ORLANDO, FLORIDA | It’s virtually impossible to find a collective rallying point for competing companies in the golf industry. The marketing campaigns can sometimes be contentious, bordering on political. The fight for brand loyalists or an extra couple of yards in testing is a lengthy battle of constant maneuvering. It’s certainly not personal – employees of different manufacturers are often close friends – but in a business of relentless reinvention, every inch is valuable property.
Interestingly, it is that elbows-out type of fight that unites industry competitors: The war on counterfeit equipment.
“It’s rare that brands come together in any industry, but it’s different with counterfeit products,” said Lisa Rogan, the director of trademarks and brand protection at Acushnet Co., the parent of Titleist and FootJoy. “The watch industry has an anti-counterfeit effort, the pharmaceutical industry has one … but in the golf industry, it’s small enough to where we all know each other personally and we share a common goal. I’ve been d...