Hong Soon-sung, CEO of Dunlop Sports, "Seriously Selling Even $1 Products"

George Washington University MBA Graduate with Tire Company Experience
Srixon Banban Ball Hit, Donation Management and Tour Sponsorship

"We are a serious company."

This is the management mindset of Hong Soon-sung, CEO of Dunlop Sports Korea. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 23rd, he said, "We do not make any decisions lightly," adding, "We consider and listen to various situations and opinions to make the best choice." He continued, "A company that cannot seriously sell a $1 product often cannot be serious about a $1,000 product," emphasizing, "A company that takes a $1 budget lightly can also easily waste $1,000."

Hong Soon-seong, CEO of Dunlop Sports Korea, expressed his ambition to "develop differentiated products and become the number one company in the domestic sports industry."
[Photo by Dunlop Sports Korea]

CEO Hong is a marketing expert who majored in International Business at George Washington University in the United States in 1997 and completed an MBA. Afterward, he worked at Goodyear Tire Japan in Tokyo, Japan, and in 2001, he joined Dunlop Sports Korea to assist his father, who handled Dunlop tires, golf, golf apparel, and tennis. CEO Hong became deeply fascinated by the sport of golf. He said, "I like nature, trees, and grass," and added, "Golf is the best sport to spend time with comfortable people."

CEO Hong has been running the company since 2015. He is so busy that he only goes out to play golf once a week. Even if he had ten bodies, it would not be enough. He wakes up at 6:30 a.m. to exercise and goes to work at 9 a.m. Morning work reports and approvals are followed by meetings and guest receptions in the afternoon. CEO Hong said, "Although work ends at 6 p.m., I often get home late," explaining, "Since we are a company that sells, distributes products, and does brand marketing, there are many evening engagements."

CEO Hong focuses on golf and tennis. For golf, there are three products: XXIO, Srixon, and Cleveland. He explained, "XXIO is a premium brand, Srixon is a brand that considers golf a competitive sport, and Cleveland is a short game brand focused on wedges and putters," adding, "The combination of these three brands with different characteristics provides stability to the company’s portfolio and is a very important strength compared to other competitors."

To respond to changing market conditions, CEO Hong is also developing various business models. They also sell badminton, squash, and table tennis equipment. CEO Hong struck a 'jackpot' with a lively idea: Srixon's 'Banban Ball.' It is a unique new concept golf ball with a cover composed of two colors. He said, "Last year, the supply was limited, so I was very sorry to customers who wanted to purchase it," and added, "This year, we will increase the quantity, making it much easier to buy at golf shops."

The 'XXIO Father & Son Classic,' the only golf tournament in Korea for fathers and sons, is also well-received. CEO Hong said, "The influx of the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) has increased the base population of golf," adding, "Golf is one of the best sports where generations can communicate." He continued, "We valued making it a tournament that gifts time for fathers and sons to smile together rather than focusing on results," and added, "We will strive to ensure everyone can happily enjoy golf."

Hong Soon-seong, CEO of Dunlop Sports Korea, hit a jackpot by launching Srixon's 'Banban Ball'.
[Photo by Dunlop Sports Korea]

CEO Hong is also practicing a world of coexistence. The 'Good-Buy Campaign,' which has supported child welfare projects of Good Neighbors for 10 years, is a representative example. A certain amount of the sales from Dunlop golf balls is donated. CEO Hong smiled and said, "Good Neighbors told us that only Dunlop and Jeongsik Food (Vegemil) have continuously conducted the Good-Buy campaign for over 10 years," adding, "It made me feel once again that doing this campaign was the right decision." Dunlop Sports Korea engages in various social contribution activities to spread a culture of donation, including employee volunteer activities and customer-participatory Dunlop Hole-in-One Donation projects.

CEO Hong also pays attention to less popular fields. He actively supports the Korea Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Srixon (2nd division) Tour. They operate tournaments titled with the Srixon brand throughout the year. They assign a tour van and tour-dedicated staff who are former pros to every tournament to assist players. As of the end of last year, they have 392 contracted players in the Srixon Tour alone. Including the Champions Tour and amateur players, the number exceeds 600.

CEO Hong said, "In 2020, when COVID-19 was spreading nationwide, men's professional tournaments could not be held," and expressed, "We started support out of a sense of mission as a brand based on the tour." He added, "There were views that supporting the 2nd division tour rather than the Korean (1st division) Tour was excessive," and smiled broadly, saying, "Now, other brands are also continuously providing on-site support, which makes me proud."

CEO Hong dreams of becoming the best in the industry. He aims to develop differentiated products with creative and new ideas to become the number one in the domestic sports industry. He said, "I want to create a company that anyone who loves sports in Korea thinks of Dunlop, XXIO, Srixon, and Cleveland Golf regardless of the sport," and expressed his ambition, "We will grow into the brand that comes to mind first when thinking of sports in Korea through products and services in more sports."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.