It’s Masters week! I actually just finished my fantasy golf picks for the week. Anyone got Ian Woosnam? Anyone ever heard of Ian Woosnam? He won the Masters in 1991, and I still had no clue who he was. Perhaps the biggest buzz outside of simply talk of Augusta National and the players in this year’s field, is what those players will be wearing this week. Their “script”, even though for some reason that term really annoys me. Anyone remotely interested in golf fashion is noting what brands such as Puma, Nike and Ralph Lauren RLX have prepared for their tour pros to wear in the 2013 Masters.
Take a side step from the Deep South with me for a moment, across the border to the north. Amidst the biggest golf week of the year and arguably the largest golf fashion show, other than the Ryder Cup, a budding Canadian golf apparel company launched their online store. The only thing is, Social Era worked hard for months to make sure they were not the Ian Woosnam of the industry.
Even before Social Era officially “opened up shop” in January 2013, the company began perhaps their greatest marketing and brand awareness effort. Social Era made it their mission to win over as many interested golfers as possible, via social media, Twitter in particular. “Our initial goal was to try and grow awareness of a new brand in a new way. We wanted to take advantage of social media and use it to help introduce Social Era to all of the ‘connected’ golfers out there,” says founder Gerry MacDonald.
The plan included sending out their signature brightly-colored silicone belts each time Twitter followers reached 100 count milestones. To date, Social Era has mailed out 450 free belts to followers and will continue to do so each 100 followers. The belts, $20 in value, have a 4cm strap that is infused with vanilla scent and a plastic buckle in the same color as the strap. “While the belts are a very small part of what we do, they allowed us to reach many consumers, since the belts are gender neutral, fit up to a 48″ waist and are trim to fit. It was the best product that we found that would appeal to the largest number of our followers on twitter,” MacDonald says.
So how does sending out a few hundred belts make Social Era a master of anything? Doesn’t just having the word “social” in their name boost their credibility in the area of social media expertise? Consider this, Social Era currently has approx 3,055 Twitter followers. That is within a couple hundred followers of the IZOD Twitter handle. They have far more followers than most companies that specialize only in golf apparel and even sponsor members of the PGA Tour or European Tour. It is a great accomplishment and will no doubt pay off for Social Era. Stated on Social Era website is the following acknowledgement: “Our company has been made by our consumers and we love to interact with our fans via social media. Please check us out on Twitter @socialeragolf.”
Social Era offers fresh new designs at affordable pricing. Not hard to appeal to golfers with that being the case, eh?! When you add their customer interaction and appreciation through social media, it makes the company even easier to support. A few Canadian golf courses had already begun carrying the collection, and a few mini-tour golfers had been wearing the brand, by the time the anticipated Social Era online store launched on April 6, 2013. Shirts and belts are currently available for purchase and pants will also be available very soon.
So, take in the pageantry of Masters week. Marvel at the heavenly golf course views and the perfectly laid out apparel choices of each golfer in the field. Also, take time to check out Social Era. They are much deserving of a good look and the masters of social media, when it comes to golf apparel.
If you haven’t already, follow @socialeragolf on Twitter and check out their website at: http://www.socialera.com/