Head to head
Ecco around the globe
Michael Waack is Head of Global Golf for Ecco, and here he talks to Robin
Barwick about the challenges of selling premium golf shoes in a slow economy
In a slow economy you would expect What figures can you share relating
premium shoe sales to suffer. to sales or market share?
Has that been the case for Ecco I would like to keep the figures confidential,
in 2009? but we have certainly not lost any market share
That is the case in a few isolated markets – but this year. Remember that we are not looking to
not all over – and we are doing great in Europe, be the most successful golf shoe in the world, but
and our Casual lines for men and women have it is extremely important for us to be the best. We
been extremely successful. We are doing pretty are convinced that if we make our shoes in the
well in Austria and Switzerland and we are right way the success will definitely follow.
particularly strong in Germany. We are extremely
satisfied with our sales in the Netherlands but we This sounds great, but is Ecco Golf
have struggled a bit in Scandinavia. profitable at the moment?
Ecco has never been a bargain brand, and The dark side: Ecco’s Ultra Performance in Black, new for 2010 Yes, Ecco Golf is profitable in its own right. It is
this in fact is why we are not badly affected by profits from Ecco Golf that have been invested in
the financial crisis. We are consistent in our marketing initiatives like signing up the likes of
offering no matter what is happening with the
economy, so we do well in a good economy and
“
Our main target in golf is Colin Montgomerie, Fred Couples, Aaron
to surprise our customers,
Baddeley and Stuart Appleby. This marketing is
we also do quite well in a slow economy. We stay
steady, because even in a slow economy there are
every year. We always want
good for Ecco Golf but it also boosts the Ecco
brand beyond golf.
golfers who are prepared to pay for quality.
to make sure there is at
Where does the UK fit into that
least one section to our
Does the Ecco offering vary much
between global markets?
European picture?
product range that
The different tastes of international markets
The UK has been pretty good for us. The UK is
consumers never expected
seem to be coming gradually closer together.
a traditional, established market, and it tends to
be very price-sensitive, so it is a challenge when
to see from Ecco
Perhaps this is due to the advent of the internet
you consider that we produce premium products.
”
and satellite TV. Special regional tastes are less
common, but the Asian market goes crazy for the
But there are always people out there who bright colours and the highly technical shoes. The
understand they have to pay premium prices for genuine, quality products Ultra Performance does very well in Asia.
like our golf shoes. Our Classic golf shoe has done very
well in the UK. It is a very traditional shoe and that is what the UK What are Ecco Golf’s targets for 2010?
market wants. Our main target in golf is to surprise our customers, every year. We
always want to make sure there is at least one section to our product range
It sounds like Ecco’s strategy that consumers never expected to see
for dealing with a recession from Ecco. In 2008 we launched the
is to stick to its guns. Is that Ultra Performance, which was our
the case? first golf shoe with such a highly
Exactly. Those four dots we use in technical message.
our logo represent quality, comfort, In 2010 our surprise package is the
personality and style, and that is what Golf Street range, which incorporates
we follow. Those four dots represent very colourful men’s and women’s
our core message, and the last thing shoes that are made without spikes.
we want to be seen as is a bargain Surprising products like these make
shoe. Ecco will never do anything to people curious about the brand and
compromise our high level of quality. when shop customers see the shoes
Some brands might resort to making they will want to touch them. This is
their shoes with a lower grade of great, because they are made from
leather in order to sell more shoes, but very high quality leather. Not all men
we would never do that. Never. will want to play golf in these shoes,
We are a strong, global company but they are ’24-hour’ shoes – they
and we know the business, and the could be worn on the golf course
core message must be: product, European Team-mates: Michael Waack (left), Colin Montgomerie (centre) and and off.
product, product. Jesper Thuen, Ecco’s sponsorship and events manager www.eccogolf.com
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