SGBGolf_Oct09_p24-25:SGBGolf_Sept09_p28 21/09/2009 14:16 Page 24
Field report
Strength in numbers
Having served Glenmuir for 13 years, Andy Bough left the
company in July to become sales director for Premium Golf
Brands. He explains his decision to Duncan Lennard and
outlines why he believes PGB’s unique structure will thrive
O
n one side you have an established As you might expect, going from one strong
and highly-regarded, 118-year-old apparel brand to having to deal with eight
company with tie-ins to official Open presents its own problems; but Bough laughs off
and Ryder Cup apparel; on the other you have the suggestion that it means eight times the work.
a fledgling company not yet two years old, “PGB’s great strength is that although there is
which itself offers eight brands and a stable of apparel brands, it’s still a brand in its
potentially eight times the work. Why would own right, presented by one company. As sales
you swap a great job at the first for the director I am able to have one conversation with
second? the key customers. And those customers
“I was very happy with Glenmuir,” Bough appreciate being able to have one conversation
affirms. “In my 13 years I saw lots of changes about a portfolio of brands. With some we’ll
and worked with some great people. I just felt have a multi-brand conversation; we even have
it was time for a new challenge. The PGB job customers who choose our company as their only
appealed to me because it gave me the clothes supplier and select from all eight
opportunity to get involved in a new, brands.”
developing project. The business is young and Bough accepts the PGB policy of treating each
I have the chance again to be at the heart of Changing places: PGB sales director Andy brand individually and doing what’s best for
what we feel could develop into something Bough, formally of Glenmuir each on an individual basis, could lead to the
very special in the industry.” brands actually competing against each other.
Bough divulges a second reason for his decision; his belief in the “That’s fine; we just have to map our way through that in a
strength of PGB’s brand portfolio: “I firmly believe the current market professional manner. We just need to ensure we are faithful to the
place – and what I expect to be its future – is going to be all about overriding business proposition presented by PGB as a supplier and a
strong brands, and brand strength is one of PGB’s chief assets.” company.”
PGB’s current porfolio consists of Calvin Klein Golf, which is PGB’s policy of grouping several clothing brands together under
distributed under a global license, signed earlier this year; Green one umbrella has many clear advantages. Expertise in design and
Lamb, Dwyers and Co and Cutting Green are owned by PGB; Cutter marketing and can be pooled, and sales strategies focused. Bough
and Buck is co-designed with the brand’s Swedish owners New Wave; also explains the PGB structure has allowed them to help the retailer
and with American companies Fairway and Greene, Zero Restriction in a couple of ways. “We don’t really have any minimums to buy our
and Pukka, PGB selects from the US lines. brands; we don’t demand a pre-book to get delivery. Also last winter,
which was effectively the low point of the recent trading difficulties,
we ran a program in which customers who pre-booked got a credit
markdown to help them sell through any balances they hadn’t sold at
full price without losing too much margin. It worked well to secure
business and allowed retailers to offer a decent autumn program in a
manageable way.”
Nevertheless, Bough believes the biggest benefit of centralising
brands has been in helping the smaller ones.
“The industry has been going through a difficult time, with smaller,
independent brands in particular struggling to cope. There are lots of
nice brands out there but due to the size of our industry they remain
relatively small. It has been very hard for them to create the product
and deliver the marketing, customer service and sales support you
need to become a good supplier to quality retailers.
“But when you bring those brands together under a brand, you
gain strength through size. Brands like Pukka and Zero Restriction are
able to offer good service as they sit within the umbrella of the
overall PGB offering. One of the reasons I moved was the belief a
company like PGB can actually prosper in these trading
Calvinism: Calvin Klein Golf is one of eight brands in the PGB portfolio circumstances.”
24 SGB GOLF OCTOBER 2009
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