Nike Golf Introduces "The Oven" to Showcase R&D

The following article, detailing Nike Golf's newest initiative entitled "The Oven" was written by Mike Rose, a sports marketing professional based out of Portland, Oregon.  Check out Mike's additional insights on his blog, "Rose's Garden" as well as on Twitter!

A decade ago, Nike Golf was a company trying to break into the mainstream golf market. The company had just one prominent athlete who was not even using the company’s equipment. However, Nike Golf does two things better than any of its competitors - marketing and R&D. The emphasis Nike places on R&D is something that is deeply rooted in the company's corporate culture, as it was a strong passion of co-founder Bill Bowerman. Nike has derived success from its marketing efforts that focus on the level of importance the company places on R&D, which has helped to expand its golf operations. 

Nike Golf’s current campaign “The Oven” attempts to show how Nike Golf Athletes are utilizing Nike Equipment to better their game. The campaign has allowed Nike Golf to showcase some of the premier athletes competing in golf that are using its products, including Lucas Glover, Stuart Cink, and Michelle Wie. This campaign has helped Nike demonstrate that its products are helping many players experience success in golf outside of Tiger Woods.

While Nike Golf already has strong apparel sales, the company still lags behind when it comes to equipment sales. If campaigns such as “The Oven” continue to be successful in the near future, Nike Golf will soon become one of, if not the leader in the golf industry.

Check out all of Nike Golf's clips from "The Oven" series here and a few of the best ones below: