By ED TRAVIS
A recent study by Buffalo Groupe of avid golfer purchase decisions found these frequent players care more about the performance their gear delivers than loyalty to any brand.
This was not a surprising outcome since avid golfers by definition tend to be more concerned with their scoring and therefore their shopping habits reflect the quest of finding clubs and gear to improve it.
In the study of Buffalo’s opt-in group of players were the classic frequent better player profile with 69% having less than a 19 handicap and 80% playing at least 26 times per year.
Fifty percent 50% of respondents cited self-testing which included custom fitting as the most trusted source of information before making a purchase. This writer’s particular area of experience, golf magazines and websites came in at 8% just behind recommendations from friends at 11% and local pro’s recommendations at 10%. Take from that what you wish but more significant is the purchasing influence of social media and PGA Tour professional’s endorsement at 2% each.
Also of interest is that these avid golfers said while a product’s brand name was a consideration when buying golf balls, tees and gloves 24% of the time and the importance of brand preference fell to 16% when buying clubs.
Buffalo Groupe President Emily Clark in the press release announcing the study said, “Today’s golfer is a savvy, performance-driven shopper, and 8 in 10 are willing to change what’s in their bag if it means becoming a better player. Brand loyalty alone no longer wins. Golfers want proof that a product will improve their game. For brands and retailers, that means investment in hands-on and in-store experiences, like demo days and custom fittings, matters just as much as the product itself.”
The obvious question is what does this all mean? First the study, while very interesting and thought-provoking, is very small, just 500 golfers, and though it is statistically valid there are so many subgroups (juniors, beginners, et al.) that could possibly skew the conclusions. Secondly since avid golfers were the entire sample surveyed, their responses are probably different than the entire 29 million on-course golfing population. In a quick mother-in-law survey of my own, standard pricing, discounting and sales promotions were factors not covered in the study but presumably they have an impact on buying decisions at all but at the highest price levels.
For those unfamiliar with the term a mother-in-law survey is when you neither have the money nor time to do proper in-depth statistically valid study, ask your mother-in-law since she knows everything any way.
It is also important to remember golf retailers and equipment manufacturers know the facts revealed by Buffalo’s survey which are already part of their strategy and marketing and incorporated it into their planning as part of their understanding of market potential.
Buffalo Groupe should be congratulated for spending the money and taking the time to do this and it would be even more informative if they repeat it in future years and expand the sample to more types of players.
