In a recent news release, Mike Ferris, senior director of product marketing for TaylorMade and Maxfli, said: "It takes more than great products to succeed as a golf equipment company. It also requires the ability to position a brand properly, and a clear voice to communicate that position to customers and consumers. We believe the time is right to reposition Maxfli, and we're confident that the new direction we're taking will rejuvenate the brand."
Translation: What we've been doing with Maxfli wasn't working, so we're going to try something new.
Nothing wrong with that; it's what smart companies do.
Everyone thought TaylorMade was pretty smart several years when the company bought Maxfli. TaylorMade had struggled to break into the golf ball market with its own TMaG brand. Maxfli was an established brand with a good name.
With its new Maxfli brand, TaylorMade set out to take on Titleist's Pro V1 juggernaut, and many golf equipment aficionados thought the Maxfli BlackMax, when it was introduced, was a worthy challenger to the Pro V1. But sales never matched the buzz.
Then TaylorMade introduced the TP Red and TP Black balls unders its own TMaG brand. And that takes us back to that recent news release.
TaylorMade has decided to reposition the Maxfli brand as the distance seekers' golf ball. To go after, as TaylorMade calls them, the "long ball rebels."
"Long ball rebels" are golfers who revere John Daly, and love hitting the long ball over all other facets of the game.
So it makes sense that TaylorMade has signed up Daly to help promote the new direction for Maxfli.
What TaylorMade is doing with Maxfli sounds like what Titleist did with Cobra and Bridgestone did with Precept. When Titleist bought Cobra, it positioned Cobra as the game-improvement brand, while focusing on highly skilled golfers with the Titleist brand. Likewise, when Bridgestone entered the U.S. market a couple years ago under its own brand, it repositioned Precept as the value brand, while players clubs and balls were issued under the Bridgestone brand.
Look for TaylorMade to keep premium golf balls under the TMaG brand in the future, and value, distance-oriented balls under the Maxfli brand.
Maxfli will continue offering its best-known ball, the Noodle (compare prices), but also offer two new balls under the new market position TaylorMade has chosen for it:
• Maxfli Fire: Described as a "premium performance ball," the Fire is a three-piece ball designed to maximize distance while retaining enough softness around greens. Its "blazing ball speed" comes from the "HPF 1000 Speedmantle," which works with the ball's high-energy core to promote ball speed and therefore distance. The Maxfli Fire carries an MSRP of $19.95 per dozen, pretty cheap for a three-piece ball. Compare prices for Maxfli Fire
• Maxfli PowerMax: Offered in two versions, the PowerMAX Distance and PowerMAX Soft Distance, TaylorMade describes the target audience for the PowerMax as "players who revere John (Daly) and his power and who aspire to grip it and rip it like he does. These are the guys who swing out of their shoes on every tee and who live for getting home in two on par fives. Look for them on the driving range, not the practice green, because if they can’t go long, they’d rather not go at all." Well alrightie ... The PowerMax Soft Distance is, of course, a little softer in feel, and provides a little more spin around greens. The PowerMax Distance is designed to spin less and climb quicker. Both have an MSRP of $14.95 per dozen. Compare prices for Maxfli PowerMax
