Case Study
Discover
Market intelligence indicated two “me too” golf car product introductions by Yamaha and E-Z-GO in response to Club Car’s launch of a totally re-engineered line. Additionally, the golf industry is challenged, with fewer rounds being played and more golf courses closing than opening. As a result, golf cars were becoming commoditized due to price selling versus relationship and value selling. Club Car, to maintain their leadership status and continue to grow share, needed to find a way to stand above the “just another golf car company” stigma.
Formulate
Nelson Schmidt developed a brand campaign platform that exemplified the personality and culture of Club Car as an organization supporting the industry as opposed to simply manufacturing of golf cars. This platform demonstrates Club Car’s core values of passion, commitment and excellence. By elevating Club Car’s brand above products, Club Car was able to speak to the end user about their devotion to the game and how it drives everything they do. This platform reduced competitors’ abilities to use product parity and price as their key selling strategies.
Execute
Club Car’s global “Honor the Game” campaign was launched with print ads in all major trade publications worldwide, tradeshow booth graphics, language-specific product brochures as well as outbound video e-mails with a personalized message from Club Car’s CEO to more than 28,000 current and prospective customers, inviting visits to the company’s web site.
Measure
The year the campaign launched Club Car increased their market share leadership by 2% to a record 47%. In a leading indicator of purchase intent, Club Car inclusion in the consideration set rose to an all time high of 59%, compared to the next closest competitor at 44%. The campaign has received numerous creative awards and was even cited by the President of the PGA of America in his keynote address as a “leading example of how the industry can overcome the challenging market conditions that exist in the U.S. golf market, by promoting and growing the game.”
Club Car is the market leader in golf cars. But as challenger brands went to market with “me too” lines of vehicles, Club Car needed to change the conversation. Driven by research-based insight, we made their brand purpose about “The Game” of golf. Elevating Club Car’s brand and exemplifying their own personality and culture, they spoke directly to customers and the entire golf industry about their shared passion – reinforcing their position as market leader.
