Bio
The Director of Marketing & E-Commerce at Tifosi Optics. He leads the brand’s marketing strategy and direct-to-consumer initiatives. With over two decades of experience in strategic marketing, van Dongen has held leadership roles at companies in the automotive and outdoor industries, bringing a data-driven approach to brand growth.
Since joining Tifosi in 2022, he has focused on strengthening the brand’s presence in performance eyewear through innovative marketing and digital strategies. He holds a BS in International Marketing Management from Avans Hogeschool Tilburg.
Story
After spending over 25+ years in the automotive aftermarket with a variety of leading companies and a focus on lifestyle marketing in the Jeep and off-road market, I took a year hiatus to focus on my next step on what I wanted to do. I had worked in small family-owned businesses, larger $1 Billion plus companies as well as private equity. Having bought and sold companies, seeing the good and bad integrations, I wanted to look at companies that were more family owned, nimble.
After the last 10 years mostly in wholesale, I wanted to get back into direct-to-consumer marketing again. That is where my career started with “old fashioned” catalog marketing, which in the late 90s evolved into e-commerce and eventually omni-channel.
After I had left my previous employer, one of my co-workers left as well and ended up with Tifosi Optics. I had not heard of this company, but was intrigued and as I tend to say, you never know what companies/businesses are in your backyard. Long story short, Tifosi Optics was looking for a marketing director and after some conversations, I joined the company in 2022.
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You wake up in the morning — what’s the driving passion?
Luckily, I do indeed wake up each morning! Having spent most of my career in lifestyle marketing, the past 3 years with Tifosi have been no different. People may not think eyewear is a passion or lifestyle market, but it certainly is. We help consumers live their passion, whether playing golf, cycling, running or doing anything in the outdoors and active lifestyle. Being part of their journey and enjoyment for their sport or activity is very rewarding.
Being able to offer that consumer a quality product for a great value where we exceed their expectations. When we read the reviews or hear feedback at events, it just solidifies that relationship with the consumer.
What was the genesis for Tifosi?
The current owners (husband & wife team) started out as reps for multiple bicycle product brands. Coming from the cycling industry, they realized that the eyewear professional cyclists were wearing was out of reach for many fans watching the bike races.
They also had gotten requests from multiple retail outlets to have an affordable quality piece of eyewear available. In 2003, they set out to create an eyewear brand that stood for quality, style, function, and value. With the support and passion of our partners and customers, Tifosi has grown to become a recognized, relevant, and trusted brand in golf, cycling, running and outdoor.
How does Tifosi go beyond your competition?
Tifosi was built on three core pillars that continue to guide us today —
• Create technical pieces of eyewear.
Every Tifosi product—whether an affordable lifestyle model like Swank or a high-performance style like Rivet with Enliven Golf lenses—is designed with technical excellence in mind.
•Create value for the consumer.
We aim to provide the same quality and features found in eyewear priced 2-3 times higher, without inflating costs through big-budget marketing or athlete sponsorships. These cost-savings go directly to the consumer.
•Provide excellent customer service.
We prioritize excellent service across the entire distribution chain—not just for end consumers, but also for partner-retailers and rep agencies. We believe in treating every partner the way we’d want to be treated.
In approximate percentage terms – what are sales via brick and mortar retail outlets, green grass shops and online?
We don’t break out green grass vs other brick and mortar but for golf, about 65% of the domestic business is sold to retailers.
Who is your customer?
We serve two types of customers:
● End consumers—the golfers and athletes who wear our sunglasses.
● Retail partners—green grass shops, sports retailers, and online sellers who carry our brand.
Rather than focusing solely on direct-to-consumer sales, we prioritize building brand demand through retail partnerships. Strong relationships with both retailers and consumers create a win-win—because as the saying goes, “a rising tide lifts all ships.”
Most companies tout the importance of customer service. Define the term and the approach followed at Tifosi.
Customer service is one of Tifosi’s core pillars. We believe in making every interaction seamless and personal, whether for end consumers, retailers, or rep agencies.
When someone reaches out, they talk to a real person who can resolve issues immediately—no runarounds, just great service.
Do men and women differ on the approach they take in choosing sunglasses? If so – how?
Generally, women lean toward fashion-forward styles, influenced by trends and what their friends are wearing. They’re also more likely to own multiple pairs.
Men tend to stick with familiar styles—especially those in an older demographic, who take an “if it ain’t broke” approach. That said, younger men are starting to experiment with trendier colors and designs.
Biggest mistake people generally make when picking out sunglasses.
Many assume polarized lenses equal better quality, but the real priority should be UVA/UVB protection—which all Tifosi sunglasses provide.
Polarized lenses reduce glare, but they can impact depth perception, making them less ideal for certain activities. For golf, polarization can make it harder to read greens by muting subtle color contrasts.
That’s why we offer Enliven Golf lenses, along with non-polarized brown and green tints that enhance visibility.
Do pro golfer endorsements matter for a company?
It depends on the company and its marketing strategy. The brand and athlete must align with values that resonate with consumers. At Tifosi Optics, we haven’t actively pursued endorsements.
Our brand name reflects our target audience—”Tifoso,” meaning “superfan” in Italian. Many consumers want the same eyewear as pro athletes, only to find that those options cost $200 or more. That’s where Tifosi fills the gap—offering comparable quality at a price that’s accessible to everyone.
Biggest challenges short and long-term facing Tifosi are what? And what are the strategic responses you are implementing to deal with each.
In the short term, current economic conditions, news cycle and the end-consumer’s outlook are certainly concerning in the immediate future. Long-term challenges continue to be that we compete against HUGE companies (EssillorLuxxotica) that have their own wholesale and retail outlets ($28.7 Billion in sales – 2024).
We compete by focusing on innovation, affordability, and a personal level of service that larger companies may not be able to match at scale.
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