Key takeaways:
[08:01] Repositioning a 76-Year-Old Brand — Eric discusses the internal culture journey at Golf Pride to redefine what they’re selling: “If you believe that golf in a lot of ways is played in between your ears, then I’d like to think that we sell confidence.” This shift has transformed their business from selling a handle for golf clubs to a piece of performance equipment for hands.
[14:31] Adapting to Golf’s Changing Demographics — Eric challenges the stereotype of the “atypical golfer” as a middle-aged white man, noting that growth in participation is being driven by women, people of color, and youth aged 6-17. He emphasizes that Golf Pride’s creative messaging, tone, and hiring practices must evolve to reflect these changes: “If our brand is gonna be here for the next six generations, internally, we have to not only look more like the future of the game in terms of the talent in which we hire, but the way we show up in creative and messaging and tone and adaptability of that has to be in lockstep with how the game is changing.”
[17:14] Strategic Collaborations with Steph Curry and James Bond — Eric explains Golf Pride’s collaboration philosophy: “For Golf Pride, we prioritize relationships over revenue when it comes to collaborations.” He details their partnership with Steph Curry, which focuses on reinvesting in greater accessibility for underprivileged athletes, and their James Bond collaboration celebrating the 60th anniversary of Goldfinger, which allowed the brand to show a more playful side.
[27:28] Innovation Through Consistent Performance — Eric introduces Golf Pride’s newest product, Alignmax, which features a pronounced exterior rib to ensure consistent hand placement: “Any golfer, you shoot a hundred or you shoot 65, this grip is going to help you ensure that your hands are placed consistently on the grip every single time.” He explains how this innovation addresses the mental game by removing variables that might distract players.
[30:58] Changing Content Consumption in Golf — Eric highlights a significant trend in golf content consumption: “More people last year consumed nontraditional golf content on YouTube than traditional golf content on all professional golf tours combined around the world.” This insight is reshaping Golf Pride’s content strategy and media placement as they recognize that “our golfers are not where we thought they were.”
