The cold is gone and Spring (with Summer-like temperatures) has thankfully sprung into action, along with visions of grandeur for golfers far and wide.
Yes, the golf season is finally upon us and that means a host of golf outings – a great opportunity to build brand awareness for your company, product, or cause.
MAKE YOUR OUTING MEMORABLE
When a guest arrives at the course, welcoming them with a great prize pack can set the tone for the day. Who doesn’t love to get thoughtful branded merchandise! But what happens ON the course can leave your guests raving about the event for months.
Enter experiential marketing – “a type of strategy that engages an audience with a real-life invitation to engage with — or experience — a brand and what it makes or represents. It’s participatory, hands-on, and tangible.”
And according to the Freeman Global Brand Experience Study, nine out of 10 CMO’s said they felt that brand experience delivers strong face-to-face interaction and more compelling brand engagement.
Here are 4 ways to incorporate experiential marketing into your event.
1. ONSITE EXPERIENTIAL FITTINGS
Give the gift of personalized, concierge fittings right on the course. Choose from branded items such as sunglasses, golf shoes and gloves, apparel, and even golf clubs. Provide guests with a true brand experience, personalized attention, and expert product knowledge. Plus, they’re fun to try on and easily packed away for travelers.
Midwest recently orchestrated an onsite fitting for hundreds of golfers at an outing in the Caribbean. The client offered golfers a choice of Maui Jim sunglasses. After all, who doesn’t need protection from the sun? We branded, packaged, and shipped the product to the resort where our on-the-ground team staffed the event and saw that each and every guest was made to feel special.
2. THEMED GOLF HOLES
Prize holes can be tons of fun and another great way to engage guests with your brand. Consider designating a theme to a few holes throughout the course. You can then incorporate a fun activity or branded promotional item.
We’ve seen holes turned into lounges complete with couches, tables, and fancy mixed drinks, to ones with an Airstream trailer serving walking tacos and giving away branded stainless steel party cups. The point is, be creative. These examples were beyond what most outings can tackle, but something creative AND simple can garner a hole-in-one.
Try, for example, the Golf Globe Game whereby you try and place a golf ball on a tee while floating in the water. Each winner receives a branded game to take home.
FYI, it’s also a great way to keep golfers occupied if there’s a backup on course!
3. CREATIVE GOLF ENTERTAINMENT
Some of the best perks at a golf outing don’t have anything to do with the actual game.
Whether it’s fun activities on the course, such as the ones mentioned above, inviting celebrity golfers, or a great speaker at dinner, these addon’s can make the day more enjoyable for the participants.
Consider incorporating a gift related to the attending celebrity or guest speaker. One of the cooler gifts a client did at a golf banquet – albeit pricey – was a Blackhawks’ jersey covering the back of each attendees chair. They took a significant part of the decor budget and used the jersey to dress up the room. The look was very impressive.
At a lower price-point, but just as well received, we’ve provided branded hockey pucks for an event. The client had them autographed by a professional hockey player in attendance. The branded puck ran about three dollars and the hockey pro was more than happy to sign each one. It provided a wonderful keepsake for each golfer.
4. MAXIMIZING THE GOLF OUTING GIVEAWAY
As we’ve stated over and over again, people love to get a swag bag at events. And in most cases, such as golf outings, it’s expected.
The question then becomes, what do we give them this year? Golf balls, divot repair tools, and the like are great as part of the spend, but why not consider pooling the per golfer gift budget and opt for a single, higher-perceived value gift.
There are some outstanding options here. The Pebble Beach collection of golf apparel is a wonderful example. Custom golf gloves by Titleist or FootJoy are always a welcomed and useful gift.
Upping the ante at your next event doesn’t have to be overwhelming. These four ideas are just a couple to get the wheels turning. Your Midwest Sales Reps can tap into 92 years of expertise to help you get the most out of your event.