PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Japanese sporting goods giant Bridgestone Sports Co. plans to make a more aggressive play in the U.S. golf market than ever before. The company, which has been in the U.S. market for several years with its Precept brand of balls and clubs, plans to market product under the Bridgestone and Precept brands beginning in 2005.
Bridgestone Golf unveiled several new initiatives here at PGA National Resort & Spa on Dec. 9 aimed at what director of marketing Dan Murphy said is an all-out effort to become a major contender -- and eventually the leader -- in the ball and club segments of the industry.
"We have a market that's hungry for 'new,'" Murphy said. "That's not what is happening in the marketplace right now, we think our timing is good."
Bridgestone Golf's plan, Murphy said, is for "rapid growth" in the club segment -- spearheaded by its new J line of irons and metal woods -- and for an increase in market share of the ball segment in 2005, with the lead product being the new B330 ball. The Precept line of balls had a 5.0 market share this past October, according to sell-through figures compiled by Golf Datatech.
"We want to be the leader in the premium golf ball segment," Murphy said.The premium golf ball segment, of course, is dominated by Titleist's Pro V1 and Pro V1x lines, which combined for more than 22 percent of market share through this past October.
Acushnet and Callaway Golf Company (NYSE: ELY), which markets the HX line of balls, each have had staff players testing new prototypes of their premium golf balls the past several weeks, and in that regard, Bridgestone is no different. Two-time PGA Champion Nick Price has been playing the B330, which the company said features 330 Seamless Cover Technology, played the ball much of this past season; Stuart Appleby won the Mercedes Championships and finished 13th on the PGA Tour money list.
And now comes Fred Couples. Murphy announced that Couples has signed to play Bridgestone Golf's J irons and play the B330 ball. Couples used the ball to win the Skins Game earlier this month, as well as helped lead the U.S. to victory in the UBS Cup at Kiawah Island, S.C.
The addition of Couples, the 1992 Masters Champion, alongside Price gives Bridgestone two or the more popular players ever to play on the PGA Tour, as well as presents a stark contrast in playing styles -- Price the great ball striker with a surgeon's accuracy and Couples, the swashbuckling, go for broke hero with the nickname "Boom Boom" because of his length off the tee.
Together with Appleby, Murphy said Price and Couples are the lynch pins to Bridgestone's Golf "icon" strategy in its advertising "Boom It" campaign for '05 that features the three players in print and TV ads featuring the "Boom It" catch phrase.
The TV spot also features blues legend John Lee Hooker's classic song "Boom Boom."
"It's music we think is fun, it's energetic and hopefully will be heard down the hallway at work," Murphy said.
If that turns out to be case, Bridgestone Golf won't be singing the blues in 2005.
