Brand Color Recognition Takes Golf Sponsorship Benefits to the Next Level
The prestige and visibility of PGA events have long-attracted prominent sponsors whose branding in turn shapes the face of PGA tournaments. Increasingly, however, corporate stakeholders demand the greatest bang for their buck when considering investment in sponsorship, prompting tournament directors to think outside of the box and enhance offerings beyond traditional benefits packages.
The latest trend for optimizing value of golf event sponsorship is branding color recognition, which is essentially decorating or “coloring-out” events to match the branding colors of sponsor companies. In order to create this comprehensive branding message, tournament ops directors are rethinking the traditional green windscreen which creates tournament boundaries and entertainment spaces and opting instead for printed-on mesh customized to sponsors’ colors.
The FEDEX Saint Jude’s Classic, for example, featured distinctive FEDEX-purple mesh, a memorable alternative which made FEDEX’s branding consistent and ubiquitous throughout the site. Similarly, the Crowne Plaza Invitational boasted its principal sponsor’s idiosyncratic plum color, adding significant value and visibility for the Crowne Plaza brand both on-site and on television.
The company ciFabrics, a leading manufacturer and printer of custom mesh, is pioneering the trend of using brand color recognition to enhance sponsorship value. As the provider of the custom fabrics used for the FEDEX Saint Jude’s Classic, Crowne Plaza Invitational, and other PGA-sanctioned events, it has established a niche among golf tournament directors who are seeking a strong differentiator for sponsors.
“Sponsors want more benefits, more visibility,” said John McDonald, 25-year marketing and sponsorship veteran and liaison for ciFabrics. “Utilizing customized printed mesh boosts viewership and brand recognition because it weaves sponsors’ messages –figuratively and literally—throughout the entire fabric of the event.”
Other industry experts agree. “Like any on-site signage that receives both television and on-site exposure, the value gets amplified. The ciFabrics branding asset provides an eye-catching activation element for a brand that will provide valuable unaided awareness impressions in the background of a world class golf event," said Eric Smallwood, Managing Partner at Apex Marketing Group, Inc.
Industry sponsorship experts expect more tournament directors to embrace the comprehensive marketing strategy of brand color recognition as they strive to maximize sponsorship value packages.