The Massive Growth of Golf Industry in China

China is becoming the largest economy in the world through its dynamic middle classes, and also its large number of smartphone users. China has over 1.3 billion people and the worldwide population is just over 7.3 billion, so there is a large potential market for any business.

China was projected to be an area of growth for golf due to its massive population and growing interest in the game. Huidan Research valued the golf industry in 2018 to be worth 6.2 billion yuan up 10 percent from last year. Nearly 1.1 million Chinese citizens were estimated to play the game and numerous courses had been built within the decade.

This is the real-time for the golf industry in China

Even the industry executives are not publicly portraying golf in China as the next Golf Rush. Golf associations are understandably cautious about making grandiose profitability projections. It’s “too early for that”, says PGA Tour’s Chief Marketing Officer Ty Votaw. But clearly, the significant resources allocated to date speak louder than words and tell us they believe the future rewards from the investment in China far exceed the present risk.

Positioning yourself is a priority

Golf’s main challenge in China is perception. With the government pushing against the sport, many are likely to turn away from the links. It’s a more pronounced version of the game’s struggle globally: Golf is especially seen as a game for the rich and disconnected in China. “In essence, what the sport has to do is reposition itself, being seen as elitist and stuck behind luxury concrete walls,” said Paul Swangard, former director of the University of Oregon’s Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, and an expert who has worked extensively in China.

Therefore, making sure of your main target will do a great favor to your golf business. Normally, repeating these positive messages on the right platforms for your target will influence Chinese Consumers. In the digital age, consumers are more connected than ever and more receptive to quality content marketing.

For the niche foreign brands, never sell yourself as a ‘new brand’, instead establish yourself online (the key portal for information for Chinese consumers) as successful, popular, and reputable in your home country and as a growing trend in China too.

Rank top on SEO

First of all, it is initially to establish your official website for your business and make it visible on the SEO, especially on Baidu. 82% of the research in China is on Baidu. You need to have a good ranking on Baidu to be visible. Chinese consumers will only buy brands that have a good ranking on Baidu. They also focus on good comments and recommendations online.

To develop your visibility on Baidu, you can use different marketing solutions such as Pay Per Click (PPC) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Use some e-commerce websites for selling

With over 900 million internet Chinese users, it is worth trying to sell your products on popular e-commerce websites.

Tmall, Taobao, and JD are the giants of e-commerce. They are the bigger platforms and also the bests in terms of quality and safety.

Because these e-commerce platforms are very popular in China, it’s not easy to sell on that platform. Most of them only accept brands with a significant presence and realized high sales in China. That’s why most of the spirits brands failed to sell on the giants’ platforms, Tmall, Taobao, or JD.

If you are a famous brand or have a tight connection with big brands, you can try to sell on Tmall and JD because the 2 platforms want to keep a high ranking and only offer to their consumers famous brands and quality products. That’s why they are so selective.

FISE organizes the Extrem street sport in Chengdu and will be the host of a FISE World Series stop. Last year, we had over 200 000 people who came to discover the new sports in Nan Hu Park. If you don’t know much about China, it is the perfect occasion to come discover a huge and different culture and this value-sharing moment through sports like BMX Freestyle Park, skateboarding, Mountain Bike Slopestyle, and Inline Skate.

Solutions 

• Animation Social Media (Weibo Wechat)
• Buzz
• Engagement KOL
• Online PR

If you are not very famous yet, the Wechat store also provides good e-shops. It’s a bit more accessible for beginners in the spirits market.

Collaborate with influencers

Normally, consumers will trust a popular or famous influencer or KOL more than anyone else and it is lucrative to attract them by pushing the products with popular influencers.

Creating golf heroes brings part of that acceleration to the country. Since the first new golf course was built in China in 1984, the number, which is hard to pin down because of China’s laws against golf, has grown to anywhere from 600 to 1,000 in 2015. The PGA even started a developmental tour in the country last year and bright homegrown stars like Guan Tianlang, who made the cut at the 2013 Masters at just 14 years old, have begun to emerge. Yet despite the boom in popularity, golf’s relationship with Chinese authorities was still tenuous at best.

Build your reputation through social media

It is quite convenient for a business new player to start a business on WeChat as it has created a number of e-commerce options for retailers, including its latest development, Mini Programs.

Except for Mini Programs, WeChat can be more and more valuable. Users can follow the brands’ accounts or tags on WeChat. QR codes are quite handy for promoting followers or doing payments.

It is crucial to use social media to attract Chinese consumers. Besides WeChat, Weibo is also a good platform for marketing. Weibo is the second-most mass-used social networking site in China, with around 82% penetration rate across the country and more than 50 million active users per day in 2017.

Microblogging platforms encourage people to post comments and content on all subjects without suffering of censorship. The social media platform attracted more than 130 000 companies because it’s a really effective way to develop your e-reputation. Brands have to create a Weibo Official Account to improve their presence in China and attract more followers. More than 56% of Weibo users follow at least one brand on Weibo.

Gentlemen Marketing Agency is specialized in digital marketing in the Chinese market. Do not hesitate to contact us if you want to discuss any projects in China.

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