Random Post Time

The 6-month (!!!) span between this post and my last entry correlates with a lot of activity on the home front and at work. I've also struggled finding topics to cover. I've always tried to center on advertising techniques that I find interesting or tactics that I want to learn more about. The point of this post is to bust the atrophy off my writing muscles. I'll do that by touching on a few topics that I've considered covering on this blog. Maybe I'll expound on these topics in their own posts. This post, however, scores off the Randometer charts. Sorta like this Bitmoji.

(Some friends at work introduced me to Bitmojis, which may or may not have contributed to that 6-month span.)

Sports Cards and Marketing

Growing up, baseball card collecting was a huge hobby of mine. I spent hours reading the stats on the back of cards and looking over every last detail of the photos on the front of the cards. It's hard to imagine getting so much enjoyment out of pieces of cardboard. The internet was not a thing yet so all that I learned about the hobby came from interacting with my friends. I was recently served the following ad while killing time on YouTube.



Sports cards have changed and so have the marketing efforts of card companies.

Instagram Frustration

I want to keep my Instagram profile public so I can continue embedding posts from my account. Unfortunately, some very questionable accounts have declared open season on my profile. Anyone can follow my public profile without requesting permission and boy do I attract some weirdos. I'm certain these are not actual people - they're obviously phony profiles. Each one has zero posts and zero followers but are following several hundred accounts.

I'm blocking most of these followers but if you know of a way I can fend off these weirdos while keeping my profile public, please leave me a tip in the comments!

NIKE Golf

So NIKE just announced that they will no longer manufacture golf clubs, balls or bags. They will continue to make golf shoes and apparel.

I think a lot of people share my stance on NIKE's equipment. I don't think the lack of equipment will hinder the success of their shoes and apparel. I've been a fan of both and have never owned a NIKE club.

Yep. Played on the Farm Links greens today!

A photo posted by Nick Baggett (@nick_baggett) on Aug 12, 2014 at 3:23pm PDT

Jim Varney

I was flipping TV channels the other day and came across the description for the 1993 Beverly Hillbillies movie, in which Jim Varney played the lead role. I never realized that he starred in any movies other than his "Earnest" films. Where a lot of people remember him for his movie roles, I remember Varney more for his 1980s television commercials. I've written before about the risks of celebrity endorsements and the safety of character endorsements. Reading up on Varney, I learned that he was a central part in a unique marketing strategy that enabled him to gain acting work across the country because he was not (yet) a nationally-recognized figure. This interview touches on that concept:



This approach allowed the commercial directors to use the same story frame for multiple ads and products.

For example, here's a local ad for Doubles Pizza.



And here's the same type of ad for Mello Yello.



Wonder why Vern was always on his roof?? And will we see a return to this kind of simple character endorsements?

OK, told you this post was going to be chopped full of randomness. I hope to return to consistent posting now!

Writing to Win the Wrong Battle

Golf needs help with a problem that’s not unlike a challenge faced by college football. Despite a popularity that sends television ratings soaring, these sports are in need of more real-world participants. Golf is hurting for more recreational players and Universities that field college football teams need more paying fans in the stands. There are a lot of things going right for golf these days – the Big 4 of Spieth, Day, Fowler, and McIlroy for one example – but a major retailer of golf clubs sees things in a different light. Plus, golf is not immune to today’s controversial environmental issues.

Embed from Getty Images

There are many working parts to the golf industry. As the popularity of the game of golf goes, so goes the viability of a long list of dependent industries, such as:

• Golf course design 
• Golf club, ball and other equipment manufacturing 
• Golf apparel 
• Golf course turf maintenance 
• Domestic and international golf travel brokers 
• And much more! 

Promoting the game of golf is a duty that falls on most, if not all, of these related industries. But one group that I think bears the brunt of this responsibility is golf writers. I’ve been a reader of Golf Digest since my teenage years and I’ve never found the stance taken by golf writers against the game’s “rich men only” label more intriguing than I do today. Recent editions have featured editorials that lambaste the rules of golf, which are dictated by the United States Golf Association (USGA). If you were to believe many of today’s golf writers, the rules of golf are among the leading causes of the decline in amateur golfers. Some of these diatribes are featured in magazines that highlight the latest and greatest golf clubs, which feature prices that can set a player back hundreds of dollars per club. (Don’t get me started on the ever-changing golf club scene.)

We all know that no golf magazine editor in his right mind would pin golf’s decline on their high-paying advertisers. But the attacks on the USGA don’t hold much water. In the March 2016 edition of Golf Digest, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Jerry Tarde penned a very nice piece about the joyful benefits of listening to music while playing golf. Mr. Tarde concluded by pointing out such a fun exercise is prohibited due to a USGA rule. Mr. Tarde seemingly argues that most amateurs love bringing their wireless speakers to the course but this rule may prevent them from coming at all, adding to golf’s downward trend.

I don’t like music on the course but I know that day will come when music is not only allowed on the course, carts will include complementary Bluetooth speakers. However, I don’t feel that day will be here anytime soon because there are too many purists like me still out there. I’m curious to learn if Mr. Tarde’s editorial – which I bet was read by a lot of guys equal to and older that my age – generated a tidal wave of negative responses. It had to.

I don’t disagree that golf’s rules are difficult and may have some impact on a person’s decision to pick up the game. But I think that’s a rare instance. Picking on the USGA seems…wrong. But, thinking again how golf writers and so many other dependent industries rely on the game of golf, picking on the USGA seems right. Mr. Tarde and the other writers that place blame on the USGA are writing to essentially save their jobs by bucking the notion that the game of golf is governed by a crotchety group of old, white men. I’d be willing to bet that Mr. Tarde cringes at the sight of a flat-billed trucker hat on today’s PGA Tour stars but if it means gaining another avenue to spread the game, he’ll embrace those stupid hats, music on the course and these ridiculous golf boards.


Golf is the greatest game and one taste turns first-timers into addicts. These cultural injections – Rickie Fowler is winning in high tops, for crying out loud – serve as new ways to embed deeper into a barely-tapped population.

Making this realization about Mr. Tarde was a lesson re-learned that written communication is one of the most powerful tools on the planet. In this day and age, people want to educate themselves before making a decision. Written content made available online is so influencing and so important – no matter if you’re trying to boost sales of your company’s widget or trying to spur interest in a sport so that your job writing about that sport remains needed.

How Would Modern Marketers Have Their Way with Telegrams?

The 2015 Masters Tournament marked the 40th anniversary of Jack Nicklaus' win at the 1975 tournament. While recently watching highlights of the 1975 final round showcasing the stellar play of Nicklaus, Johnny Miller and Tom Weiskopf, I noticed a pair of glaring omissions. None of the golfers were wearing hats and there were no corporate logos on their shirts.

This observation was a good reminder that the propensity for marketers to exhaust all opportunities for logo placement has rapidly grown over the years.

From promoted tweets to text ads bordering your Gmail inbox, modern communications are cloaked in marketing messages. Taking the above realization further, I wondered how modern marketers would have their way with forms of communicating that are no longer around - like telegrams.

Before we start exploring, we all would probably benefit from a quick review of what a telegram actually is...or was.

Let's say you live in Atlanta and you want to send birthday wishes to your friend in Memphis. You would simply visit your local telegraph operator and have your message transmitted to an operator in Memphis who would print your message for your friend. Telegrams were at their height in popularity before the increased use of telephones. Western Union was the most recognizable commercial telegraph operator. In fact, perform a Google image search of a 'telegram' today and countless photos of telegrams printed on Western Union telegram templates will be provided.

The following clip from NPR first aired back in 2006 when Western Union made the decision to stop its telegram service.


In an ironic twist for the modern age, "Telegram" is the name of a very popular messaging app that touts its speedy and secure delivery of mobile messages.

So how would modern marketers have their way with telegrams? I think we would see more of the same methods in play.

ADS ON THE BACK
Since the front of telegrams usually featured a uniformed look, I would expect to see modern marketers take advantage of the space on the back of telegrams. I've noticed this practice at Winn Dixie grocery stores where advertisements and coupons for other businesses are printed on their rolls of receipt paper.

HASHTAGS
Hashtags prompt targets to take action the best when they’re featured in an electronic format. But they're also seen on bumper stickers and t-shirts. Why not cover all areas and include your campaign's hashtag in a telegram?

MASS MESSAGING
It has been several years since I last received or sent a fax. However, mass messaging via fax machines is still a common technique. I know because my employer's fax machine frequently spits outs offers for health insurance and cruises - to no one in particular. The economics of sending a telegram would probably produce a poor ROI but hey, it's an idea.

In 1975, Jack Nicklaus earned $40,000 for winning the Masters. Jordan Spieth earned $1,800,000 for winning in 2015. Telegrams trended in a much different direction. Considering all the ways we communicate (and advertise) in today's world, is that a good thing? Please let me know by sending me a telegram tweeting me @nick_baggett.

Thanks for reading!

Is Gender Marketing Needed in Golf?

I like marketing. I like to play golf. When these two interests collide, I take notice. These days, the golf industry’s leading companies have embraced social media, video and the web to promote themselves as more than just makers of equipment. I have previously written about the use of drones in golf marketing as well as the somewhat annoying practice of frequently introducing new equipment. This post is about my favorite golf club manufacturer’s recent announcement regarding their line of women’s clubs.

When PING recently unveiled the new logo for their women's apparel and equipment, my initial observation was the deviation from the company's iconic brand. The PING logo has featured only minute changes since the 70's. The new look has grown on me and I now think this design for the company's Rhapsody line is very fitting. I've also realized that the standard PING logo has never seemed feminine to me.


Gender equality is a long-standing issue and has roots in many facets of life, including sports. It's clear that PING wants to attract the attention of female golfers with the Rhapsody line. But after thinking more about PING's new brand with the concern of equality in mind, I now wonder if female golfers feel this distinction is needed. I'm sure there are some players that prefer the line's feminine colors just as there are some players feel the separation is an admission to being unequal. My first look at the new Rhapsody color scheme reminded me of a Tumblr blog that highlights gender-specific advertising that, in some cases, could be considered offensive.

http://unnecessarilygenderedproducts.tumblr.com/post/102285752796/because-hammers-need-to-be-gender-designated-to-be

PING's competitors all offer clubs that are constructed for female golfers but I have not noticed any of those companies taking the same steps to create an exclusive brand with which female players can identify. I think the new Rhapsody brand is a positive thing and PING has shown it can be supportive without being shameful. However, if sales of Rhapsody clubs are low, it will be interesting to see if the existence of this separation is brought into question.

Thank you for reading! I hope you’ll share your thoughts about PING's decision or equality within the golf club industry in the comment section.

{Top Photo: Courtesy}

Will More US Banks Sponsor PGA Tour Events?

Throughout my entire career working in marketing roles for financial institutions, I have fielded numerous sponsorship requests. It's a simple formula: sponsorships make events happen and great marketing opportunities are provided in return. There's a definite supply-and-demand factor that goes along with sponsorships as some events struggle to find partners while other events can have their pick of suitors.

When considering the latter in the above comparison, I often think about The Masters, the annual golf tournament steeped in tradition and formalities. Each year, the tournament is "presented with limited commercial interruption" and its list of corporate sponsorships features just three companies, none of them directly related to the sport. Not all golf tournaments are equal, however. Most tournaments on the PGA Tour’s year-round schedule have to feature the name of the title sponsor in the name of the event. Firms ranging from automobile manufacturers to insurance companies have their names featured on the tournament trophy each week. As a golf nut and someone that likes to stay informed of bank marketing trends, I recently spent some time researching golf tournament sponsorships to determine why US banks don’t sponsor more golf tournaments.

WHAT IS A SPONSORSHIP?
Before I share my finds about bank sponsorships of golf tournaments, it helps to understand how these sponsorships came to be. Monte Burke wrote an excellent article for Forbes that wraps that explanation in a short but informative package. The PGA Tour doesn’t receive as much revenue from broadcasting rights as other sports so it had to create a new avenue for income. That’s where the title sponsorships come into play.
In return for their contribution, sponsors enjoy massive brand exposure, making impressions on fans at the tournament as well as viewers at home. Anything not moving at the tournament features the sponsor’s logo. The sponsor is referenced each and every time the tournament is mentioned by reporters, players and broadcasters. These, plus numerous PR events, are just a fraction of the perks of a golf tournament sponsorship.

RECENT TRENDS
I spend many hours watching PGA Tour events on television and I can factually say that you’re more likely to see a bank or investment firm sponsor a player than a tournament. Banks aren't so quick to sponsor tournaments and I’ve noticed this trend since the economy turned south in 2008.

Northern Trust was just one many financial institutions that received federal assistance by way of the TARP program. As explained in this 2009 Huffington Post article, when Northern Trust hosted parties associated with its sponsorship of a PGA Tour event - - seemingly on the government’s dime - - it brought on a lot of negative attention from politicians and taxpayers alike.

Around the same period of time, the then Wachovia Championship was renamed the Quail Hollow Championship. Wells Fargo purchased Wachovia in 2009 and said that decision was made to distance consumers from the Wachovia brand. There’s probably some truth to that explanation but, at the time, it felt more like an attempt to avoid any conflicts of interest. Either way, the tournament was renamed again and has been the Wells Fargo Championship since 2011.

Courtesy: Streeter Lecka, Getty, WSOC

THIS SEASON'S SPONSORS
The following table details information about the 2013-2014 PGA Tour events that feature a bank as the title sponsor.

Tournament	Locations	Date	Tournament Purse
CIMB Classic	Kuala Lumpur	Oct 24th - 27th	$7,000,000
HSBC Champions (World Golf Championship Event)	Shanghai	Oct 31st - Nov 3rd	$8,500,000
RBC Heritage	Hilton Head, SC	Apr 17th - 20th	$5,800,000
Wells Fargo Championship	Charlotte, NC	May 1st - 4th	$6,900,000
RBC Canadian Open	Quebec	July 24th - 27th	$5,700,000
The Barclays (PGA Tour Playoff Event)	Paramus, NJ	Aug 21st - 24th	$8,000,000
Deutsche Bank Championship (PGA Tour Playoff Event)	Norton, MA	Aug 29th - Sept 1st	$8,000,000

Wells Fargo is the only bank on this list that is headquartered in the United States - proof that banks in the US are still wary of the public’s ire.

Title sponsors are not responsible for the entire tournament purse but these are some of the highest purses on tour. Naturally, these tournaments attract the best players. A strong field attracts high TV ratings. High TV ratings attract advertisers for broadcasters. Everyone wins.

Courtesy: Mel Evans, AP

THE FUTURE
It is encouraging to see more banks opting to fill lower-tier sponsorships on the PGA Tour. Plus, local behemoth Regions Bank has served well as the title sponsor of The Tradition, a major tournament on the PGA Champions Tour, since 2011. But the game of golf has always been labeled as a rich man’s game. That stigma doesn’t pair well with the public perception of big banks.

Though they’re not hurting for support, PGA Tour events may never benefit from the title sponsorship of a big US bank again.

{Top photo courtesy: Mark Stockwell}

Octocopter Videos

Marketers are always looking for the next head-turner. The use of octocopters - - from spelunking to package delivery and everything in between - - is way up and golf marketing is always on my radar. That's why I was pleasantly surprised to see a local golf course incorporate the use of a 'copter (or are they drones?) in its latest marketing efforts.

Despite being a challenging course, Eagle Point Golf Club in Birmingham probably isn't as highly regarded as other heavily marketed courses in the area. But Eagle Point has separated itself from the pack when it comes to innovative marketing techniques. I recently came across these videos on Eagle Point's YouTube channel:


They filmed a video for each hole on the course, which takes the act of describing the hole to another level.


If other Birmingham golf courses are using octocopters in their marketing videos, I haven't seen them. But you better believe that other courses will be getting in on this trend very soon. After all, showcasing a bird's eye view of your course's layout in a video looks so much better than any ground level photograph ever did.

Kudos to Eagle Point Golf Club for breaking new ground. I believe we'll start seeing more of this from the big golf equipment manufacturers soon. Callaway Golf, which has a super sharp marketing team, has already begun working octocopters into some of their videos.



UPDATE: Eagle Point Golf Club closed for good in 2016. Unfortunately, their forward-thinking marketing wasn't enough to fend off hungry real estate developers.

Are Too Many Choices a Bad Thing?

Golf marketing is extremely competitive and manufacturers are always in a mad rush to showcase their new product that will help in a golfer’s never-ending quest for game improvement. But is it possible that golf club manufacturers are overwhelming consumers with too many new products each year? Let me explain my concern…

Drivers are the clubs that are most associated with distance and golfers (especially less-skilled players) tend to equate long drives to lower scores. Manufacturers like TaylorMade do a great job of hitting on this notion in their marketing pieces. They feature data from test results to show how many extra yards of distance can be delivered from the latest in their line of drivers.

To their credit, TaylorMade isn’t just throwing random data out to consumers. They have invested heavily in their research and development teams over the years and their work has produced clubs that are innovative and produce big results. I strongly encourage you to visit this timeline of TaylorMade’s developments and history. It’s very entertaining and gives great details about some of TaylorMade’s more prominent developments, including the first metal driver.

For many years, golf manufactures showcased their new products at two distinct periods: in the springtime, just before the warmer weather arrives, and at Christmas. These days, I’m noticing that newly-developed clubs are being introduced at other parts of the year – and TaylorMade is leading the surge. The observation came to me when I recently viewed this ad for TaylorMade’s JetSpeed series:

The JetSpeed driver (and accompanying fairway woods and rescue clubs) was announced just weeks after TaylorMade’s SLDR driver was introduced. In total, TaylorMade has introduced and marketed 4 new drivers in 2014. Each driver has multiple variations that range from $300 to $600. That’s a lot of specifications for consumers to consider. More and more amateur golfers are taking to social media and other online venues to vent their frustration with TaylorMade’s pace. These complaints include general confusion to disappointment in the fact that the technology found in last year’s expensive purchase has already been topped.

Previous models are now advertised at half of their original costs and the market for preowned golf clubs is thriving more each year. Will TaylorMade keep up its high pace of production? As a marketer, I sure hope so. I’d like to see more cool stuff like this: