To coincide with the year’s first major tournament, the PGA of America ramped up its ‘Perfect Day’ campaign around The Masters as it seeks to reverse the decline in the number of people playing golf.
Taking a light-hearted and humorous look at the underlying truth that, despite so many perceptions to the contrary, most are not very good.
The idea behind the campaign is that regardless of just how bad a player is, any day on the golf course is a ‘perfect day’.
Led by TV work launched in early April, the creative features players with poor swings and terrible puts thoroughly enjoying themselves out on the course.
A voiceover says ‘Out here, every day is perfect, even if you’re not’, while a Dean Martin track sings ‘Open Up The Door, Let The Good Times In’.
The TV spots are further supported by online initiatives and social media work.
The integrated campaign, developed in tandem with creative agency Ammirati, is reported to have a media value of more than $6 million.
The initiative aims to invite and welcome lapsed and non-golfers to play golf.
Thus it comes with a direct call-to-action that encouraging viewers to ‘get in the game with five lessons starting at $99 at www.GetGolfReady.com.’
Get Golf Ready is a player development program, supported by the wider golf industry from the governing body, to clubs, star players and equipment manufacturers which aims to break down barriers and offer affordable lessons and playing opportunities.
In addition to running around The Masters coverage, spots are planned to air during the PGA’s events such as the Senior PGA Championship, the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup.
Interestingly, the media buy also includes non-golfer platforms consumed by consumers the PGA has identified as ‘likely to pick up the game’.
These include TV channels such as Living Social, Food Network, HGTV, web platforms like CNN.com and the Bleacher Report and publishers including Men’s Health, Women’s Health and Fast Company.
The PGA is also using its own current set of strategic media partners – including SiriusXM, PGA.com, Golf Channel, CBS, NBC, TNT and Golfweek.
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The importance of pushing this initiative around The Masters is even greater due to Tiger Woods# absence from this year’s tournament, as viewing figures show US TV audiences drop when Tiger Woods does not participate in an event – particularly amoung non-core golf fans.
More worrying still is that several recent reports show a clear decline in the numbers playing golf in the USA.
One recent set of statistics from the National Golf Foundation shows that five million fewer people are now playing golf in the US compared to 10 years ago. It also found that golf participation among 18 to 34-year-olds has dropped 30% over the last decade.
For the eighth year in a row, more golf courses closed than were opened in the United States.
This may be partly a direct response to the belt-tightening of the recession, but research suggests it is also partly due to the impression among non-golfers that you need to be good at the game to be accepted by the golfing fraternity.
With this campaign, the PGA wants to make it clear that ‘not being perfect’ is perfectly alright with them.
‘Intimidation is one of the key barriers for participation in golf,’ explains PGA CMO Kevin Ring.
‘That barrier and the myth that all golfers are ‘good’ are what we plan to break down through this campaign – with targeted messages that engage golfers and non-golfers. Ultimately, we want all players to get past the fear and to realize that no matter your skill level, golf is an activity that truly anyone can enjoy.’
‘The campaign is based on a simple consumer truth: golf is intimidating to new players,’ echoes Ammirati partner and VP Kristen Rumble.
‘We are chipping away at that intimidation by showing real players enjoying real golf moments, perfect or otherwise, while still having fun. By showing golf through this honest lens, more people will be compelled to pick up the sport.’
The marketing campaign is part of a wider PGA programme which includes setting up a new Task Force – which includes skier Bode Miller, NFL defensive back Melvin Bullitt and former US Tennis Association CEO Arien Kantarian – to ‘grow the game through non-traditional means’.
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