Tee up Your Signage for New Era Golf Fans
Ideas to make every PGA Tour course an oasis of fan engagement for your sponsors.
The PGA Tour returned last week for the first time since mid-March. The Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, is the first of four events not allowing spectators.
“Golf’s return may be good for the game at a time when most major sports are still on hiatus,” predicted CNBC online sportswriter Jessica Golden. “With less competition from other sports, it could attract more viewers than it usually does.”
In fact, last month’s The Match II: Champions for Charity—a non-PGA Tour event—that drew 5.8 million viewers to become the most-watched golf event in cable TV history. The charity exhibition match was also the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter for the day.
That’s all good news for golf’s television ratings. But major advertisers are scratching their heads. If all goes as planned, the PGA will allow fans to watch the world’s top golfers in person at the Memorial Tournament (July 16-19). Yet no one is sure if the PGA mandating masks, social distancing, and temperature checks for attending spectators will keep people home or not.
No grandstands, galleries, and fewer (if any) cheering fans lining the fairways changes the advertising landscape. Marketers use to relying on more than broadcast commercials and internet impressions to reach spectators now have to be a little smarter and a little more innovative. Here’s a look at some creative solutions—signage designed to engage fans where ever they watch and no matter what social distancing throws at this year’s PGA season.
FOAM3D™ FOCAL POINTS
Golf promoters and PGA sponsors were some of the first to realize the power of foam sculptures and selfie-signs for capturing the attention of television cameras and in-person fans. A floating sculpture on a water hazard or larger-than-life logo in a fan zone (see below) delivers an exciting visual that’s hard to ignore.
With advanced foam-sculpting technology, you can turn hashtags and logos—any idea— into an attention-grabbing visual on the course, in the clubhouse, or on the TV set. Hard-shell coating delivers all-weather durability. Sculptures can be freestanding, floating, or used as selfie-signs for in-person spectators to share on social media.
FAN ZONES
For golf fans easing back into attending PGA Tour events, new social-distancing protocols make selling indoor concessions and merchandise a challenge. But there’s an open-air solution—custom shipping containers.
Custom containers are mobile and deliver clean, open-air engagement without crowding spectators. Pop-up bars, eateries, and even live stages equipped with LED screens and sound systems are possible. Use a single container or create an entire “fan village” packed with immersive experiences that encourage families to play and make memories together.
PANEL AND MEDIA WALLS
By delivering repeated exposure every time the pros tee-off, panel walls are just one form of social-distance proof advertising that works whenever fans and cameras are present. Outside the clubhouse entrance, branded panel walls welcome players and spectators with can’t miss messaging. Around tee-boxes, they put your advertisers in the heart of the action while keeping fans at a proper distance.
Media walls deliver TV backdrops for pre- and post-game interviews that put sponsor logos front and center. For versatile branding and messaging that works like magic at public-facing events—press conferences or anywhere else you want to deliver a red-carpet vibe—media walls beckon fans eager to snap images and share on social media.
In 35 years, Britten has produced innovative signage and promotion solutions for partners in the PGA, NFL, MLB, NCAA, NBA, NHL, and NASCAR. To learn more about how they can help bring attention to your tour event, call 855-763-8205 or email info@britteninc.com.
