World Beyond: Keeping an open mind when it comes to golf

BY KAREN BUTLER

In an industry where innovation is a prerequisite for success, many fail to recognize the varied potential golf promotions carry. With a little creativity, golf-related products can open a whole new world of promotional campaigns. Though charity events, competitive tournaments and corporate outings are already a comfortable gig for many distributors, other options abound. When considering the abundance of golf-related items and golf enthusiasts, promotional consultants should keep golf products at the forefront, even when clients aren’t gathering on the greens.

“Golf items can have relevance outside the world of golf,” affirms Amanda Nannini, who handles preferred accounts for San Diego’s AddVenture Products. The sport provides great themes that tie into the business world, she maintains. “The ‘hole-in-one’ can be used for catch sayings having to do with scoring or a perfect job done right; the club can be used for the same, having to do with ‘hitting it hard’ or ‘hitting it right on the head,’” she explains. She also mentions other terms such as “tee it up” and “par for the course” as easy themes to carry into the business environment.

Hugh Hobbs, vice president of golf products for Hixson, Tenn.-based Gold Bond Inc., agrees that golf goods can be extremely effective for non-golf events. For starters, he suggests considering them for product roll-outs, gift with purchases, recognition and awards.

“Golf awards and other promotional items do not have to be one-dimensional,” says Laura Jendersee, marketing manager at Crystal D in St. Paul, Minn. “Golf items can be used to promote any sporting goods/retail store and individual products in order to increase awareness or build the brand. For example, if a new retail store wanted to increase its awareness, it could hold a mini putt-putt tournament within the store and give away crystal paperweight golf balls with the store's logo clearly etched on them.”

Jendersee worked with one bank that opted to sponsor the trophies for a local charity golf event. The awards had the bank’s name and logo etched into them with the goal of increasing exposure in the community. And it worked. After the tournament, the bank saw a 10 percent increase in new accounts over the previous summer — and credited the trophy sponsorship with its success.

Another way to boost business is with golf promotions that pair items in gift sets. “Whether the client presents two, three or four items, a group of theme-related products far outpaces the perceived value of a single item,” explains JoAnn Riley Beckman, director of marketing for Vitronic Promotional Group in Mason, Ohio. Her company offers a “Golf Outing Suite,” featuring an assortment of products from a choice of seven diverse categories. These packages can also be modified, depending on the client’s budget or specific needs, “for instance, substituting a golf umbrella for a cap or cooler.”

Distributors will never be short of golf-related products or promotional ideas — or even clients, for that matter. However, they should also keep an eye out for ways to bring freshness to the dangerously passé. “Everyone gives out a towel or a ball at golf events and they are forgotten about 10 minutes later,” suggests Nannini. Because of her company’s unique packaging, she says, “You can be sure the end user won’t forget how the product came and what it was for.”

Other suppliers are quick to point to the sport’s longevity as a good reason to prescribe golf-related promotions. “Golf and business go hand in hand,” affirms Rick Arneson, marketing manager for City of Industry, Calif.-based Golden Pacific. “With the rising popularity of golf around the world, particularly in the corporate arena, golf items always have a receptive market.” And that goes for literal and figurative golf-themes.

When it comes to promotions, Jendersee concurs: “Golf symbolizes more than just the obvious; it is symbolic of precision, perfection and the ability to drive change.”

The Perceived Value Factor
Use it for all it’s worth with customers

Bryan Ure, president of Cheektowaga, N.Y.-based Nexgen Golf, reminds distributors of the “wow” factor they’ll get by presenting goods that seem valuable. The company offers a variety of putters and clubs, which he says have a very high perceived value, but are available “at the same price point their clients are used to paying for an embroidered shirt.”

But rally together the uber-practical and you’ll realize that a seemingly high price isn’t the only game in town. Custom HBC Corp. in Waconia, Minn., offers a variety of affordable promotions loved by sports enthusiasts. “We have a wide range of prices on golf items — from towelettes/packettes with sunscreen or insect repellent, to pocket sprayers with golf club cleaner to our keepsake golfer’s caddy,” offers Sarah Manley, marketing manager.

Corporate Logo conducted an end-user survey among recreational golfers to investigate price-point perceptions. Share this with potential customers to affirm their product choices — and budgeting decisions.

Q. WHAT’S THE BEST GOLF-RELATED GIFT YOU COULD RECEIVE IN THE FOLLOWING RETAIL PRICE RANGES?

Less than $10

• Balls
• Tees
• Glove
• Divot tool
• Spikes
• Ball marker
• “Don’t waste your time. I don’t need a brass golf ball paperweight for my desk.”

$10-$50

• Balls
• Glove
• Clothes
• Shirt
• Towel
• Poncho
• Head cover
• Green fee gift certificate

More than $50

• Clubs
• Driver
• Shoes
• Shirt
• Round of golf
• Wind jacket
• Pull-over windbreaker with course logo