1. sports
2. golf

2012
Summer Interns
ArnoldNYC
Monica Dominguez
Ted Makarewicz
Elizabeth Monnett
Boris Opacic
Taylor Schumaker
Katherine Stewart
Renee Tornatore
This document and all presentation
files may be downloaded at:
interns.arn.com/titleist.zip
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
Overview .............................................. 1
The Challenge...................................... 2
RESEARCH
Titleist’s Current Position .................. 3
The Competition ................................. 4
Technology & Culture......................... 5
The Target ........................................... 6
The Brief ............................................... 8
CREATIVE
The Big Idea ........................................ 9
Milestone Website .............................. 10
Kickoff Events ..................................... 11
Promotional Video.............................. 12
Social Media Management ................ 13
Digital Media ....................................... 13
FIGURES & CONSIDERATIONS
Budget Breakdown............................. 14
Key Performance Indicators ............. 15
Other Recommendations .................. 16
The Team ............................................. 17
Nothing builds self-esteem and
self-confidence like accomplishment.
-Thomas Carlyle
As a golf equipment brand, Titleist is top of the line.
Golfers aspire to own its products, and with good
reason. For over 80 years, Titleist has consistently
been leaders in advancing the sport of golf. But
Titliest isn’t just cutting edge. They also have a long
history of success to their name as well.
The brand already has excellent equity, but how do
we ensure that younger golfers in a post graduate,
career driven environment view the Titleist brand as
accessible and relevant to their generation?
People 24 to 35 years old are going through many
important changes in their life. They are earning
degrees, starting careers, thinking about families,
and taking on some of their biggest financial
responsibilities. All of these moments are victories
– no matter how big or small. These moments of
pushing their lives forward are how they measure their
success, similar to Titleist measuring its success by
how it pushes the game of golf forward.
1
The Challenge
Market
Develop a communications strategy that effectively
targets 24-35 year olds, and positions the Titleist brand
in a way that will drive usage and grow market share.
Money
$1,000,000
Media
Non-traditional (anything excluding TV and Print)
Social Media
Digital and Mobile Marketing
Metrics
Success will be measured by the campaign’s creative
impact, and its ability to connect with this audience in
an engaging, cost-effective, and results-driven manner.
2
Titleist’s Current Position
Narrow the Focus
Currently, the target market views Titleist as the number one brand
in golf. Titleist sales reflect this belief. The only barrier to purchase in
this young target market is the lack of disposable income. That’s why
Titleist should focus on marketing the brand, not specific products.
Because Titleist is constantly innovating, product specific marketing
has a shelf life. We want our target to consider Titleist as a brand, not
a product.
In addition, if we choose to focus just on golf balls, then we won’t be
top of mind when these consumers are purchasing clubs. Alternately,
if we focus on clubs, we dilute the respect Titleist golf balls have in the
market.
New Market Share vs. Old Market Share
Social Media Breakdown
Facebook likes: 281,593
Talking about Titleist: 3,643
Twitter followers: 67,791
Frequency: 1-3/day
YouTube:
208 videos
2,282 subscribers
870,173 video views
It’s important to also market to existing golfers as opposed to trying
to create new ones. This strategy is important for a few reasons:
Top of the Line
Titleist is a high-end brand. When a young consumer purchases their
own set of clubs, they won’t buy top of the line clubs right away. They’ll
either borrow clubs from a peer or purchase a cost-effective brand.
2012 Worldwide
Ball Count
Respect Tradition
Golf isn’t a sport that’s “picked-up.” It’s typically passed down.
It goes against the respected tradition of golf for a brand to
entice consumers to start playing. That should be done by golfers
themselves.
Nearest Competitor
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Timeline of Titleist
Firsts
Summary
Technology and Tradition
Titliest has established itself as a market leader in both innovation and trust. This position, especially in a sport that
respects both technology and tradition, is essential to Titleist’s success.
3
The Competition
TaylorMade has a solid reputation, which was recently boosted by the creation
of Rocketballz, a trendy, but successful, newcomer onto the club scene. They are
respected and represented by many well-known golf pros, but is not limited to serious
professionals with only a 38% market share for drivers and 8% share for balls.
Nike is a large global brand that caters to multiple sports, not just golf, earning them
the reputation of being the new kid on the block. However, Nike Golf is a large and
popular faction, since Tiger Woods is their main spokesperson. They are focused
on the “athlete,” not the casual, leisurely golfer. The brand carries over a sense of
energy and their messaging focuses on the intense tipping-points of golf. Due to their
strong brand recognition in other sports, they are attracting younger golfers despite
their small market share.
Callaway is a well-known brand with a decent understanding of social/digital media.
This includes focusing on the younger developing golfer as well as maintaining good
relationships with their seasoned consumers. They are concerned with being up-todate, cool, and in tune with technological advances in golf. They strive to offer their
consumer more than just products. This brand flexes a lot of celebrity muscle with
spokespeople like Arnold Palmer and Justin Timberlake. This flashiness reaches into
their imagery where, instead of leveraging their successful past of engineering, the
brand hides its product within elaborate golf courses in Las Vegas Yet, they’re the
seconded biggest competitors for clubs.
Bridgestone produces and distributes reliable golf products. They are gaining in
market share with 12% at present. The brand doesn’t convey a sense of being overly
concerned with staying on the cutting edge of technology. They also cater to an older
audience, more specifically, middle-aged men and up. They are honest and look to
cultivate golf as a family sport. They are not flashy or modern.
Social Media Engagement Levels
TaylorMade
Nike
Callaway
Bridgestone
Titleist
*Nike’s engagement is diluted because it has such a large fan base.
4
Engagement percentage is a calculation
that is considered to be the most
accurate measure of how well a brand is
having a conversation with its consumers
in the digital space.
Engagement percentage = # of
Facebook fans/ % of interaction
The overall picture shows that a digital
campaign is exactly what Titleist needs
to capture and hold the attention of
younger golfers.
Summary
Honesty
The competition fails to give themselves credit for all the research and craftsmanship that goes into their products.
Even when they do recognize it, it gets lost in the hype they fabricate around their products. Millennials are ad savvy.
Furthermore, as we see the industry change from advertising to branding, Millennials use the traits and associations
of brands to help express themselves and make a statement. They can tell when a brand is trying too hard or is being
unauthentic. Titleist already is seen as trustworthy and honest. Now, the trick is to find a natural converation to have with
consumers.
Fans and Products
Although Titleist’s competitors have active social media platforms, that doesn’t necessarily garner consumer support,
brand loyalty, or increased marketshare. Their Facebook and Twitter accounts are used to promote product awareness or
act as a fanbase for their pro golfers.
Provide Value
Not all conversations are created equal – small talk with a stranger is not the same as having an in-depth discussion
with a good friend. This is sometimes where the competition can fall short. In order to build brand loyalty, consumer
support, or increase marketshare, Titleist needs to tap into what it means to be that “good friend” you want to interact
with continually. Therefore, it is imperative to create a means for fostering an ongoing conversation between consumer
to brand (and vice versa) as well as between consumer to consumer in regards to the brand.
Technology & Culture
In order to craft an effective digital campaign, we dove further into our target’s use of technology. We considered how
it affects their purchasing habits, day to day activities and how they might use it to interact with a brand.
Summary
Man’s New Best Friend
It went from Fido to Firefox. Now it’s the one-in-all portable smartphone. It can find and
organize practically any information the target could desire. It can even entertain or put
the user in their own world. The smartphone is the next best thing to having a genie. It’s
no wonder that the people who grew up with this technology are so dependent on it. It
has a purpose and a place in every aspect of their lives.
New Attitudes Towards Ownership
Technology such as iTunes and the cloud storage has changed younger generations’
concept of ownership. It’s less about the tangible and more about the experience &
benefits of the product. Physical items are starting to be judged more by the same
criteria as services. The challenge for products that exist solely in the physical world is
to create emotional or utilitarian benefits for the consumer to “own” in the digital space
to remain relevant.
Archival Culture
The conversations that happen on social media are important, but consumers are
learning to use it to archive their information as well. It is a tool to communicate and
store. Facebook recognized this trend and switched to Timeline, a layout in which a
user’s information is displayed in a linear, story-telling way. Now it’s easier for users to
scan through their history and note important moments. Foursquare currently sends
emails to its users reminding them where they were a year ago. Now social media is
charting progress as well as providing a resource.
5
The Target
One-on-Ones
Before we conducted a survey, we wanted to dive further into the golf world and find out what questions we could ask
golfers that would glean the best insights. These interviews were done through email, phone and in-person.
Jim Tornatore, Employee of Gleneagles Golf Course
Key Finding: “All that matters is how you hit it and how you play with it – good reviews online
and in magazines matter, but the most important is seeing how you feel for yourself.”
Ben Wisegarver, Golfer of Meadowbrook Country Club
Key Finding: “Golf is relaxing, unlike a lot of other sports, and I grew up playing it with my dad
and brother, so I get to spend time with my family too.”
Survey
Our survey was designed to gather insights on perceptions about brands and the deeper motivations of why the younger
generation of golfers enjoy the game.
Why do you enjoy playing golf or other sports?
Relaxation, social interation, and individual competition are the
most popular reasons why golfers are attracted to the sport.
“Additionally, the
old saying ‘golf is a
gentleman’s game’
generally rings
true. Rarely do you
see a golfer being
genuinely dishonest
on the course or
trying to get away
with breaking a rule.”
- Survey Respondent
When did
you start
playing
golf?
6
6-13 years old
said tradition
was more
important than
technology.
The only thing that will stop
golfers are lack of physical
ability or death.
Brands the Target Owns
TaylorMade 22%
Titleist 19%
Callaway 11%
Nike 9%
61%
72
%
Other 13%
Footjoy 4%
Maxfli 4%
Ping 5%
Cleveland 7%
Odyssey 6%
If you had to use
only one brand
of clubs and one
brand of balls for
the rest of your
life, which brands
would they be?
CLUBS
BALLS
The Consumer Journey
Golf Balls
Interest
Research
Purchase:
Pro Shop
Play
Purchase:
Retail Store
Age/Lose
Field Research
Golf Clubs
Interest
Pro Shop
Demo Day
Retail Store
Simulator
Purchase
Research
Improvement
Re-Research
The Critical Point
The true test is when the consumer finally gets the club in their hand. This can confirm all the previous research they’ve
done or make them doubt themselves. It is essential that Titleist facilitates forward motion down the consumer journey
by providing the tools for the purchase phase.
Summary
1912
2012
Golf is for Life
Social vs. Competition
Tradition is Serious
Adoption of golf does mean participating
in “your father’s sport.” And that’s ok.
Rules, funny clothes, whiskey and all.
Saturated Mobile Market
Appreciative of Nuance
Who Reads Tech Specs?
Consumers tend to start playing golf
young and chances are they’ll play
until their body gives out.
There are several golf apps already
in the market. In fact, Titleist already
has one. Any attempt to move into
this space further will just get lost in
the current market.
People play golf for different reasons,
but all can be placed on a sliding
scale between competitive and
social. Pure athletes to those who
just want something to do on the
weekend are represented.
While the rules of golf are relatively
simple, knowledge of the unspoken
rules, not skill, are what separate the
professionals from the amateurs. Golf
is a mecca for good sportsmanship.
That’s why people find it so funny
when those rules are broken. (i.e.
Happy Gilmore)
Online information might inspire
in-person research, but much like
consumers test drive cars, actually
using the product is the step before
purchase.
7
The Brief
The Goal
TItleist’s goal is to grow market share within the young
golfer demographic, 24-35 year olds. Titleist knows
their equipment is the best and they have the proof too
back it up. The key to being successful is letting the
consumers know what it’s like to use the best. Make
them feel like the golf pros they strive to be.
The Who
Craig is 27 and works in finance. He just got promoted
two months ago. It’s only a matter of time before he’s
in a C-suite. He works long, stressful hours so he really
wants to get the most out of his weekends. This is why
Craig can be found out on the golf course every chance
he gets. The game has been a hobby of his since before
he could even drive. Not only does it fit within his active
lifestyle, he’s a regular runner, but it’s his favorite way to
catch up with his friends. Craig, like most of his friends,
are suckers for activities that have an athletic and social
aspect like tailgating or fantasy football.
This is why Craig is drawn to premium brands: he wants
his lifestyle to convey his success at work. He may not
always have the funds to buy, but when he does, he
wants a brand that is worth every penny. Moreover,
he’s very active on the internet so the ease and
entertainment of websites are sure ways to draw him in.
Golf is a steady force in his life. It’s what he does to relax
and let off steam from his 9 to 5 life.
The Insight
The way we live changes, but where we started
never does.
8
The Idea
We were here yesterday, we’re here today, and we’ll
be here tomorrow. Our name conveys our history, what
we’ve accomplished. Every new product and venture
adds to our legacy.
The Promise
Titleist has the best of both worlds: tradition and
technology. The consumer doesn’t have to give up one
for the other.
The Support
• 72% of the respondents said tradition is more
important in golf than technology.
• Founded in 1910 (Callaway - 1982, TaylorMade 1979, Ping – 1959)
• It’s an icon (mentioned in Seinfield, Caddyshack,
and Tin Cup).
The Enemy
Fads
Fair weather fans/ Golf groupies
The Deliverables
Non-traditional media (no print or TV)
Social media
Digital and mobile marketing
The Tone
Refined
Modest
Seasoned
Confident
The Big Idea
Titleist has come a long way since Philip
“Skipper” Young x-rayed that first golf ball. Since
then, the company has constantly been growing
and evolving, reaching new and important
milestones along the way.
In this same way, every golfer grows. Every putt
and drive provides an opportunity to get your
first hole in one, game under 72, or even finally
beating your dad. It’s those little achievements
that make golf worth playing. They’re why golfers
keep going to the green to improve their game.
And Titleist wants to celebrate those milestones.
Introducing Milestone by Titleist, a way for
golfers to record their achievements and see the
success of others.
9
Website
The main hub of this initiative is the Milestone by Titleist site. This site will serve to effectively mediate conversation about
Titleist products in the context of customer experiences.
Viewers will be greeted by a video explaining the Milestone mission and links to individual product pages. Each Titleist
club and ball will have a home page where users can tag their Milestones to be explored by other visitors in several ways
including a central word cloud, mouse-over, and live feed. Registered users will have unique profile pages featuring past
Milestones, future goals, and current Titleist equipment displayed in a unified timeline. By linking these profiles with the
Team Titleist site, Titleist can leverage an already active and knowledgeable fanbase into support for this new project.
The site provides value not only for current Titleist owners, but aspiring owners as well. Golfers who visit Milestone can
interact with the site to see what different products have done for real players. On the individual product page, someone
researching a new club can see improvements of fellow golfers. For instance, the user can see that the most common
phrase or achievement for a particular club might be “I got my game under 50”. This represents a way for the user to
determine which product they might want to consider purchasing in the future in order to advance their own game.
The content generated on the site is easily shareable and can be used by users to create their own conversations in different
digital spaces. When recording a milestone, the user can choose to instantly post to various social media platforms or view
a permalink that they can use to share later.
For Titleist, the site offers a yardstick for the brand to measure customer success. The site will feature a running count of
Milestones achieved for each piece of equipment, as well as a total running tally of all the Milestones reached with any and
all Titleist equipment.
10
Kickoff Events
Golf is an individual sport that requires equipment customized for the player. Therefore, getting equipment into a golfer’s
hands is essential. We can make a newsworthy digital campaign; however, inventory won’t start moving until people
actually use the products. At the “Pro for A Day” event, golfers will arrive at the driving range and be engaged with the
brand in several ways.
Guests will be able to be fitted at the Titleist Tour Van. After trying the clubs out first hand, Titleist is going to be right
there to drive that enthusiasm into a purchase. If guests would like more time to think about purchasing new clubs,
Titleist representatives will encourage them to schedule a later appointment with a local retailer.
After being set up with the proper golf equipment, golfers have different opportunities to see how Titleist can
complement their game. After a warm-up session, the golfers, as well as celebrity professional golfers, will compete
in three different categories: speed, accuracy, and distance. A winner will be chosen from each category as well as an
overall champion. The categorical winners will each be awarded the specific club they used for that particular category
and a personalized jacket. The overall champion will be awarded a set of 3 clubs, a jacket, and a private lesson with
Rory McIlroy’s coach, Michael Bannon.
By treating the golfers like pros, and letting them play next to their professional role models, we are investing in them
to become ambassadors of the brand and to share their experience. The digital aspects are essential to ensure the
campaign will spread beyond the geographical limits of the events. This is how guests will be able to share their unique
experience with Titleist to their network.
Event Markets: New York San Francisco & Miami
Milestone Event Swag
11
Promotional Video
In order to spread the word about the campaign and the events, Titleist will reach out to club pros in different markets.
Because pros are the key influencers in the target, this will get the word to spread both about the events as well as the
campaign as a whole. The pros will receive this video either through social media or email.
Voiceover:
More than 80 years ago, Titleist’s founder Philip “Skipper” Young decided to x-ray a golf ball. He
discovered that its core was off center. In this problem, “Skipper” saw an opportunity.
That same founding spirit of advancement through innovation has inspired over 100 patents in
our name. Our many milestones are made significant with your experience. Your hands bring our
equipment to life – without them, our moments of triumph wouldn’t hold the same weight.
Our dedication to technology is fueled by your successes on the green – and that’s why we want
to hear about them. Every inconceivable putt made, every decreased handicap – every milestone
matters.
Share your moments of success with Titleist while keeping track of the ones you aspire to reach.
Be a part of Milestone by Titleist. We want you to feel the excellence you aim for.
12
Social Media Management
One key to effectively engage with this audience is through social media. There are several things to know about
managing a brand effectively on social media, which is why we suggest hiring a full time social media manager.
They will be responsible for producing shareable content on Facebook, Twitter and other appropriate media channels.
True social media value isn’t found in your number of fans or followers. It’s found in engagement, which happens
when people share or talk about the content you create. Titleist has plenty of valuable content already. Now the key is
marrying that content effectively to social media.
Digital Media
Milestone’s launch will be supported by a $142,000
media buy which will place IAB standard display banners
on golfing sites. Banners are a good solution for Titleist
because of the evocative nature of the brand, the name
of which conveys a certain message instantly which
permits the copy to focus on supporting the campaign
itself rather than attempting to establish identity in the
golf space. Since the target for this campaign is already
a golfer, banners will run on sites that assume a high
level of familiarity with the sport and the Titleist brand.
Sample target sites for the media buy include marquee
golf brands such as Golf Digest, the Golf Network and the
PGA and well-known blogs like The Sand Trap, Life in the
Rough and The Hackers Paradise. Banner ads will drive to
the Milestone homepage where they will be prompted to
register their Titleist products and tag their own stories.
13
Budget Breakdown
Website Development
$350,000
Events
$247,860
Video Production
$65,000
Social Media Management
$50,000
Media Buy
$142,000
Contingency
$100,000
TOTAL: $954,860
14
Key Performance Indicators
Market Share
Increase driver share by 1%
Increase iron share by 1%
Increase golf ball shares by 2%
Younger golfers are already attracted to the Titletist brand; however, they may be a few years or swings away from buying
their first Titleist clubs. This is why the estimate for a market share increase of clubs is conservative for the start of the
campaign. However, the campaign primes them for when they’re ready to take it to the next level. Golf balls are a much
more accessible price point. The 2% market share may seem low, but this is taking into consideration that Titleist is
also fending off a new rival: Taylormade’s Rocketballz line of clubs and balls. The campaign will combat the new hype of
Rocketballz by maintaining our current share from switching and picking up new fans along the way.
Social Media/Campaign
Metrics will be measured by conversation in the digital sphere and traffic brought to Milestone website.
Additionally, attaining full numbers (approximately 150-200 golfers) at each event.
• 14,000 hashtags/tweet mentions of Milestone (#milestone)
• Website hits
• Youtube video event shares
• Increase (or hold) in marketshare
Other Recommendations
National & Global Expansion
Although the events of this campaign are based in three US markets, the entire campaign is
scalable and can be pushed into other markets. In fact, a large portion of Titleist’s profits
come from the Asian market. Implementing this campaign globally can also be considered.
The Titleist Experience events can be held in cities like Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong,
Phuket and Singapore.
Revamped Website User Experiences
Titleist is currently experimenting with a new beta version of the Team Titleist website and
this is a step in the right direction. Millennials and younger Gen Xers are very aware of user
experience. A brand will loose “stickiness” within this demographic if the website is unclean
and difficult to navigate.
15
The Team
Monica Dominguez
Account Planner
Ted Makarewicz
Creative Technologist
Elizabeth Monnett
Producer
Boris Opacic
UX Designer
Additional thanks to:
Arnold NYC
Maggie Collins
Rebekah Pinter
Paul Raimondi
Katherine Stewart
Digital Strategist
16
Taylor Schumaker
Copywriter
Renee Tornatore
Digital Strategist