke is a family-oriented, hi-tech putting entertainment business.
- Currently with 2wo current locations in Port St. Lucie and Fort Myers, Florida, and many more to come.
- PopStroke provides a combination of golf, technology, and casual dining (offers premium food & drink).
- Each new PopStroke location will feature putting courses designed by Tiger Woods’ TGR Design.
Bridgestone Golf has announced recently that the new Bridgestone Golf e6 golf ball will be the official choice of PopStroke.
All PopStroke customers will play and then take home Bridgestone’s new e6 golf ball, which features a lower compression core and exceptionally soft feel.
Three new spots scheduled to open in 2021 in Orlando, Palm Beach, and Scottsdale, Arizona.
I am expecting Bridgestone Golf to invest much more in PopStroke as they will see the success. A Topgolf survey found in 2018 that
“23% of new golfers surveyed, who have been playing for 3 years or less, started playing golf after their first Topgolf experience.”
At the same time, we should think about how we can reinvent the driving range experience too. It is a point/place where many newcomers give up becoming a golfer.