Lessons from “challenger brands” – Golf Inc Magazine

For decades I had the privilege to work for some of the largest regional and national golf retailers throughout the country. I then had the great opportunity to work for several challenger brands on the supplier side after I left the retail desk. A challenger brand is in many cases a new brand, an organization looking to find its footing and accounts in their specific product category. It is important to note that people in these organizations work long hours to push a very large rock up a seemingly impossible hill. The products are generally excellent. The challenge is that these brands do not have a great deal of capital, they have small marketing muscle, and their ability to hire and pay a small staff is far less than they need to compete against the established products already owning the shelves and e-commerce sites throughout the industry. 

The years spent with challenger brands were grand experiences, with great learnings and many wins. There is no better feeling than when a new brand adds accounts, especially larger, nationally known organizations. Although a few people were doing the work of many, these teams were tight, cohesive units; amazing people that worked hard together, enjoying the effort together. There are lessons here, lessons to take away from challenger brands. Lessons to help your property and team grow during this new season. In this In My Opinion post, you will see ideas to help your club develop additional success habits to digest and to own.

Communicate and lay out the entire story: Because you may have fewer new hires than required, possibly also experiencing turnover with The Great Resignation still front page news, be open and up front with the team about the work ahead. If you believe there will be more hours required, or potentially additional, inconsistent shifts, tell everyone from the start and continue to communicate openly as required. Your team will appreciate the open communication and honesty. People want to know. They each have unique lives to manage. 

Challenger brands work to provide extraordinary personal service: Because new brands begin with no accounts while their competitors have thousands, they look for ways to move faster, do things right the first time, while bringing a great attitude to the job every day. These attributes, such as speed, accuracy, and attitude, are essential, winning traits. When your team works hard to provide these same values, traffic will increase and sales will multiply, with…