Women-owned golf bag design and build company Is ready for louder launch and higher profile
(Ft. Lauderdale, FL) – In just four years, ORCA Golf Bags have gone from unknown to upstart having made custom bags for tour players, golf tournaments, automotive brands, and recreational golfers, who have simply fallen in love with their personalized designs, state-of-the-art technology, and functional style. Having spent time testing its business model, developing its supply chain, and disrupting the way people think about golf bags, ORCA Golf Bags (www.orca-golf.com) has hired boutique marketing strategy company MediaShare Consulting Group, Inc. of Jacksonville, FL (www.mediashareconsulting.com) to amplify its message and footprint.
ORCA Golf Bags is owned and operated by Deborah and Erica Bennett of Fort Lauderdale. Their story is not unique among the ranks of golf industry upstarts: two smart, successful business people with a passion for the game find their calling within the industry and set out to change at least one corner of the golf world. Like most, they personally identified within a niche, in this case, the golf bag, and set out to create the proverbial “better mousetrap.”
The uniqueness to Bennett’s story begins with blazing a trail in the male-dominated golf bag realm, a somewhat innocuous corner of the business most golfers take for granted as a serviceable tool carefully transporting one’s clubs to and around the golf course. To the Bennetts, most bags seemed the same – inordinately utilitarian with little distinguishing features from one to another. The goal: match their penchant for innovation, design and style with a golfer’s desire to make a statement with their golf bags while still coloring within the lines of the standards of the game. To tell that story, ORCA has enlisted MediaShare Consulting Group, Inc.
Said Erica Bennet, VP of Operations and lead product designer at ORCA, “We were looking for a storyteller; someone who we trust, and with whom we felt would always put our best interest ahead of their own, as we do with our customers. MediaShare’s model of being our outsourced “marketing department” really felt like the relationship we wanted. From the first conversation, we felt it was about us, not about them, which is what we feel about our bags; they’re about the person carrying our bag, not about us.”
Added CEO Deborah Bennett, “Ten years ago, Mark was in our shoes trying to be a bit of a disruptor in the marketing landscape. That’s what we are going to be. I have always done business on the golf course and have therefore always considered the golf bag a walking billboard. It has started many conversations, which have ended up as many million-dollar deals.” Having more than 30 years in the golf industry helped solidify Mark Berman and MSCG as their agency of choice. MediaShare was an integral part of the launch of Deane Beman’s Cure Putter in 2014.
MediaShare is helping ORCA define its brand, its culture and catch the wave of new golfers taking up interest in the game. Said Managing Partner Mark D. Berman, “ORCA bags exude personality. When you see one it’s instantly recognizable. It’s the bag that’s truly designed around what the golfer wants while truly capturing the buyer’s personality. It’s built around ‘you’ in every sense of the concept. It’s a fun story to tell, and Erica and Deb are simply good people who want to do great things in support of the game. Their story is just beginning.”
ORCA Golf Bags is one of the few golf bag companies focusing solely on making golf bags. From elegant staff bags seen on professional tours to sophisticated hybrid cart/stand bags to full-stand walking bags perfect for college players, juniors and recreational amateurs, ORCA’s craftsmanship and attention to detail help it stand out from the herd of mass-produced bags on the market today. ORCA also makes beautiful and functional tote bags, athletic bags, and shoe bags and recently launched its newest game-changing product, the Pod. The Pod is the ideal case to safely hold a cell phone and sunglasses, providing an accessible “home” for golf gloves, scorecards and other necessities while the golf bag is stowed away or not in use.
The name “ORCA” came innocently enough through Deb’s fascination with this unique animal and wanting to find an idea around which she could build a company. As a life-long golfer who played in high school and college before landing in the technology lane, golf bags always seemed kind of amorphous. “They all felt the same to me. You can say there are a lot fish in the sea, but there is only one Orca, one such animal that you know immediately upon seeing it. That’s how I felt about golf bags; it’s the biggest piece of equipment, but it’s rarely “seen,” until it is. And then you realize just how amazing it can be.”
“The Orca’s tail is known to symbolize good luck, speed, and strength,” said Erica. “It reminds us that we have the control and power within ourselves to accomplish whatever we desire. So, like the Orca, we too, are taking our place within the golf industry providing the best quality, custom-designed golf bags for every level of golfer, outfitting our customers with a golf bag that is uniquely their own brand.”
One such customer was none other than World Golf Hall of Fame member, Annika Sorenstam, for whom ORCA created the Champions Bag for winner of the AJGA’s Annika Invitational USA Junior Girls Championship earlier this year. ORCA started its business designing and making bags for corporate events and charity tournaments and has now grown into designing bags for clubs and individuals.
Most importantly says Erica, “Our bags have personality. They’re distinct and athletically functional. We interviewed hundreds of golfers and most had the same ho-hum perception of golf bags. Prior to a design, we’ve listened to what the golfer has told us they want in a bag and we deliver that, as opposed to the golfer having to simply accept the industry-standard.”
ORCA Golf Bags are available online and soon to be in green grass locations. Custom bags for events, corporate outings, events and individual personalization can be crafted by visiting www.orca-golf.com.
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About Orca Golf Bags and 17 Yards Golf, LLC
Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale (FL) The ORCA brand represents an ocean of inclusiveness for all golfers and those with an active lifestyle. Owned by17yards Golf, Orca is more than a business, it is about growing the game and encouraging more individuals to play. Like the ORCA, we too, are taking our place within the golf industry; with an Orca’s presence, providing the best quality, custom-designed golf bags for every golfer. Our customers will also have their own custom-designed golf bag; one that is uniquely their own ORCA brand. Visit us at www.orca-golf.com.
About MediaShare Consulting Group, Inc.
MediaShare immediately started bucking trends by opening its doors in November 2009, when the world was falling apart. “More than ever, someone has to help small businesses with their marketing,” said Managing Partner Mark D. Berman at the time. MediaShare was founded as a fractionally owned marketing department, providing depth and resources to only a few select clients at a time. Berman, a tireless advocate for the women’s game, has been in the golf industry for more than 25 years, having worked with the PGA TOUR, World Golf Village, PGA of America, LPGA as well as many industry sponsors, developing activation programs for companies ranging from Fortune 200 companies to local small businesses. Visit us at www.mediashareconsulting.com
