Midwestern Swing: Hitting Device Banking On Mauer’s Streak
Quickswing, an instructional hitting device launched by Jake Mauer, the father
of Twins C Joe Mauer, has been a “local success” in the Midwest, but “has yet
to crack stores beyond the Midwest,” according to Scott Carlson of the ST. PAUL
PIONEER PRESS. Sales of the $60 Quickswing on quickswing.com, as well as in local
sporting goods stores and national chains like Dick’s and The Sports Authority,
are up 50% this season, “thanks in part to” Joe leading MLB in batting average.
Quickswing, with annual sales of about $560,000, “has its eye on Minneapolis-based
Target Corp.,” but the store has “said no to Quickswing for the past three years.”
Quickswing CFO Jim Mauer said, “Hopefully Joe’s national presence will help get
us into some other markets. That is our goal for holiday 2006 and spring of 2007.”
Pohmer Consulting Group Founder & CEO Stan Pohmer said of using the Twins player
to sell the device, “Trading off of Joe Mauer’s name is [a] great idea. But right
now he has limited geographical name recognition.” Jim Mauer said that the company’s
$250,000 yearly advertising budget “doesn’t provide the firepower to wage a widespread
marketing campaign.” Carlson noted Baseball HOFer Paul Molitor endorses the Quickswing
(ST.
PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 7/6).
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| Quickswing Looking To Cash In On Success Of Twins
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