Good Good Golf Leveraging the commercial power of the creator group
The creators behind the YouTube channel Good Good demonstrate how a creator group can become a commercial force in social video. The channel is spearheaded by amateur golf players Tom Broders, Micah Morris, Grant Horvat, Stephen Castaneda, Garrett Clarke, and Matt Scharff, and provides a light-hearted take on the sport through videos documenting off-the-wall challenges. These range from the group setting the world record for catching a golf ball with a baseball glove after a 421-yard drive, to using the video game Call of Duty: Warzone as inspiration for an amateur golf match.
Golf is an anchor point that amplifies the personalities of the individual creators and the relationships between them. Unlike some collaborations, where creators come together to make content to grow their individual channels, Good Good is a single channel producing three videos per week based on the group’s activities. Such is the level of cohesion around their content-creation process that Good Good members recently moved into a new shared house, the YouTube video of which has been watched one million times over the last five months.
The channel seemingly attracts those who are eager to explore top-level golfing authentically, and the narrative vlog-style of the content taps into relatability as a key theme – being a skilled and passionate golfer is not enough to go pro. Frequent appearances at major professional events and courses, paired with guest stars of the likes of Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler are contributing to the monthly growth of 20,000+ subscribers. The channel activates key aspects of golf fandom in a regular, digestible, and free-to-view format. With this in mind, the content style also allows viewers to come back regularly to continue their viewing experience hole-by-hole, and as a result, the channel’s top 10 most popular videos have generated over 26 million views, despite an average run-time of over an hour long.
In addition to its core YouTube partner advertising income, Good Good sells its own branded clothing and golf accessories through its website.
Meanwhile, the group announced in January 2023 that they would also create co-branded and limited-edition equipment with Callaway, the golf equipment company. The tie-up includes a series of videos that will feature cameos from Callaway staff players. The partnership demonstrates how the creator group provides an alternative route to reaching golf audiences outside of linking the brand to the professional sport. Nick McInally, the vice president of global marketing at Callaway, said the channel’s “family friendly” approach and focus on creating “friendships, memories, and fun” wherever golf is played was a key factor behind the deal. The key brand takeaway is that Good Good reflects the values of amateur players, which is appealing to a sports brand such as Callaway, as this is targeting its marketing to this demographic.
Roles
This report is relevant to the following roles:
Product Strategy