When it comes to the stage of professional golf many top companies come to mind. The usual names are TaylorMade, Callaway, Cleveland, Titleist, and Nike. What most golf advocates do not know though is that TaylorMade is the golf subsidiary of the global sports giant Adidas. After the acquisition in 1997, Adidas wanted to refocus the brand and make it one of the best in golf. Well, they certainly have achieved this image. More PGA Tour professionals play TaylorMade drivers than Callaway, Cleveland, PING, Cobra, and Nike COMBINED. The top spot in the golf market in terms of market share is TaylorMade and Nike is struggling to keep up. As recently as this past year, TaylorMade bolstered 32% sales growth. On the downside, Nike golf sales dropped 4%. Nike is facing pressure in all aspects of the golf industry except one; apparel. More people are buying Nike golf apparel than ever before, and love to sport the signature swoosh while on the course. TaylorMade continues to have a stronghold on the club segment as their drivers and woods are the most popular on professional world tours. Nike is continuing to develop their golf image especially in Europe. The recent sponsorship with 23 year-old Northern Ireland prodigy Rory McIlroy shows how Nike is trying to make a move to the top of the golf market. By signing the World number one to an insane A-Rod type contract (10 years, $250 million) Nike is hoping to increase its exposure in the golf market. With the slight resurgence in the play of Tiger Woods, Nike has optimism that it can continue to chip away at TaylorMade's stronghold of the market. Challenges are still ahead though. The TaylorMade subsidiary of Adidas has more PGA Tour and European Tour than Nike by a mile. Names like Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, Darren Clarke, Martin Kaymer, and many others are under the sponsorship of TaylorMade. Nike is the world's largest sports apparel company, but when it comes to professional golf they are lagging behind the big guns like TaylorMade and Callaway. Nike is focusing on signing younger golfers (like McIlroy) with the hope that they regain solid footing in the golf market. When it comes to the sport of golf, many European and other International players are still enamored by the TaylorMade (Adidas) brand. However, Nike has been more appealing to young American players like Nick Watney, and Anthony Kim. By the looks of right now I don't believe there is a way for Nike to overtake TaylorMade in terms of the club segment, but their apparel and footwear are very desirable to amateurs like myself and even professionals alike. It will be interesting to see how the sponsorship of Rory McIlroy works in terms of spreading the Nike brand, hopefully he continues to improve and bring more recognition to the Nike brand here in Europe and the rest of the world. I know most people don't care too much about golf, but in terms of a global sport it is quite popular...anyone think Nike can become top dog?
-Jimmy Madden
This recent ad from Nike shows how they are trying to become one of the best brands in golf.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NCDYjHtEcU
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/print-edition/2013/01/25/nike-golf-seeks-larger-market-share.html
http://www.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/index.ssf/2013/01/nike_golf_competes_in_unusual.html
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324900204578286173274533026.html
http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-equipment/2013-03/photos-hot-list-category-leaders#slide=1
Adding onto the brand war of TaylorMade and Nike comes the recently released Golf Digest Hot List. Once again, TaylorMade dominates the list in almost every facet of golf. TaylorMade unveiled a new line of clubs and all of them ranging from driver, woods, hybrids, and even a new set of irons received the prestige of a Gold ranking. Nike was nowhere to be seen on the category leaders, but still boasted desirable apparel and footwear. It is interesting to see how the brands will fare with the next big golf event. The Masters is played in April which is a ways off, but both brands will duke it out for advertising and exposure. Nike is hoping Rory McIlroy will bring them center stage, but with TaylorMade capturing top club honors it will still be a big challenge for Nike to make the climb to the top.
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