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Carlton
Another brand that's been 'on its uppers', Carlton is having new life breathed into it. Formerly the world's number one brand in the field of badminton rackets and shuttlecocks, Carlton is now making strides into the market as part of the Dunlop Slazenger group. SGB finds out how, thanks to Matthew Shuker.
SGB: What does the Carlton brand involve, what's the core of the brand?
Matthew Shuker: Historically the main focus of the brand has been premium rackets and shuttlecocks. Going back 30-odd years, Carlton was the world's number one brand up until the 1980s when Yonex moved aggressively into the market, and back in those days rackets and shuttles was really what badminton brands were all about; footwear was starting to come into it but generally speaking, it was all about rackets and shuttles. We were the first brand to design and manufacture a metal badminton racket with grommets, and that was back in 1967, which I think was far earlier than the first grommetted tennis racket; likewise we were the first brand to make synthetic shuttlecocks, which solved the problem of feather durability which had been an issue up until that point.
Over the last two or three years our product offering has broadened and using the brand's premium positioning as number two in the market, we're entering into other sub-categories, for example clothing. 2008 saw Carlton launch a new clothing range engineered with Aerocool technology and also a move into the string and grip market.
SGB: You say rackets, are you talking about only badminton rackets or is that somewhere you might branch out from?
MS: Yes, Carlton is a specialist badminton brand, it only manufactures badminton equipment which is one of its positives, it's completely focused on badminton. Generally, racket brands now cross all racket sports; tennis, squash and badminton which can be detrimental in product development.
SGB: Is it a help in terms of research and development to be aligned with Dunlop Slazenger?
MS: It certainly has its positives. If it was a standalone company in its own right then clearly the resources Carlton would be able to access would be limited in comparison to the resources Dunlop Slazenger can provide; it's a much bigger brand in terms of its turnover and consequently can focus more resources into R&D. Both brands have their separate technologies to ensure each brand maintains its identity however technology concepts are developed jointly to maximise knowledge and expertise.
SGB: Badminton has an enormous user base, something like two to three million active players in the UK - that's a great base to work from for you.
MS: As an Olympic sport, it benefits from the exposure it receives; I believe that at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the badminton mixed doubles final between Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms and the Chinese pair, was one of the largest TV audiences pulled in by any event at the Olympics. Within the UK there's 1.5 million people playing, it's one of the highest participation sports. The sport is growing globally with a focus in the Far East where it features as a national sport in many countries. It benefits from being easy to play, accessible (you can play it in a garden if you want to), cost effective - two rackets and a shuttle don't cost the earth, it's not gender specific ... It has a lot of positives that explain why there's 1.5 million playing the sport in the UK. I think globally you're looking at upwards of 200 million players.
SGB: How did you get involved with Carlton, what's your background?
MS: I was employed by Dunlop Slazenger about two years ago as, in the first instance, a UK badminton promotions manager. It was my role to promote Carlton through exhibition events at clubs and facilities, support our accounts base, expand our sponsored player and retailer-linked coach network and secure sponsorship assets that would help promote the brand. For example Carlton is lead sponsor of the National Badminton Championships which are held in Manchester every year, the Carlton Leisure Centre Championships which is held throughout the year with the finals being in May and also title sponsor of the Badminton England Orbital Circuit. The fact the business employed a badminton specific promotions manager was an indication that it wanted to start focussing back on badminton as a potential avenue to growth. I then moved into my current role as Global Product Manager for Indoor Sports. I came from a badminton background; I was a professional player reaching number 43 in the world and have been involved in coaching in the UK. I was also employed by Badminton England (the National governing body for badminton in England) as a Regional Development Manager. It was a strategic role leading a team of development officers covering the South East region with a target of increasing the number of players, coaches and volunteers involved in playing badminton. This experience has provided me a sound knowledge of the badminton category internationally and also very much so in the UK.
SGB: With new ownership and new ideas, has there been any significant change in the core product line up?
MS: The racket range has been completely overhauled with a new structure that better focuses on consumer requirements for power, control or a combination of both. We've developed a number of new technologies that are brand new to the market ensuring the 2009 frames outperform anything else on the market. For example we have developed a frame with Biaxial Dynamics which focuses on frame profile and a new head shape named Optimetric head geometry. We have also developed a new type of handle constructed from carbon, replacing wooden handles which continue to be used by our competitors. Finally we have engineered grommets that provide more power, named Pro V12 Grommets, and a new end cap which is about 28 per cent lighter than the previous version. To summarise, compared to the competition we've enhanced the playability of our premium range through the use of cutting edge technology solutions. Where we had two or three technologies, we're now at a point where we have eight or nine delivering enhanced performance and consumer value for money. The 2009 range is a huge step forward for the brand, and an exciting step forward as well.
SGB: What are Carlton doing to support the independent retailer?
MMS: Where I feel we can improve on our rivals is in presenting our product in store and that's where, for the 2010 range, you will see a significant investment coming from the brand to provide better resources for product presentation. We have also established a 2009 pricing structure which ensures both specialists and independent retail can benefit from the new range.
SGB: Who are your brand ambassadors?
MS: Our pro player endorsements are expanding year on year with Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms being top of the list in 2008. Both players have the highest profiles internationally of any players as a result of being former Olympic Silver Medallists and World No.1's. Gail recently announced her retirement but will remain involved in the game in terms of supporting Badminton England as an ambassador for the sport. Nathan's continuing to play with a new mixed doubles partner called Jenny Wallwork and returning to men's doubles with former partner Anthony Clarke. Both have been superb ambassadors for the brand playing with Carlton equipment for many years. Entrusting their equipment to a specialist badminton brand such as Carlton has helped them to achieve their goals. Other ambassadors include current European No. 5 ranked mens singles Andrew Smith, European No.6 mens singles Eric Pang and European No.7 mens singles Dicky Palyama. All have achieved top 12 in the World, are still young and give credibility to our product.
