I get a lot of questions when people I tell people I have a branding agency for golf companies.
"What, like golf hats and embroidered shirts?"
"No, it's not branded merch. It's branding services... You know, like brand names, logos, ads, signs, trade show booths, event graphics... Anything that will improve your image and help produce revenue falls under the big golf umbrella of branding."
Unfortunately, the language of marketing is confusing, and the scope of work of branding agencies is not commonly understood, so I thought I'd help spell it out for you.
These are some of the questions about branding agencies I've heard over the years:
"Why do we need a branding agency? We're in golf, not packaged goods, and we already have a logo."
Many people think branding agencies only design logos and packaging. So if they don't have a product on a grocery store shelf they have no use for a branding firm.
That's not the case. Service businesses also need a lot of help. Maybe even more, because their offerings are intangible and often commoditized. One country club is pretty much the same as the next, especially in saturated markets like Palm Springs.
For those companies, branding makes all the difference. In fact, in many cases the the brand advertising becomes the only differentiator. If you control your image, the market will follow.
Every business in every category needs help with their branding, to some degree or another. Branding in the golf world is no different.
"Do branding agencies have some sort of process that you follow, or is it just random magic that you're pulling out of your hat?"
Sure, just about every branding agency has some sort of process graphic that outlines the basic steps we follow along the way. How we work is just as important as the deliverables we produce.
At Birdie Ops we customize our process to meet each client's specific needs. Some golf operators get intricately involved in the branding process, while others just want to delegate.
Volumes have been written about the secret to creativity. Academics try to deconstruct it, explain it, and wrap it up in context that business people can get their heads around. But at the end of the day it's a highly intuitive, unapologetically unstructured process.
But it is a process, and it starts with good habits.
My team and I are in the habit of creation. We're in the ideas business, so we come up with ideas every day, often starting in the early morning hours before we're fully awake.
We create, we iterate, and we throw away tons of crappy ideas. The more prolific we are, the easier the creative process gets and the more magic we create for our golf industry clients.
We also maintain balance in our lives so we don't get burned out. Being outside having fun on the golf course or on the mountain is also part of the creative process. We purposely play golf with "randos," random strangers, just to hear what they have to say about courses, equipment, instruction and consumer behavior.
When it comes to naming businesses or golf courses we employ our own, proprietary process that brings objectivity to a rather subjective exercise. It's the hardest part of our overall branding effort, so every little bit of process helps.
"What's the difference between branding agencies and design firms?"
In some cases, there is no difference. Many branding firms are just glorified graphic design shops that approach everything as a design exercise. Every problem has a visual solution. It's very art oriented.
Strategic branding firms like Birdie Ops approach things from a broader, business-oriented perspective. It's more holistic.
Sure, we do design, but we also work further upstream, on the foundational strategic work that informs the design. At my firm it's strategy first, then copy and design.
Our job is to help you convey, communicate and build trust with your audience. Because trust is the root of all brand growth. To do that, you need words and well-written content as much as you need stunning visuals.
Every business category has its own lingo. Food industry folks talk about SKU rationalization and store velocity. Golf industry insiders talk about coefficients of restitution and straight line frequency matching.
In the marketing business it's CTRs, PPC, GRPs and UX iteration. It's unfortunate because all the acronyms can be very confusing.
One of our jobs is to translate the golf industry mumbo jumbo into compelling story lines that anyone can decipher.
Ours is a business of creative reduction... we reduce down your messaging into its most impactful form and then serve it up in a variety of ways. It all involves design on some level, but it's not limited to the visual arts.
The real magic is in the combination of all elements — words, visuals, sounds, textures — into a coherent, unforgettable brand experience.
"What's the difference between what marketing consultants do, and what branding agencies do in the golf world?"
There is some redundancy between our work as a strategic branding firm and that of a branding-minded marketing consultant.
However, marketing consultants are infamous for charging exorbitant fees and leaving clients with tons of data and impressive reports that never see the light of day.
Just about every client I've ever worked with has been burned by a "consultant" of some kind.
We stick with our clients to help them through the implementation phase of whatever plan we create.
Branding firms work all the way through, from early research and strategy development to tactical execution. It is, without a doubt, the broadest, most all-encompassing mix of services in the entire world of marketing.
The best of the breed have serious consulting chops, as well as creative skills.
In a business filled with specialists, we are the ultimate generalists. We bridge the gap between management consultants and marketing tacticians. Art and commerce.
For smaller companies and start-up brands, that's a good thing. We can work efficiently, leverage our skills and resources and save our clients money while producing long-term results.
"We have a digital marketing agency. Why would we need a branding firm?"
Digital Marketing Agencies know a lot about technology, marketing automation, social media platforms and pay-per-click advertising. They operate deep in the rabbit hole of their respective specialties, like SEM, SEO or web programming.
They can help you with some tactical execution and technical details, but they know nothing about marketing, persuasion, image and the power of a long-term brand strategy.
Producing clicks is not the same thing as producing trust.
At Birdie Ops we spent three years researching digital agencies, searching for one that could be an integral partner. We talked to dozens and tested several before we decided that none fit the bill. Instead, we recruited a team of independent freelancers. Their highly specialized technical know-how allows us to extend our branding services even further down stream, much to the delight of our clients who don't have to try to understand and manage that digital world themselves.
It's all part of one, big branding effort that's led and inspired by us and executed by many.
We help our clients sort through the endless array of "marketing opportunities" in order to prioritize their efforts and remain focused on long- term strategic objectives.
Because let's face it... there's always something else you could throw money at, some new techno marketing platform, but is it really a good move strategically? Is is on brand, or are you just chasing short-term results at the expense of the brand experience?
Branding agencies produce strategic campaigns that play well in any media outlet, from websites and print ads to outdoor, digital banners and social media posts.
For us, it's not about the form or medium, it's about the idea.
When you have a great idea it'll find its way into everything you do. From a branding standpoint, that continuity is critical. What you don't want are social media ads saying one thing, and your website and sales presentations saying something else.
"What kind of background do most branding agency owners have? Where do you guys come from anyway?"
I'm an anomaly among branding agencies. I'm a writer, not a designer, and I've held a variety of marketing positions which all led up to this. My origin story is unique, including stints in the video production business, on the creative side of advertising, marketing director roles and even printing.
Most branding agency owners have had only one job title their entire lives: Graphic designer. They rise up through the ranks at a design firm and then hang up a shingle of their own. They might be extremely good at design, but their scope of work is limited.
My broad experience and big-picture understanding of all things marketing is what makes Birdie Ops a better choice. For us, it's strategy first, THEN design.
Some owner/designers team up with copywriters or brand strategists to form their agencies. That's a better solution for clients because it always takes a team to produce the best work. My partner at Birdie Ops, Matt Montagne, is one of those.
The real magic happens when an art director and a strategic copy writer team up and collaborate closely with the client.
We don't have all the answers, but we know how to get you moving in the right direction.
Do I have to find a branding firm with specific expertise in the golf industry?
Golf is a funny, fickle business. Consumer behavior in that world is often hard to understand, even for those of us who have known it for 30 years.
So in this case, yes... you need an agency partner that understands the nuances of the game and the latest trends in the golf business. Otherwise you'll spend all your time spinning your wheels, trying to get your agency up to speed. That can take years, and all those false starts will cost you a lot of money.
However, it's more about the match between the agency people and the client than it is about a match of industry experience.
You have to find a marketing/branding/advertising partner who you're excited to work with. Someone who can inspire, lead and elevate all your existing efforts.
If you just hire junior-level specialists you'll never get top-notch results. You get what you pay for.
At Birdie Ops we pride ourselves on our long-standing client relationships. We're not interested in working with the latest snake oil salesmen schlepping yet another worthless training aid to hapless hackers. So if you're looking to get rich quick, we're not your agency.
But if you want to build an outstanding, long-lasting brand in the golf industry, we should talk.
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