Lack of Yonex

[teamusa]

Just wondering why Yonex does not sponsor more players with equipment as well as gear.
Yonex is obviously an immensely popular company so it's suprising to me more players are not sponsored or at least use their stuff.
They had some big names from Hewitt to Dementieva who have been around for a long while as well as some new up and comers. It doesn't really make sense to me. Is it because it is primarily an Asiatic company and not as worldwide as Wilson? Is it because they are focusing mostly on badminton? Do they not have the money to spend sponsoring more players?
It seems to me they could be doing really well for themselves and building up a stronger company by sponsoring more players, especially rising stars and juniors.
What are your thoughts?

 

[rommil]

I really don't know what Yonex's intentions are in tennis as far as sponsorships and marketing. Yonex makes very good products and I'm hooked. My local pro shop used to carry some Yonex products but now he swears at their lack of agents so he doesn'y carry them no more.

 

[Duzza]

I see a lot of juniors using Yonex now. A few of the boys at the club are covered in Yonex.

 

[El Diablo]

What is the assertion that Yonex is "an immensely popular company" based on? I've never heard any sales figures to support that and in travels to Europe and the Near East I saw less Yonex than even in the USA. They may do better in Asia but that's not a mature tennis market.

 

[armand]

I have a feeling that it's a Japanese thing. I would love to hear some speculation from Phil; he knows Japan.

 

[xtremerunnerars]

From the badminton I've watched, it seems like Yonex is the only freakin company that manufactures equipment!

Perhaps that's what the OP means?

 

[teamusa]

I didn't mean immensely popular to the tennis world. Like someone has already said, Yonex has the stronghold in badminton. I've seen a lot of them in squash as well. They also have a fairly reputable market in the golf world.
Which is exactly what I'm asking - Yonex has good products no question. But are they putting more of their focus on the other sports and not tennis? They COULD have a very large base, but they obviously don't. I'm just trying to see if it's because they do not want to, or they can't.

 

[max8176]

I have been using Yonex tennis racket ever since I learned to play tennis and that's more than 15 yrs ago. Yeah, Yonex popularity in badminton cannot be compare with tennis. Majority of recreational and professional badmin players use Yonex because they are very good quality. I think it's not as popular with its tennis products especially in America because it has a more feminine image.

 

[PBODY99]

If sponsoring players sells frames in the US market, and you don't have many then you don't get the sales. If sponsored pros and Jrs don't drive sales then it doesn't hurt your company. If you see yourself as a niche player, sponsorship doesn't have to rate high in your marketing plan. Which view point do you favor?
Prince was very good to the teaching Pros who made the rather radical move to an oversize frame in the late 1970's. The generation of players who found the game improvement value of the frame allowed the company to grow. The Yonnex frames while good, never made a breakout frame that a wide group of players could see made a huge difference.
I've seen more incorrectly strung Yonnex in my years of servicing frames than any other frame. That's not the companies fault, but it led to some negative word of mouth in some circles.

 

[classic tennis]

What is the assertion that Yonex is "an immensely popular company" based on? I've never heard any sales figures to support that and in travels to Europe and the Near East I saw less Yonex than even in the USA. They may do better in Asia but that's not a mature tennis market.

From the 4.5 million badminton racquets they sold last year which is about all tennis racquet manufacturers combined........if not more, do some homework.

 

[Volly master]

Yonex is only popular in Asia.

 

[Syfo-Dias]

The sad truth is that Yonex just isn't as popular as other brands in tennis. I wish it were because I personally love Yonex. In my town I have yet to see anybody else play with a Yonex racquet besides me. I'm sure there have to be a few out there though. When I lived in Osaka, Japan I saw a lot more people using Yonex, but there were a lot of other brands used as well.

 

[Hewitt Aussie]

Yonex is not popular at all in the United States, but in Australia and odviously Asia i think it is very popular.

 

[xtremerunnerars]

I have a yonex badminton racquet but it's probably on the lower end of the spectrum when compared to their other offerings. I really like the sport because it's basically what I'm good at: react and move quickly. There's a ton of other things involved with tennis, but badminton's a more simpler game to me.

I liked the yonex racquets I've tried; however, I liked the mfil 300 much better.

 

[rommil]

The sad truth is that Yonex just isn't as popular as other brands in tennis. I wish it were because I personally love Yonex. In my town I have yet to see anybody else play with a Yonex racquet besides me. I'm sure there have to be a few out there though. When I lived in Osaka, Japan I saw a lot more people using Yonex, but there were a lot of other brands used as well.

In some ways I like the way it is now where not a lot of people use Yonex. They make very good products but I don't want them to turn into a Wilson or Prince where they make too many rackets and they are everywhere.