Callaway Golf has appointed Stephens Francis Whitson, the start-up agency backed by VCCP, to handle its pan-European direct marketing.
The agency beat Chemistry in the final stages of a competitive pitch handled by the Haystack Group. The incumbent, Claydon Heeley Jones Mason, did not repitch.
The appointment follows Callaway's change of strategy to focus more on customer relationship marketing in European markets including the UK, Denmark, Finland, Spain and France.
Golf equipment is the UK's largest sports goods market, worth £300 million.
Callaway, the market leader globally, competes against Ping, Title-ist, Nike and the Adidas-owned Taylor Made.
The agency's first task is to develop a pilot strategy to act as the foundation of a CRM strategy across Europe.
Chris Whitson, the planning partner at SFW, commented: "The world of golf is changing and it is perfect for customer marketing. At the moment, once you've bought the club, there is no more interaction between manufacturer and customer.
"Given the amount of equipment available, there is a genuine story to tell and potential for lucrative cross-sell and retention activity."
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