Fact: Which manufacturer bought more pages in Golf Digest between January and the Hot List Issue (Ma

There's always been a lot of talk in this forum about major manufacturers marketing tactics and expenses specially recently regarding the Golf Digest "Hot List" and how Golf Digest would rate its own clients.

I counted and read the ads of major manufacturers in the last three Golf Digest (subrcribers) issues including the current one (Hot List-March).

Here are the results:

January:

1. Callaway: 2 pages

February:

1. Callaway: 6 pages plus Phil in the Cover and another 4 pages of Phil inside talking about driver.

2. Taylor Made: 3 pages

3. Ping: 1 page

March (Hot List Issue)

1. Callaway: 13 pages plus 1 other page as presenting sponsors of the Golf Digest Stix and promoting Callaway Talks.

2. Titleist: 5 pages

3. Taylor Made: 4 pages (2 of loft up-SLDR and 2 of Speedblade irons).

4. Ping: 4 pages

5. Cobra: 4 pages

6. Nike: 4 pages

7. Cleveland: 2 pages

8. Mizuno: 1 page

Here are the totals of pages bought by major manufactures in the first 3 issues of Golf Digest in 2014:

1. Callaway: 22 pages

2. Taylor Made: 7 pages

3. Ping: 5 pages

4. Titleist: 5 pages

5. Cobra: 4 pages

6. Nike: 4 pages

7. Cleveland: 2 pages

8. Mizuno: 1 page

As for the contents of those ads, every manufacturer talks about how much improved or how much longer is their equipment or how it can help you. Interesting thing to notice is that no manufacturer would talk about X number of specific yards of improvement over previous equipment (something that in this forum has been a major pet peeve of a lot of people) except for Callaway that proclaims itself as the "Kings of Distance" and claims +11 yards in the X2 hot driver, +5 yards in their x2 hot irons and +7 yards in their Apex irons (against the Diablo forged).

*I'm a subscriber of Golf Digest and don't know if the ads in the subcribers issues are the same as the same issues sold in newsstands.

hopefully the "were X number of yards" longer every year will stop working at some point. I mean to a knowledgeable golfer it does not pass the laugh test anymore. And given how it's being thrown in the face of weekend jobbers now you wonder how much more they can take of it too.

Not surprising who was #1, a bit surprising by how much

Soooo your saying all the "testers" are bogus?

I was actually surprised to see Callaway above TM. Guess TM keep their marketing $$$$ for TV cause they seem to be on all the time.

Congratulations to Tom Wishon. 0 advertisements and 1 hot list selection. Speaks to the quality and performance of the product.

This thread made me wonder what the count was in previous years. I seem to recall a LOT of TM buzz when they were bringing out the Rbz line.

But....

I don't believe that the ads and the cover affected the test results. The fact that I didn't get to be a part of their testing team affected the results though. (Now that would be fun! Hitting balls with new equipment all day until there is nothing but a couple of bloody and blistered stumps sticking off of the ends of my wrist - and no I am NOT kidding! Sign me up!!!)

Callaways clubs are good but I find their advertising to be cheesy.

Callaway is like that woman that is past her prime, has been rode hard and put away wet too many times and is visibly trying to hard. The over the top effort turns me off even more.

LAst year we were all complaining that TM only sold clubs because of their marketing.

What's wrong with advertising?

Taylor Made - Adams can't afford print. They are too busy paying for the Ernie Els commercial pitching Adams which is on after every third shot shown on any Golf Channel broadcast of a PGA event.

[quote name='patrick421' timestamp='1392515051' post='8676737']
Callaway is like that woman that is past her prime, has been rode hard and put away wet too many times and is visibly trying to hard. The over the top effort turns me off even more.
[/quote]

yeah but if i was single and drunk at a bar, i'd totally be like "Hey Bertha, what are you doing later?" and then the next morning i'd be like "ummm, so this is awkward, 'cause me and Ping I25 have been kind of getting serious. But i'll still call you"

and then i would not call

[quote name='JCA' timestamp='1392499103' post='8675407']

Here are the totals of pages bought by major manufactures in the first 3 issues of Golf Digest in 2014:

1. Callaway: [b]22[/b] pages

2. Taylor Made: [b]7[/b] pages

3. Ping: [b]5[/b] pages

4. Titleist: [b]5[/b] pages

5. Cobra: [b]4[/b] pages

6. Nike: [b]4[/b] pages

7. Cleveland: [b]2[/b] pages

8. Mizuno: [b]1[/b] page

[/quote]

Let's compare that to the number of Gold's those companies received...

Callaway/Odyssey: 16 Gold
Taylormade: 11
Ping: 15
Titleist: 9
Cobra: 4
Nike: 5
Cleveland: 1
Mizuno: 4

[quote name='PZero' timestamp='1392518141' post='8677095']
[quote name='JCA' timestamp='1392499103' post='8675407']
Here are the totals of pages bought by major manufactures in the first 3 issues of Golf Digest in 2014:

1. Callaway: [b]22[/b] pages

2. Taylor Made: [b]7[/b] pages

3. Ping: [b]5[/b] pages

4. Titleist: [b]5[/b] pages

5. Cobra: [b]4[/b] pages

6. Nike: [b]4[/b] pages

7. Cleveland: [b]2[/b] pages

8. Mizuno: [b]1[/b] page

[/quote]

Let's compare that to the number of Gold's those companies received...

Callaway/Odyssey: 16 Gold
Taylormade: 11
Ping: 15
Titleist: 9
Cobra: 4
Nike: 5
Cleveland: 1
Mizuno: 4
[/quote]

My God... I think I see a correlation

EDIT: So Ping,Titleist and Mizuno are overperforming on the golds per ads statistic.

[quote name='luck box' timestamp='1392518743' post='8677153']
[quote name='PZero' timestamp='1392518141' post='8677095']
[quote name='JCA' timestamp='1392499103' post='8675407']
Here are the totals of pages bought by major manufactures in the first 3 issues of Golf Digest in 2014:

1. Callaway: [b]22[/b] pages

2. Taylor Made: [b]7[/b] pages

3. Ping: [b]5[/b] pages

4. Titleist: [b]5[/b] pages

5. Cobra: [b]4[/b] pages

6. Nike: [b]4[/b] pages

7. Cleveland: [b]2[/b] pages

8. Mizuno: [b]1[/b] page

[/quote]

Let's compare that to the number of Gold's those companies received...

Callaway/Odyssey: 16 Gold
Taylormade: 11
Ping: 15
Titleist: 9
Cobra: 4
Nike: 5
Cleveland: 1
Mizuno: 4
[/quote]

My God... I think I see a correlation

EDIT: So Ping,Titleist and Mizuno are overperforming on the golds per ads statistic.
[/quote]

Ha! good call. Ping: 3 golds per page. 'Zuno: 4 per page

Not too shabby

I no longer subscribe. Heck, I haven't even looked at the Hot List issue this year. :-)

[quote name='PeanutsDaddy' timestamp='1392502184' post='8675701']
Congratulations to Tom Wishon. 0 advertisements and 1 hot list selection. Speaks to the quality and performance of the product.
[/quote]

He is the one guy let in to demonstrate to the public that everything is real and without any cheating.

The last Golf Digest equipment issue I enjoyed was back in 1982 when they wrote that everyone should consider owning two chippers, one low lofted and one high lofted.

What is Golf Digest? I've never read it. : )