Kardashians on Kourse to Enter the Golf Accessories Market

What the Kardashian Kollection Golf Towel might look like

The Kardashians have been called celebutantes, fame whores and TV's face of evil... and granted, those labels don't conjure up a particularly appealing image.

At the same time, the flashy family is frequently described as brilliant and talented... and few would deny the raven-haired clan's ability to collectively generate buzz and make headlines.

Over the past few years the Kardashians have harnessed this ability into an international super brand that... despite the numerous haters... manages to turn legions of consumers into ardent and unquestioning followers willing to buy any and all Kardashian-branded products.

When it was announced recently that the ubiquitous glamazons were extending their Kardashian Kollection to include home decor, it's hard to imagine there was much surprise in marketing circles. "Kardashian Kollection Home" will include products like flatware.. and candlesticks.. and bath mats and... you're probably wondering where golf comes in, right?

Well, the collection will also include golf towels... "for the men in the family"!  Other manly offerings may include beer mugs, shot glasses and playing cards.  Admittedly, in the Kardashian family golf seems to be seen as something guys do.  Girls... after all... are too busy shopping, decorating, applying make-up and... building billion dollar brands.

Golf Bags and The Most Powerful Luxury Brands

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When the average golfer sets out to purchase a new golf bag,  he's generally concentrating on practical concerns: size and weight... portability, durability and configuration of pockets.  These are are the factors that tend to drive purchasing decisions.

However there's a select group of golfers who place a premium on more ethereal qualities... qualities like exclusivity, refinement and je ne sais quoi... and those discerning individuals, if they have the means, often to turn towards traditional luxury brands.

Luxury Daily reported today on a survey undertaken by Milward Brown, a global brand strategy firm. It ranked the world's most powerful luxury brands, as they now stand, in the wake the economic slump of the past two years.

It just so happens, each of the top three produce... or have at one time produced... golf bags:  

1. Louis Vuitton is the brand that emerged as the most valuable luxury brand over the last five years.  It somehow manages to resonate with trending-at-the-moment celebrities, while maintaining the authenticity and timelessness it's been known for for over a century. A number of years ago I wrote about a vintage Louis golf bag that was up for auction on Ebay and the post remains one of my most popular to date.  A contemporary version of the iconic monogrammed bag can be found on the Louis Vuitton website and I found the Damier model on the luxury shopping site Malleries.

2. Hermés - has chosen to focus on its heritage, which isn't surprising since the company is still essentially family-owned and its history is so distinctive and unique.  I found a Hermes golf bag in white on the French luxury consumer site First Luxe, and one in black on Lecrin,  the website of a Japanese store that specializes in Hermes products.

3. Gucci - is the world's best-selling Italian brand  Despite a tumultuous management history and family infighting during the 70's and 80's. It's reputation and prestige was threatened for a period, but the brand was able to return to its roots as an elite Italian fashion house, and recently teamed up with Christie’s to appraise vintage Gucci luggage and handbags, and I found a 1970's vintage Gucci golf bag on auction site, Live Auctioneers.

Though each of the above bags costs more than most golfers would consider paying, these top three luxury brands have core customers who cherish the feel of the finest materials and craftsmanship... as well as the cachet of iconic luxury brands with rich histories... and they don't hesitate to pay a premium for them.

Unlike other luxury brands that have attempted to target a wider market with more popularly priced lines, each of the above companies... according to the study... has dealt with the global recession by focusing on their core consumers.  This trend is expected to continue, which means that Louis Vuitton bag I've wanted for all these years will continue to remain just way beyond my reach.