What is your background, and when and why did you decide to start your own golf brand?
I worked for a major department store for about 20 years, and then moved to an advertising agency. After that I launched the brand in 2005. At that time (and still to some extent now), there were very few new ideas and unique products among golf brands. Because the items that I wanted in order to make play- ing fun didn’t exist, I decided to design and produce my own.
What types of products do you produce?
In addition to golf bags, we make a series of accessories, such as markers, putter covers, belts, etc. But golf bags are our top- selling products.
How does a small Japanese brand like yours compete against the big domestic and international brands?
Unlike the major brands, we don’t push our logo design, but instead WinWin Style competes with its unique original designs and the high quality of its products. We are always launching new models, designs and items year-round, and most of these are limited editions rather than mass-produced. Our fans know they have to buy early or risk products selling out.
Our prices are set higher than those of the typical big makers’ golf bags, but our customers are people who want something that is different from what other people have. Also, by increas- ing our techniques for direct contact and communication with WinWin users, such as the creation of a homepage and user site, holding golf competitions and so on, we aim to provide impeccable service and improve customer retention.