Professional Golfer Sponsorships - 3 Best Practices
Posted by Ron Amodio on Sun, Aug 07, 2011 @ 02:37 PM
Your Tour player sponsorship contract has been negotiated by an advocate acting on your company’s behalf. Your player understands his new role as a golf ambassador for your company and the relationship between the two parties is off to a good start. Moreover, the timing of your new deal with a Tour player, who has multiple wins under his belt, could not have been better as renewed interest in the game is about to soar now that Tiger has returned to competitive golf.
As the key point person responsible for the day to day management of your company’s golf ambassador program, you want to establish a process that utilizes outside resources as well as internal communications regarding the program to update top management, increase employee awareness and engage customer involvement. With that in mind, here are three best practices to consider when creating a historical record for your brand ambassador program.
1. Subscribe to Third-Party Research that Measures Brand Exposure on Television and Other Forms of Media
By way of example, Dow Ambassador Sean O’Hair recently won the RBC Canadian Open with
the Dow logo on his collar receiving considerable exposure during the final-round telecast of the tournament on CBS.
In reviewing a television research report prepared to measure the on-air exposure Sean O’Hair received during the competition, we know there’s a direct correlation between the player’s ability to get himself into contention to win the tournament on Sunday and the exposure his sponsors' brands receive during televised coverage.
In a previous blog, we made the point about the relationship between player performance and brand exposure by suggesting that sponsors consider tying their players’ compensation packages to the results they produce on the course.
2. Leverage the Reach of Company’s Website to Introduce Employees and Customers to Your Brand Ambassadors
Dow Chemical does a great job leveraging the reach of their website to 
communicate their involvement in golf as the Official Chemistry Company of the PGA Tour, Champions Tour, Nationwide Tour and Tournament Players Clubs; support of The First Tee Program; and sponsorship of professional golfers Tom Gillis, Sean O’Hair, Corey Pavin, Suzann Pettersen and Ji-Yai Shin.
See how Dow uses “Meet The Players” videos and highlights footage to communicate their value as Dow Brand Ambassadors in the USA and around the world.
3. Publish Internal Newsletters to Keep Associates in the Loop and Communicate Value
Using timely updates, a key message that Dow communicates about their brand 
ambassador program is as follows:
"All of these golfers wear the Dow diamond on their clothing or equipment during tournament play. Golf sponsorships enable Dow to promote the company's transformed brand internationally and outside of the traditional marketplace. Dow is the Official Chemistry Company of the PGA TOUR."
According to our strategic partner and Dow Consultant Bill Colvin, Colvin Sports Network, “Company newsletters are a good way to communicate the internal reasons to do these deals. Then, the employees feel part of the process and have a better understanding of how their company's involvement in golf helps grow their business.”
Bill Colvin is constantly working with his corporate clients and their brand ambassadors to get the most from their professional golfer sponsorships. If you’d like to utilize Bill’s professional golfer / celebrity recruitment services, he can be reached via email: bill@colvinsports or by phone: 216-272-7779.
If this article was helpful, you may also be interested in the following: Pro-Golfer Endorsement Deal Pricing-9 Brand Exposure Options
To download our free report, "Six Sure Ways Business Golf Can Improve Your Customer Retention" (includes PGA Tour Player Endorsement Deals), click on the button below.
Photo Credits:
1. Ladies European Tour: 2011 Ladies Irish Open Champion Suzann Pettersen.
2. Colvin Sports Network: LPGA Champion Suzann Pettersen's golf bag with Dow Diamond prominently displayed on front of her bag.
3. Colvin Sports Network: Corey Pavin, U.S. Open Champion, with Dow Consultant Bill Colvin.
