When the amateur golfer can envision his or her name on the leader board at the Masters, the golfer will be more likely to pick up the clubs and head to the local course. This is the premise the recently-formed Drive Marketing company is using to help golf courses sell more rounds.
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The company, based in Atlanta, sells a marketing service to courses based on the idea that emotion sells.
“What golfer wouldn’t want to see his name on a leader board or on a trophy hoisted above his head?” says Tom Meyers, co-founder and chief strategy officer of Drive Marketing. “We want to tap into those aspirational drivers that motivate golfers to purchase.”
Meyers, along with co-founder David Neis, have worked promoting several large, well-known brands including Life Savers, Mizuno, Maxfli and Russell Athletic. Playing to the golfer’s emotional side is something that works for all sports and is a strategy Meyers used at Russell. He uses a similar tactic with almost 50 golf course clients at his new company.
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Targeted golfers receive an oversized postcard in the mail. The image on the card includes the golfers name in a spot where Tiger’s name would usually appear – on a leader board, a Masters trophy, a caddie’s bib or another object that would be found at a professional tournament. This puts the potential customer inside the ropes, as Meyer says. It makes them visualize themselves in that situation.
“It can tap into an emotional dimension,” he says.
Drive’s service involves a turnkey process. Clients are charged per card, with everything included in that price. Drive develops a professional design, which is tailored to each recipient with his or her name. It can include the course’s logo, image and a promotional offer. The postcards are printed on oversized, high-gloss material and sent to as many prospective customers in the target area as the course specifies.
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“When prospective customers receive the piece in the mail, it’s something they see and connect with easily,” Meyers says.
The company uses a database to secure a list of avid golfers that are within a chosen radius of the course.
“We’re not wasting advertising dollars by sending them to everyone in the area,” Meyers says.
He says response rates and times; overall revenue; and profits with a targeted, personalized marketing piece can be as much as 30-plus percentage points more effective than direct mail pieces.
Once a golfer is attracted to a course, it’s up to the course’s staff to continue providing those aspirational drivers for the golfers so they’re compelled to return, Meyers says.
For more information, visit www.drive-marketing.com.
