Buy.com CFO Mitch Hill tells David Scott of the
CHARLOTTE OBSERVER that the company is "focusing on ways" to
get the most out of its title sponsorship of the Buy.com
Tour. Hill, on the sponsorship: "We're always focusing on
ways to make sure our money works for us. From a tour
perspective, how can we go in and help people in each market
see who Buy.com is, that's why we're sponsoring. We want to
help them make a connection between this great golf event
and a community event and our business. It's been a
challenge each week." Hill added that the demos for his
company and that of the developmental tour are "identical."
Hill: "Our demographic is someone who is very tech savvy,
probably in the 35-49 age group and who has a fairly high
household income." Hill, on Nike, the developmental tour's
former sponsor: "I think they took all their sponsorship
money and gave it to Tiger" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/12).
LPGA TOUR DEALS: The LPGA signed Crowne Plaza as its
Official Hotel. Crowne Plaza will also sponsor the newly
created int'l points-based annual Crowne Plaza Achievement
Award. Meanwhile, the LPGA Tour renewed deals with ten of
its national sponsors: Acushnet, Gillette, Golf magazine,
HealthSouth, Mead, Northland 100% Juice, Paul Arpin Van
Lines, Shell Oil, J.M. Smucker and WorldTek Travel. The
LPGA has a total 29 corporate sponsors (LPGA).
TD WATERHOUSE RENEWS: TD Waterhouse signed a two-year
extension of its title sponsorship agreement with the Senior
PGA Tour's annual K.C. stop (TD Waterhouse).
