Just a bit ago Callaway and TaylorMade, or at a minimum employees of Callaway and TaylorMade, tossed a couple of pebbles at one another via Twitter.
It started with Callaway’s Official account posting a link to a story documenting Callaway’s decade plus use of multi-material construction in its drivers. The story is clearly meant to remind golfers that while TaylorMade is talking about its #UnMetalWoods like they’ve just now stumbled upon some ground-breaking technology, the reality is that basically everyone in golf other than TaylorMade (and especially Callaway) has, at one time or another, had composite drivers in its lineup.
#TBT to when Callaway pioneered multi-material, carbon composite construction in metalwoods: https://t.co/1sxDmFAsu9 pic.twitter.com/qpoBbY42sF
— Callaway Golf (@CallawayGolf) February 4, 2016
#TBT to 2003 when we launched our first multi-material carbon composite driver – XR-05 CTi in Europe. #innovation pic.twitter.com/hptUOjkhZU — Ryan Lauder (@RyanLauder66) February 4, 2016
It Could Get Ugly?
One has to wonder if starting a social media squabble by pitting one driver that’s generally regarded as a massive failure against another that basically nobody knows exists is the best way to start a brand war, though it should be pointed out that neither company explicitly mentions the other by name. This is one where a bit of attention is required to see what’s actually going on.
It should also be pointed out that this isn’t the first time representatives of the two companies have traded jabs.
Nevertheless, it appears the trash talk is escalating, and we could be entering a very interesting time. We might even be inching towards a tipping point in the war on bullshit.
Half-Full of Shit Is Just Fine
There’s a bit of an unspoken rule in the golf equipment world…and I’ve mentioned this before. Basically, everyone tolerates everyone else being a little full of shit. That’s part of the game. But what happens when competitors become fed up with the other guy being totally full of shit?
We might actually find out.
The rivalry between Callaway and TaylorMade runs deep, the dislike is real, and so given that we’re at a point where each views a good bit of what the other says and does as misleading (a nice way of phrasing total bullshit), it’s not out of the realm of possibility that one, the other, or both might start reaching for bigger rocks – and they’re not going to be thrown in private.
Is This Something You’d Like to See
Do you think it would ultimately benefit the consumer if golf companies actually started calling each other out for misleading advertising, questionable statements, and all of the other nonsense that everyone in the industry knows about, but nobody says anything about?
That should be the media’s responsibility, but you can make a perfectly valid argument that the industry needs to do a better job policing itself, because the reliance on ad dollars basically ensures that big media will step in whatever pile is dropped at its feet. No questions asked…at least not publicly.
Competitors calling bullshit on competitors; is this something you’d like to see happen? Is there a right way to call out a competitor, or do you believe that golf companies would be better served by taking stock of their glass walls, dropping their stones, and keeping their mouths shut?
Mybluc4
8 years ago
At the end of the day “If you ain’t got a swing you ain’t got a thing”.
I’m sticking with PING…they bring out new sticks in a slow, methodical kind of way making sure they are effective, dynamic and have a purpose.