"The biggest challenge to me is to get all parts of Wilson -
- all individual businesses and sports that we're active in --
running on the same strategies," Wilson Sporting Goods President
Jim Baugh says in an interview with SPORTING GOODS BUSINESS.
Baugh says the company does "ok" with some golf products, "but we
haven't led in technology like we have in tennis, and that's got
to be where we go in golf." On recent downsizing, Baugh says,
"Our whole theme in the future is a lean organization. I wanted
to become closer to the products, to the people, to our accounts
and to our consumer. When you have lots of [organizational]
layers, you can't do that" (SGB, 10/96 issue).
WHERE'S GINGER? Top-Flite is launching a $50M marketing and
ad campaign on October 24, with the release of two new TV spots.
Lee Trevino and Craig Stadler star in the first spot which will
air during ABC and ESPN's coverage of the PGA's Tour Championship
starting October 24. The ad promotes the Top-Flight Titanium
Tour Irons which feature the new graphite shaft called the
"Muscle." The second spot airs nationally on during ABC's Skins
Game coverage in November and utilizes TV's Gilligan, Bob Denver,
to promote the new Top-Flite XL Performance golf ball. This ad
campaign is the first time Top-Flite has ever used a non-athlete
to promote a golf product (Top-Flite).
GOLF WORLD NEWS & NOTES: Wilson introduced the Staff
Titanium Series golf ball. The company "touts" the ball as the
world's first titanium golf ball....In a new fall ball promo,
Maxfli will distribute special edition Greg Norman XS-100 golf
balls to green-grass and specialty shops. The Norman balls come
complete with Norman's "0" and "Shark" side stamps....Sunderland
of Scotland has become an official licensed product partner with
PGA of America, and will provide outerwear for the '97 Ryder Cup
(GOLF WORLD, 10/11).
