What on Earth Does That Mean? Golf Marketing

[ChetlovesMer]

So, to make a long story short. I was thumbing through an fairly old Golf Digest Hot List Issue. My wife was half reading over my shoulder. At one point she asked me. "That's like the 5th club I've seen that has a bullet point for Increased Playability. What does that mean?" 

I really didn't know. But I did find that "Increased Playability" was used to describe more than a dozen clubs... maybe much more. Then my wife and I started discussing golf marketing. Here's a short list of terms taken directly from the Hot List Bullet Points. Do you know what all of these mean? They all kind of say something without really saying anything. 

• Increased Playability
• More Tour Inspired Shaping
• Added More Controllability 
• Confidence Building Sound
• More Pleasing Color Pallette
• A Feel More Like What Better Players Want
• Improved Visuals At Address
• Optimized Center Of Gravity
• More Precise Head Weighting
• Improved Architecture
• Fine Tuned Launch And Trajectory
• Easy To Swing Profile

There were a dozen more I could have put in there. As best I could tell in this particular Hot List "Improved Feel" was used the most often. "Increased Playability" was used slightly only slightly less often than "Faster" and "Increased MOI". But with Faster and Increased MOI, I at least know what that means. ... well, kind of. 

I love Golf Marketing! 

[Vinsk]

  On 1/21/2021 at 1:38 PM, ChetlovesMer said:

So, to make a long story short. I was thumbing through an fairly old Golf Digest Hot List Issue. My wife was half reading over my shoulder. At one point she asked me. "That's like the 5th club I've seen that has a bullet point for Increased Playability. What does that mean?" 

I really didn't know. But I did find that "Increased Playability" was used to describe more than a dozen clubs... maybe much more. Then my wife and I started discussing golf marketing. Here's a short list of terms taken directly from the Hot List Bullet Points. Do you know what all of these mean? They all kind of say something without really saying anything. 

• Increased Playability
• More Tour Inspired Shaping
• Added More Controllability 
• Confidence Building Sound
• More Pleasing Color Pallette
• A Feel More Like What Better Players Want
• Improved Visuals At Address
• Optimized Center Of Gravity
• More Precise Head Weighting
• Improved Architecture
• Fine Tuned Launch And Trajectory
• Easy To Swing Profile

There were a dozen more I could have put in there. As best I could tell in this particular Hot List "Improved Feel" was used the most often. "Increased Playability" was used slightly only slightly less often than "Faster" and "Increased MOI". But with Faster and Increased MOI, I at least know what that means. ... well, kind of. 

I love Golf Marketing! 

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‘A little nonsense now and then, cherished by the wisest men.’

[mcanadiens]

Just about all those silly little phrases beat the heck out of "it's basically the same piece of trash we sold last year".

 

[ChetlovesMer]

  On 1/21/2021 at 2:18 PM, mcanadiens said:

Just about all those silly little phrases beat the heck out of "it's basically the same piece of trash we sold last year".

 

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I might argue that they aren't trash. And THAT'S THE PROBLEM. It's really hard to make any improvements now. If you really did something to make the game easier it would likely be against the rules. 

[boogielicious]

  On 1/21/2021 at 1:38 PM, ChetlovesMer said:

So, to make a long story short. I was thumbing through an fairly old Golf Digest Hot List Issue. My wife was half reading over my shoulder. At one point she asked me. "That's like the 5th club I've seen that has a bullet point for Increased Playability. What does that mean?" 

I really didn't know. But I did find that "Increased Playability" was used to describe more than a dozen clubs... maybe much more. Then my wife and I started discussing golf marketing. Here's a short list of terms taken directly from the Hot List Bullet Points. Do you know what all of these mean? They all kind of say something without really saying anything. 

• Increased Playability
• More Tour Inspired Shaping
• Added More Controllability 
• Confidence Building Sound
• More Pleasing Color Pallette
• A Feel More Like What Better Players Want
• Improved Visuals At Address
• Optimized Center Of Gravity
• More Precise Head Weighting
• Improved Architecture
• Fine Tuned Launch And Trajectory
• Easy To Swing Profile

There were a dozen more I could have put in there. As best I could tell in this particular Hot List "Improved Feel" was used the most often. "Increased Playability" was used slightly only slightly less often than "Faster" and "Increased MOI". But with Faster and Increased MOI, I at least know what that means. ... well, kind of. 

I love Golf Marketing! 

Expand  

Claims are something that all companies strive to be able to use. They can be very powerful for sales and even become a tag line. But there are legal implications if you are too specific. You have to prove it with data that can be defensible in court. So instead, many companies just make vague claims that either don’t mean anything and sound good or are just blatantly obvious. Something like, “with our driver, the harder you swing, the farther the ball goes.”

The best one that comes to mind is Listerine, “Kills germs that cause bad breath.” Procter & Gamble sued Listerine over this claim back in the 70s IIRC. A judge gave them a year to prove it. It backfired on P&G because Listerine showed that it did kill germs that cause bad breath along with about twenty more things they didn’t know but could now claim too.

All of the above phrases sound good, but don’t really claim anything. Marketing departments spend lots of time with wording and then their legal departments review it.

[saevel25]

When I hear increased playability my mind goes to work ability. The club lets you shape the ball more than others. 

[billchao]

All marketing has uses fluff words and phrases. Advertising copy isn’t necessarily meant to describe anything concrete; if anything, most of it is written specifically to elicit emotional responses.

[ChetlovesMer]

  On 1/21/2021 at 3:30 PM, boogielicious said:

Claims are something that all companies strive to be able to use. They can be very powerful for sales and even become a tag line. But there are legal implications if you are too specific. You have to prove it with data that can be defensible in court. So instead, many companies just make vague claims that either don’t mean anything and sound good or are just blatantly obvious. Something like, “with our driver, the harder you swing, the farther the ball goes.”

The best one that comes to mind is Listerine, “Kills germs that cause bad breath.” Procter & Gamble sued Listerine over this claim back in the 70s IIRC. A judge gave them a year to prove it. It backfired on P&G because Listerine showed that it did kill germs that cause bad breath along with about twenty more things they didn’t know but could now claim too.

All of the above phrases sound good, but don’t really claim anything. Marketing departments spend lots of time with wording and then their legal departments review it.

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That was a very well thought out and intelligently formulated response. 

Of course, I know that marketing departments have to kneel to the legal departments. I remember a similar case study about the use of the word "whitening" in toothpaste ads or on the packaging. Incidentally, P&G was smack in the middle of that one, but this time came out on top. 

I can still giggle at them though. "Oh man, I have to run out to Golf Galaxy and get the new Taylormade irons!"  .... "Haven't you heard? They have improved playability!" ... "I've been saying for years that I wish somebody would improve the playability of my irons!" 

  On 1/21/2021 at 4:15 PM, saevel25 said:

When I hear increased playability my mind goes to work ability. The club lets you shape the ball more than others. 

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Interestingly enough, "Improved Workability" was often used quite a lot in the article. I kind of feel like I know what that means though. When I see "Improved Workability" I hear "Less Forgiving". 

[GolfLug]

  On 1/21/2021 at 4:24 PM, billchao said:

most of it is written specifically to elicit emotional responses.

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I think these ads work well enough on folks that are already thinking of a purchase.

So, once every few years, we get to marry a new set clubs and enjoy the ensuing honeymoon. If this is your lucky year, you are already emotionally primed. The marketing message of 'this bride or groom is better than ever' only enhances the 'emotional state'. (I think when in full on new club purchase mode its almost a medical condition for me..😄). Add a few hot phrases like 'infinity face' or 'jail break' and it's game over. Not waiting for the ink to dry on the pre-nup.

So yeah, for the right target the 'its better than last year/ever' works/has been obviously working, regardless of it being the same recycled message over and over again. 

Edited January 21, 2021 by GolfLug

[Zippo]

  On 1/21/2021 at 1:38 PM, ChetlovesMer said:

So, to make a long story short. I was thumbing through an fairly old Golf Digest Hot List Issue. My wife was half reading over my shoulder. At one point she asked me. "That's like the 5th club I've seen that has a bullet point for Increased Playability. What does that mean?" 

I really didn't know. But I did find that "Increased Playability" was used to describe more than a dozen clubs... maybe much more. Then my wife and I started discussing golf marketing. Here's a short list of terms taken directly from the Hot List Bullet Points. Do you know what all of these mean? They all kind of say something without really saying anything. 

• Increased Playability
• More Tour Inspired Shaping
• Added More Controllability 
• Confidence Building Sound
• More Pleasing Color Pallette
• A Feel More Like What Better Players Want
• Improved Visuals At Address
• Optimized Center Of Gravity
• More Precise Head Weighting
• Improved Architecture
• Fine Tuned Launch And Trajectory
• Easy To Swing Profile

There were a dozen more I could have put in there. As best I could tell in this particular Hot List "Improved Feel" was used the most often. "Increased Playability" was used slightly only slightly less often than "Faster" and "Increased MOI". But with Faster and Increased MOI, I at least know what that means. ... well, kind of. 

I love Golf Marketing! 

Expand  

I think those are inspired and highly descriptive phrases for my clubs - if my clubs were being swung by Tiger Woods. But, who's going to buy clubs that advertise "25 percent more topped shots" or "increased affinity for water hazards" or even "drive it into the next fairway"?

[Vinsk]

Guys...this might all be true...except when we’re talking about.....THE HAMMER!!!!!

[CarlSpackler]

It’s basically a bunch of BS lies to get you to buy their 💩 

[djake]

  On 1/21/2021 at 4:29 PM, ChetlovesMer said:

That was a very well thought out and intelligently formulated response. 

Of course, I know that marketing departments have to kneel to the legal departments. I remember a similar case study about the use of the word "whitening" in toothpaste ads or on the packaging. Incidentally, P&G was smack in the middle of that one, but this time came out on top. 

I can still giggle at them though. "Oh man, I have to run out to Golf Galaxy and get the new Taylormade irons!"  .... "Haven't you heard? They have improved playability!" ... "I've been saying for years that I wish somebody would improve the playability of my irons!" 

Interestingly enough, "Improved Workability" was often used quite a lot in the article. I kind of feel like I know what that means though. When I see "Improved Workability" I hear "Less Forgiving". 

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Your wish is the easiest one in the world to grant.  In fact I asked the Greatest Wish Granter I knew this very thing.  

I said "Dad I wish somebody would improve the playability of my irons"

Dad's response "Go practice".

Those were irons from the 1970's if you recall the only game forgiveness they carried was hitting it in the very center of the face.

So as my Dad granted me my wish 50 years ago, I now will now grant you your wish "Go Practice"

Today legitimate golf club manufactures can back up their marketing claims with science and hard data. 

Funny thing is, I can even back up their claims.  At 58 years old I can carry a Driver 264, that is supported by Trackman as well as on a golf course with GPS marking.  In 2019 my longest drive went 340 yards, that was only 1 drive and it was crazy.  Flat hole I will add not down hill.  Probably will never do it again and I wasn't even trying to crush it when I did.

At the peak of my physical shape roughly 36 years ago, mind you I did play some college football I didn't hit one drive 300 yards and probably averaged at BEST 250 yards with roll out.  

The difference is 100% gear, clubs are more playable, more forgiving, longer by a lot because I am not stronger and faster in my swing today then at 22.

Only issue, I scored significantly better with those old inferior technology clubs then today by a lot.  

And oh by the way, not trying to attack you.

[Vinsk]

  On 1/22/2021 at 12:40 AM, djake said:

At the peak of my physical shape roughly 36 years ago, mind you I did play some college football I didn't hit one drive 300 yards and probably averaged at BEST 250 yards with roll out.  

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I’m curious. I’m quite sure you weren’t using monitors 36 years ago so how can you be certain you weren’t hitting 300yd drives? I’m just saying sometimes our recollection may not be too accurate. We may feel or perceive that we’re hitting better than we did 36 years ago...but it’s possible we just don’t really know.

[ChetlovesMer]

  On 1/22/2021 at 12:40 AM, djake said:

Your wish is the easiest one in the world to grant.  In fact I asked the Greatest Wish Granter I knew this very thing.  

I said "Dad I wish somebody would improve the playability of my irons"

Dad's response "Go practice".

Those were irons from the 1970's if you recall the only game forgiveness they carried was hitting it in the very center of the face.

So as my Dad granted me my wish 50 years ago, I now will now grant you your wish "Go Practice"

Today legitimate golf club manufactures can back up their marketing claims with science and hard data. 

Funny thing is, I can even back up their claims.  At 58 years old I can carry a Driver 264, that is supported by Trackman as well as on a golf course with GPS marking.  In 2019 my longest drive went 340 yards, that was only 1 drive and it was crazy.  Flat hole I will add not down hill.  Probably will never do it again and I wasn't even trying to crush it when I did.

At the peak of my physical shape roughly 36 years ago, mind you I did play some college football I didn't hit one drive 300 yards and probably averaged at BEST 250 yards with roll out.  

The difference is 100% gear, clubs are more playable, more forgiving, longer by a lot because I am not stronger and faster in my swing today then at 22.

Only issue, I scored significantly better with those old inferior technology clubs then today by a lot.  

And oh by the way, not trying to attack you.

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I'm not sure you picked up on the sarcasm in my post?

Sorry about that. Maybe I should have made it more clear that my post was in jest. 

[Carl3]

  On 1/21/2021 at 11:44 PM, Vinsk said:

Guys...this might all be true...except when we’re talking about.....THE HAMMER!!!!!

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We all know that you are dying to try this club. Let us know how it goes.

[StuM]

I love the "More Pleasing Color Pallette", More pleasing to who? (or is it "to whom?")  How do they know what colors I like or do not like.  How do they know if I am color blind or not?  

Edited January 22, 2021 by StuM

[mcanadiens]

  On 1/22/2021 at 7:52 PM, Carl3 said:

We all know that you are dying to try this club. Let us know how it goes.

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The HammerX stuff never gets old. 

If someone can come up with "The Club That Swings Itself", I'd be a buyer.