And yet Maxfli’s recent past has been nothing like as illustrious. Things began to go somewhat pear-shaped when TaylorMade-adidas bought Maxfli from Dunlop Slazenger in 2003 after a brief licensing liaison. Yes, there were higher-end products like the multi-layer Black Max and the Tour Fire, built for John Daly, and the two-piece Noodle sold fantastically. Yet as TaylorMade’s focus shifted to developing its own ball product lines, its eye, as far as Maxfli was concerned, was perhaps taken off the ball.
But now, for the first time in a while, the future for Maxfli again looks bright. With the exception of the successful Noodle franchise, TaylorMade sold Maxfli to American retail partner Dick’s Sporting Goods in 2008, and in 2009, DSG signed a global deal with new British set-up Elite Brand Company to develop and market the ball.
Formed 18 months ago by Ben Gardener and Paul Mercer, previously of International Brand Management – a division of Sports Direct – Elite Brand Company has a lot of confidence in Maxfli.
“I believe TalyorMade bought the brand with a view to developing their golf business as TaylorMade, as opposed to as Maxfli,” says Gardener. “They took what they wanted from the brand in terms of distribution and potential sponsorship deals Maxfli had with certain players. They didn’t really invest in it, and that’s what we and Dick’s are trying to redress – to re-invest in the technology and the marketing of the brand, and to return it to its rightful position at the premium end of the golf market.”
Elite Brand Company has chosen to base its re-establishing of the brand around the product. “Maxfli’s real history is in balls,” Gardener asserts. “Having spoken to users, we can see there is still a lot of affinity to the brand in this area; after all it was number one in golf not that long ago. A lot of people were happy with their relationship with Maxfli, and I think retailers understand that. This is where we felt we could get most penetration into the market.”
With ball production commonly regarded as one of golf’s most cost-efficient sectors, it also makes economic sense. “What with the global economic position and the state of the golf market in terms of over-supply in clubs, we felt balls would be most successful,” Gardener adds.
Going the distance
The latest Maxfli range is bold and comprehensive. At one end is the C3, a premium, urethane-covered 3-piece available in Gold (feel) and Black (distance) guises. It retails at around £34.99 a dozen. At the other end is the 24-pack Revolution, retailing at £19.99. Gardener shrugs off the strangeness of naming the lower-end ball after the fondly remembered ball at the forefront of the multi-layer explosion: “All brands evolve, and Maxfli is no different,” he says.
In between the two is the Velocity VT range, including a four-piece ball retailing at £25.99 for 12, and the 2-piece Black Max, with 12 balls for £17.99. In all, 10 new Maxfli balls are available.
As for hardware, we must wait until 2011. Elite Brand Company and Dick’s Sporting Goods have been working with American Ralph Maltby of GolfWorks with a view to bringing out a new club range for 2011. “They will be aimed at what we might call a higher-end game improver,” Gardener confirms. “They will be premium products with great usability, as forgiving and playable as possible, while remaining at a premium level. Our agents have examples of next year’s lines and are starting to do pre-sales.”
Maxfli is famed for the elegant Australian Blade of old, but no replacements are planned as yet. “We are not quite ready for premium-premium clubs,” says Gardener. “For now we need something that is a little more forgiving. We can’t be everything to everybody at the moment. Balls is where we are now, and we can build it from there.”
And building is what they are doing. Gardener has spent much of the last winter developing an international market, setting up distribution networks in 22 countries worldwide including China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Dubai, Mexico, Chile, Brazil and Canada. The distribution will be handled by prominent distributors, many of which - like the former Srixon operators in Germany and Austria - have experience in the ball market.
Cultivating green grass
Another area to be addressed is the marketing of the brand. For now, Maxfli’s web presence is limited to a holding page for Elite Brand Company, and Maxfli.com, which takes you through to Dick’s Sporting Goods’ American operation.
“We are developing a global website, which we are hoping will be ready around October,” Gardener says. “Meanwhile, we have various agents in the UK who are knocking on the doors of Maxfli’s existing customer base. We were at Golf Europe last year and will be there this year.”
And whereas in the TaylorMade era, much retailing went through high street establishments, Elite Brand Company is targeting green grass retail. “We want to re-establish Maxfli as a credible, technologically-advanced brand,” Gardener explains. “Green grass stores are where serious golfers play the game, and there is probably more credibility here than in the high street.
“That’s not to say we’ll never work with those guys, but we’ll do it in a way that is good for the brand rather than detrimental to it.”
EBC is also committing to being competitive with retail partners. As evidence Gardener cites a relatively low minimum order of 12 dozen, free ball incentives on orders and an extended 60-day payment option. A logoed ball service will also be available as an extra selling point, but Gardener also hopes to have Tour endorsement to help give the customer a little extra push. “There’s no Tour presence as yet, but it will be coming. It takes time to find the right players and start working with them.”
In the meantime there will be the setting up of an ambassador program with elite amateurs, and a laudable agenda to support golf at grass roots level; Maxfli has already sponsored golf events in South Africa and Hong Kong.
“We’ve made a start,” sums up Gardener, “but there’s a lot more to come.”
• Elite Brand Company is based in Bracknell, Berkshire. Tel: 01344 741080.
