Perhaps more than any other consumer group, golfers are susceptible to manipulation. As players (some might say victims) of a game where so many things can - and frequently do - go wrong, they are forever searching for the ball, club or swing-perfecting gizmo that will inspire confidence in their abilities and silence the little voice that starts chattering the moment they address the ball. You actually think you can hit this shot? After that last one? What happened? You must not be cocking your wrist at the right time . . .For some golfers the answer is a favorite brand of golf ball or a $500 titanium driver with a grapefruit-sized head. No matter what it is, if it keeps your Inner Golf Devil quiet, it's your most prized piece of equipment. Trouble is, in most cases, the little voice stays quiet only temporarily. And then you have to find another talisman.Therein lies the foundation for the multimillion-dollar golf industry.In 1995, to increase the likelihood that its golf balls would capture the interest of golfers looking for a boost to their game, Greenville, S.C.-based Maxfli Golf began a wide ranging project to redesign its logos, packaging and advertising. The company brought in Wallace Church Associates, New York, to handle the design duties and BBDO South, Atlanta, to develop new TV and print ads."Maxfli's market share was stagnant," says Debra Mager, senior vice president, account director, BBDO South. "They just couldn't seem to distinguish themselves. The golf industry is really very homogeneous in a lot of ways. There may be a few who stand out but when you look at the advertising and packaging it's all fairly similar. So our effort was to create our own niche."Guiding these efforts were a number of research studies, including segmentation work and a variety of qualitative and quantitative approaches. "We needed to develop a market-driven identity for Maxfli based on consumer wants and needs," says Chery...