Golf ball survey

Jonathan Parsons
UMUC
Titleist

Segmentation

In order to market its golf products, Titleist always considers the two important groups: the Golf balls owners (segment 1) and the people who play golf (segment 2). By specifically identifying those who play golf, Titleist can design its market strategy around the feasible media which will attract a golf player.
The U.S ownership of Golf Balls survey was carried out for people who own golf balls. The survey is a crucial segmentation strategy for Titleist because golf balls are very durable. Since most golfers play the sport their entire lives, the data can easily be extrapolated to get more buyers of golf balls.
There are basically three categories of people who play golf. There are those who play when given chance, others play occasionally while the third category is those who hardly play. Out of these three categories, Titleist can disregard those who hardly play because it does not want to make golf products for people who don’t play golf.
Marketing targeting strategy
Just like many market-oriented organizations, Titleist main marketing strategy is to create and communicate value to its clients. With a good marketing reputation, Titleist parent organization, Fortune Brands, has come up with an innovative framework that affords significant latitude its group of companies. As a multinational, Fortune Brands has achieved a lot through effective planning and balancing among its diverse group of companies. It has also delegated marketing responsibilities to each individual companies and this allows for specialization and can enable Titleist, for instance, to assume responsibility for devising their own marketing strategies.
While Fortune Brands has a secluded approach for marketing its products, it does not imply that Titleist or any other company within the conglomerate cannot form co-alliances to co-market products. Titleist, for instance, partnered with Scotty Cameron to build up specialty putters. For sophisticated golf products, Titleist’s marketing strategy has included professional sponsorships, timely new product launches, individualized quests such as the Titleist and a series of print and television ads. To keep in synch with technology, the company has also gone tech by launching a visually attractive website and its tour blog.
Value proposition
Most professional as well as low handicap beginners play Titleist Pro V golf balls because they find out that value proposition favors them. A good number of golfers go for the lower priced Titleist products such as NXT, Carry or Roll balls that are customized to suit their specific requirements. In general, Titleist segments the market with value propositions with an aim of improving performance at perceptible levels.
Every golfer is granted an opportunity by this strategic planning, to choose the Titleist products at a price they feel to a value for their particular skill level. Other than responding to customer needs, Titleist also creates these needs through introduction of new golfer-friendly products, and in the process, gain a competitive advantage.
Factors Influencing Consumer Behavior of the Primary Target Market
Consumer’s buyer behavior is influenced by four major factors: cultural; personal; social and psychological.
Cultural factors comprises of the golfer’s culture, sub-culture as well as social class. These factors are usually inherent in ones values and decision making process.
Personal factors include aspects such as lifestyle, age, occupation, self concept, personality and economic circumstance. This explains why a golfer’s preference can change when his/her situation changes.
Social factors include groups (member groups, inspirational groups, and reference groups), family and social class. Therefore outside influence can influence one either to buy or not to buy a given golf product
Psychological factors affection a golfer’s decision to buy a certain golf product includes perception, motivation attitudes and beliefs.
Buyer decision process of the primary target market

For first-time purchasers of golf products, the buyer might seek the advice of a friend, family member or colleague with experience in golf products. In such situation, the buyer’s decision might depend on the guidance received from the experienced advisor.
Other factors that may influence the buyer’s decision include attractive packaging, price, and existing brand preferences. For instance, if a buyer had recently purchased Titleist golf clubs, he/she is more likely to purchase Titleist golf balls than Callaway golf balls.
While the time required by first-time buyers to make a decision exceeds that of a straight re-buy situation, it is clearly evident from the relative simplicity of golf balls that ball type and brand choice is more of an impulse buy.