The purpose of this study is to understand the deciding factors of the purchasing intentions of golf supply consumers and further on to present a marketing strategy for domestic golf supply businesses. For this study, a total of 420 men and women living in S, G cities and G, J provinces who presently use golf supplies were selected by simple random sampling and surveyed by interviewing from June 25 - July 15 of 2004. Excluding insincere replies, the surveys of 367 people were used as analysis data.
A frequency analysis and chi-square test was performed on the study results using the statistic analysis program, SPSS for window 10.0, and a correlation analysis was carried out on each variable.
The following results were obtained through these procedures. In the conclusion, the results were compared with existing research results focused on the significant variables of the behavior of golf supply consumers. Then the problem for the marketing strategy of domestic golf supply businesses was presented.
1. Brand image according to the preference of domestic and foreign gold supplies
Golf clubs showed that price, design, preference, color, originality, reliance, and service were important image characteristics, and for golf bags, the design, functionality, quality, preference, color, sophistication, reliance, and after-service were seen as important factors. In the case of golf shoes, the price, design, functionality, quality, preference, color, popularity, sophistication, reliance, and service were important image characteristics. Advertising, events, and originality of golf products were not considered to be important affecting factors to the image characteristics of consumers. It was said that the image characteristic and service of a product can increase or decrease the image of the company or the value that the company presents to its customers(Aaker, 1990). Therefore, brand equity is a brand marketing effect generated because a certain product or service has a brand name. In other words, because brand equity such as increases in market shares, profits, and brand preference is created from the high brand loyalty of the consumers, there is a need to first understand from the consumer's viewpoint.
2. Brand image according to characteristics of the sociology of population
Of the brand image characteristics, golf clubs according to sex emphasized the price, design, functionality, quality, preference, color, originality, reliance, service, while for golf bags the design, functionality, quality, preference, color, sophistication, reliance and service were considered important. Men replied that the categories of design, functionality, commercials and advertisement, events, popularity, reliance, originality, and sophistication were important. For golf shoes, the brand image characteristics of advertising and reliance had significant differences, while men emphasized price, design, functionality, quality, preference, color, popularity, sophistication, reliance, service, and 재men emphasized design, functionality, quality, preference, color, popularity, sophistication, reliance, service.
According to age groups, the design, functionality, popularity, and sophistication of the brand image characteristics of golf clubs had significant differences. Especially, the functionality category was considered very important by people in their 10's, 20's and 40's, while people in their 30's, 50's and 60's thought it to be of moderate importance. However, the importance of the popularity category showed that most people replied it to be of moderate importance. For the golf bag brand image characteristics, there was a significant difference in the design, preference, color, and sophistication category, where people in their 10's and 30's replied the preference to be important, while people in their 20's, 40's, 50's, 60's replied it to be of moderate importance. Color was considered to be of high importance by all ages, while for sophistication, people in their 10's and 20's thought is to be of moderate importance, while people over 30 considered it to be very important. For golf shoes, the preference category was considered very important for people in their 10's, 20's, 30's and 60's while people in their 40's and 50's considered it to be of moderate importance. Color was considered to be very important to all ages except for people in their 50's.
Of the brand image characteristics of golf clubs according to education, price, design, quality, preference, color, popularity, sophistication, and service categories had significant differences. The price category was considered more important as the education level increased, while the design was considered important to all education levels. Quality, preference, and color was important as the education level went up, while popularity was more important as the education level decreased. The sophistication category was considered important to the highly and lowly educated, while service was thought to be more important as the education level increased. For golf bags, the design, functionality, event, color, popularity, and service category showed significant differences. The design category was considered important in all education levels, while functionality was important to all education levels except for elementary education levels, color was important to high school education and above, while service was important to all education levels except for elementary and graduate school education levels. For golf shoes, the design, functionality, quality, preference, and event category showed significant differences. Design was important to elementary, high school, and college education levels, while the functionality and preference categories was considered important to all education levels, and the quality category was considered more important as educational levels increased. However, all education levels thought the event category to be of moderate importance.
According to income levels, the brand image characteristics of golf clubs showed that preference, advertising, sophistication, and reliance showed a significant difference. Preference was more important to high income levels, advertising was of moderate importance to all levels, sophistication was more important to low income levels, while people of high income thought sophistication to be of moderate importance. All income levels considered the reliance category to be important. For golf bag brand image characteristics according to income levels, only the preference, and for golf shoes only the service category showed significant difference, while most income levels considered these to be important.
There was no significant difference in the brand image characteristics of golf clubs according to experience. For golf bags, only the event category showed a significant difference, but all experience levels considered it to be of moderate importance. For golf shoes, the price, color, popularity, reliance and service categories showed significant differences, where the price, popularity, and reliance category was considered important to all but people with less than one year of experience, and the color and service category was considered important to all experience levels.
According to occupation, of the brand image characteristics for golf clubs, the design, quality, color, popularity, and originality category showed significant differences, where design was considered important to all occupations, color was important to the unemployed, professionals, and sales·service occupations, popularity only to sales·service occupations, and originality was important to the unemployed, professionals, and sales·service occupations. Golf bags according to occupation showed that functionality and preference categories showed significant differences, where the functionality was important to the unemployed and professional occupations, and preference was important to the unemployed, professionals, management, sales·service occupations.
The brand image characteristics of golf shoes according to occupations showed that price, design, event, and popularity category showed significant differences. The price was important to the unemployed, professionals, management, clerical employees, and sales·service occupations, design was important to all occupations, event only to production occupations, and popularity was important to the unemployed, professionals, management, and sales·service occupations.
3. Brand satisfaction of golf products
The brand satisfaction for drivers showed no significant differences, while the brand satisfaction variables of fairway woods showed significant differences in the advertising and event categories, where advertising was of moderate importance in both domestic·foreign products, and the event category was unsatisfactory for domestic products, while a moderate satisfaction resulted for foreign products.
The brand satisfaction variables for irons showed significant differences in functionality, color, and sophistication categories, where the functionality satisfaction was moderate for domestic products and satisfactory for foreign products. Color was satisfactory in both domestic and foreign products. Sophistication was moderate for both domestic and foreign products.
The brand satisfaction variables for putters showed significant differences in price, preference, popularity, and sophistication categories, where the price satisfaction was moderate for both domestic and foreign products, preference was satisfactory in both domestic and foreign products, popularity satisfaction was moderate or unsatisfactory for domestic products and moderate for foreign products. Sophistication was moderate for both domestic and foreign products.
There were no significant differences in the brand satisfaction for golf bags, and for golf shoes, the reliance category showed statistically significant differences where domestic products were satisfactory and foreign products were moderate.
4. Purchase pattern for domestic and foreign golf goods
According to the analysis of the length of gold good use, domestic made gold bags is normally used for less than an year, while the use lasts for 1~2 years in case of foreign made golf bags. As a result of the study for the price ranges, respondents replied that imported golf related products are relatively more expensive than domestic products. Therefore, we could see that customers are more likely to regard imported goods more expensive than domestically made golf goods. As for the analysis for the place for purchases, more than 69% of respondents said that they purchase golf related products in gold shoe in nearby. As for the reason for re-purchase of golf goods, customers are likely to repurchase golf club to enhance the skill, while golf bags and shoes are purchased after they worn out.
5. The brand preference for domestic and foreign golf goods and prevailing golf brand
After studying the brand preference for golf brand and widely used golf goods, this study shows that most of customers have higher preference for foreign golf brand over domestic golf brand. When we put all the above facts in together, we could suggest several marketing strategies like below;
Firstly, domestic golf goods manufacturers should put more emphasis on building brand identity.
With the continuous efforts in enhancing the high quality considering customers preferences and market trend, they could differentiated domestic products from others. Secondly, enhancement of durability and customization should be deeply considers in launching the new products to satisfy each segments of customers with different brand preferences, price ranges and design. Thirdly, with long-term A/S service and developing new design, domestic golf goods manufactures must build strong trust from the customers. Lastly, long-term marketing strategy should not be affected by short-term profits. By means of continuous sponsoring famous golf players or enhancing the quality with foreign manufactures, the domestic brand awareness will be increased, while satisfying the increasing number of golfers in the ages of 30s.