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BACKGROUNDER —

With more than a decade of experience in the fashion and sports industry, Ana brings a fresh new outlook into the golf industry and all Bionic products.

A strong believer in the importance of quality and performance, she focuses these principles in every product developed at Bionic and finds innovative ways to add value and versatility to each product.

Ana Rodas – Bionic Gloves

THE RODAS STORY —

As a fitness fanatic and social media influencer, the path that led Ana Rodas to Director of Marketing and Product Development at Bionic Gloves was a natural transition. She holds a B. A. in Communication and Anthropology – the groundwork for finding out the needs of customers in the market and responding to them. In her role, she has pioneered a strategy for Bionic Gloves that has seen the brand tap into new niches and markets, and refresh its identity to better show the organization for what it is: an innovative, energetic, high-end brand that helps consumers reach their goals.

Fluent in no less than 6 languages and having broken international records in swimming, Ana combines the precision and discipline of a Swiss clockwork with the determination and passion of a Latina who made it big – first in her home country, raking in multiple Miss Guatemala titles, then heading straight towards the American Dream and holding Executive and Director positions in the “small big city” of Louisville, Kentucky.

With her Guatemalan roots and international education in half a dozen countries, she uses humor, charisma and human values to make products come alive. To her, fitness, modeling and acting goes beyond looking good in front of a camera, it’s about expressing herself as an artist – and if you see any of Bionic’s recent marketing campaigns, you will instantly recognize her as both the brains and the body behind them.

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You wake up in the morning — what’s the driving passion?
Improvement! I see waking up every day as a new opportunity to become a better person than I was the day before and to leave a positive footprint in this world.
 
How long was the process in developing the Bionic Gloves?
Developing new quality product takes time. It’s difficult to answer because, each glove has its own story. On average it takes us around 1- 1.5 years to develop a new glove. However, we also have gloves that are uniquely beyond anything else and require more iterations. We hold ourselves accountable for the quality of our products at Bionic. To give you an example, we will be entering a completely new category in the fall and launching a cycling glove which has been in development for 12 years. Now, you can imagine the amount of work that has gone into that specific glove and the quality and innovation this new product will bring to the cycling industry.
What separates your products from the competition?

Gloves really are everything to us and all we do, and we always create our products with the purpose of improving performance, fit and feel. The biggest difference is our patented pad systems which are strategically placed to help the user have a better grip. We analyze the anatomy of the hand and design our gloves so that they mimic the hand to provide better dexterity and comfort by adding web and motion zones, using different cuts and the best materials to tailor the gloves to the hand and the purpose for which they are being used. Last but certainly not least, we are constantly innovating and consistently looking to add value to the experience the glove provides to our customers.


Foot-Joy is the overall category leader — is the goal to ultimately supplant them at the top of the heap and if so how do you plan on accomplishing that?

Our goal is to provide the best gloves in the marketplace that help people do what they do, better. As soon as people put on a Bionic glove, the product sells itself. Of course, there are several strategies and tactics to accomplish this, which are things we keep within the company. At the end of the day, our products offer something that no other company in golf can and we take immense pride in that.

In approximate percentage terms — what’s the split in your efforts in green grass shops, brick and mortar retail outlets and online sales? 

The trends are going towards online, so this is where we are starting to put more focus, but we also find it important to nurture existing relationships and stay relevant in the traditional channels which have elevated us to where we are now.

A number of companies are active in having endorsements to substantiate product validation — especially from players competing on the various tours. What’s your position on this?
Player endorsements are a very effective and valuable marketing tactic if done right. Within the last few years, with the new trend of influencer marketing, there is a hybrid flourishing out of that, which is also achieving the same purpose of getting the brand name in front of people. I believe the key to building successful partnerships is maintaining authenticity. Regardless of whether the individual is a professional player or a micro- influencer, you want to make sure the individual loves, benefits and is passionate about the product. At the end of the day, these are the people who are representing your product and if they are only doing it for the compensation, this will translate into the market.

Companies routinely tout customer service as being a key item of emphasis. Define the term and the approach you and the company are taking? 

H&B Customer Service is the first impression and the “face” of the company. As the face of the company, it is of the upmost importance that the staff is knowledgeable, friendly and efficient. They provide information about products and services, take orders, respond to customer questions/complaints, and process returns. Our approach is to offer first-rate product knowledge and continued education regarding the features and benefits of all products as they change and improve. Also key to customer service is a good attitude, problem solving skills and ability to communicate the information to our customer. This information and processes are recorded in a Customer Service Manual that is maintained by the Lead Customer Service Representative.


If you could change one thing in golf unilaterally — what would it be and why? 

For more women to play the game. The male to female ratio in golf is very unilateral and I believe that if there were more women in the sport, it would make it a lot more fun and exciting. Additionally, the increasing number of younger players is very promising for the sport, as a whole, and I hope to see this trend continue.

Biggest short and long term challenges facing Bionic Gloves is what?
In my opinion the biggest long-term and short-term challenge that not only Bionic, but most companies are facing is to continue to offer new innovative products, as buyers’ shopping trends and needs rapidly change. As mentioned before, to develop a new quality product takes times, so we have to make sure that we are listening to our customers’ needs and adapting our products and marketing tactics based on their wants and needs in a very quick manner.

Best advice you ever received — what was it and who from?
Fear is just an illusion. If you want something go get it, fight for it, give it your all, do it right and don’t give up until you achieve it. I can’t credit this to only one person as several people in my life have provided parts of this knowledge and it has really resonated and sunk in after years of life experiences. This is such powerful knowledge that I wish it was given to all children at a young age.
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