This past summer, Kith, a NYC-based fashion company, collaborated with TaylorMade golf, releasing the “Kith for TaylorMade” collection. Not only did this collab feature golf clubs, gloves and balls, but also more stylish pieces: sweaters, shorts, shirts, and even jackets. Kith, dubbed the “king of collaborations” by
Allure Magazine
, is known for its partnerships and limited releases with major fashion brands, including Versace, Nike and Tommy Hilfiger — and now golf companies? For TaylorMade, an older brand, this particular move was unexpected, but genius.
This shift in the golf industry seems partly the result of a cause-and-effect occurrence in recent years: COVID, and the subsequent market adapting to a younger and less serious audience who approaches the activity not just as a sport, but also a lifestyle.
2020 and 2021 saw an immense uptick in the number of individuals picking up the sport. During the summer of 2020, many were stuck at home, finding new hobbies and interests like golf. According to the National Golf Federation (NGF), golf participation in 2022 increased to 40 million Americans compared to under 30 million in 2014. Over three million people played for the first time in 2021, towering over previous numbers. According to data by NGF, over six million people played between the ages of 18 to 34. 2020 and 2021 exhibit monumental shifts in the amount and age distributions of those playing in the sports. Whether due to COVID or some extraneous factor, since 2020 engagement exploded and is getting younger.
This trend coincided with the rise of golf lifestyle companies, competitions and influencers, including Skratch, Good Good and The Match — a televised 18-hole competition where major golf names face off, or star athletes compete. First, The Match featured Tiger Woods pitted against Phil Mickelson in 2018, and most recently, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes competing with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers (all NFL Quarterbacks). To keep pace with the audience of the game transforming to a younger demographic, fashion and golf brands must also market differently to stay afloat. That is where TaylorMade comes in.
Despite TaylorMade being founded in 1979, the company has always done things differently. For one, TaylorMade is owned by Adidas, a colossal fashion and sport company in their own right. Titleist, in comparison, does not sufficiently dive into the realm of sport style and fashion, and instead produces simplistic designs with their logo or a graphic.
TaylorMade’s social media presence is also divergent from its competitors. Their pages on Instagram and YouTube frequently feature their sponsored players in club fittings, fun competitions and other interviews, allowing the viewers and customers to get to know the players, see what technology the company is working on and resonate with the image of the company. For clubs or online presence, TaylorMade constantly is on the cutting-edge of the industry, so it is not surprising to see them make a move like the Kith collaboration.
I can see two apparent shifts in the last few decades in the golf industry: the arrival of Tiger Woods, and the change occurring right now. Woods ushered in a whole new wave of golfer-athletes, striving to play with the finesse and swagger like him. Woods was also sponsored by Nike, allowing for a synergy of two massive names. Studies even showed that golf viewership drastically increased when Woods played and dropped when he did not compete. According to Samford University and Deseret News, when Woods did not play in the 2014 Masters, ratings dropped by “24%.” Yet when Woods won the 2018 Tour Championship after missing many tournaments due to injury, ratings increased by “206%.” In 2022, these trends are unmistakably similar to the Woods’ trend. Numbers are exploding and it is due to the aforementioned shift in the drivers of the game like TaylorMade.
The head model and face of the Kith collab was also J.R. Smith, a previous NBA player turned college golfer who frequently speaks out about the game and the importance of growing the game. This choice, too, allowed for Kith and TaylorMade to reach other followers, like NBA and J.R. Smith fans.
The industry is evolving once again. Fashion is changing to looser fitting clothes, stylish shorts, hoodies and non-traditional outfits. TaylorMade made a brilliant move to expand their audience. Working with Kith allows the company to expand the brand as not just an equipment manufacturer, but a lifestyle, even luxury brand. When the collaboration dropped, apparel and equipment sold out in days, and if non-golfers see TaylorMade in the future, they will also associate the company with Kith. The question is, which company will be next?
