‘Nike Golf ready to spend on driver’[vol8, issue 19,p10], by David Shemilt

This article illustrates and identifies Nike’s new
‘technological breakthrough’ in the world of golf…..the SasQuatch 460 driver, [the brand new golf club that Nike are about to launch to replace its predecessor, the also once technological advanced breakthrough club, the ‘Ignite’ driver].
In truth, the reality of the article really explains Nike’s dominance and power in the branding and marketing world. With direct and precise planning and marketing strategies, Nike aim to saturate the golfing world and the golfers minds with commercials on the golf channel, advertisements in golfing magazines such as Golf-week and Golf-world, downloadable advertisements on the Internet, a five city promotional tour to New York, LA, Orlando, Dallas and Chicago and a TV campaign starting in January on NBC and CBS which, as if by coincidence, just happens to collide with the start of the PGA tour season, all promoting the new SasQuatch 460 driver. Although the SasQuatch will hit the shelves in November nationwide, before and after this date, Nike will pour its unlimited, ‘multiple millions’ of dollars into the products launch. With the array of stars, obviously including ‘Tiger’, who will surely turn out to endorse this product there is a sense of inevitability that due to Nike’s dominance of the marketing world people will buy it whatever the cost. Why? Well, because it’s Nike. Enough said. A simple promotional, well planned marketing crusade that explains some scientific golfing reason why this club is better than the others, alongside a few superstars shouting from the rooftops that it is a technological breakthrough and there you have it, one marketable and profitable product, whether it is revolutionary or not. Even if I turned up on a Nike commercial swinging this new supposedly innovative golf club and endorsed this product, people would still probably buy it because of its name. On the other end of the scale, even if Tiger Woods appeared on a Nike commercial holding a wooden plank and hit a golf ball 50 yards, people would still probably buy that wooden plank because of the name and whom it is associated with. Even though these are extreme exaggerations, they highlight the hold and control that certain brand names have in the world of marketing. Nike especially, has a supremacy that will continue to withhold any meaningful competition. Since Nike was incorporated in 1968, the Nike brand name has grown and is known throughout the world. People can identify the name and logo even if they have never bought any of their products! However, not only is the company name a brand, but the logo (the ‘tick’ symbol) is also a strong piece of branding in its own right. The majority of people that are aware of the company can also identify it (or its products) from this symbol alone. Hence roll on the ‘SasQuatch 460 driver’, a certain success even before it has been released? What do you think?