Jason Day's new deal with Nike will "make him the highest paid golfer in the game," as it is reportedly worth more than $100M over the length of the agreement, according to Alex Miceli of GOLFWEEK. Day's signing "underscores Nike’s commitment to the game but at a different level via its apparel division." Meanwhile, travel-and-expense software company Concur is "believed to be expanding its relationship with Day by moving its logo from his chest to sponsorship of his bag" (GOLFWEEK.com, 9/13). GOLF DIGEST's Stephen Hennessey noted Day "previously played Nike equipment and wore its shirt and hat" prior to July '06. Signing golf's current No. 1 player "would mirror Nike's marketing tactics in other sports of signing the top players to endorse their apparel and footwear." But exactly when the deal can begin "poses another issue." If Day has already signed with Nike, that "would presumably void his current arrangement" with adidas and TaylorMade. That would mean it is "conceivable that Day would be wearing Nike apparel as early as next week when he contends for his first FedEx Cup title at the Tour Championship" in Atlanta (GOLFDIGEST.com, 9/13). CNBC's Dominic Chu notes there is a "sense right now for many in the industry that signing apparel deals is the more visible way to get athletes to be brand ambassadors for you" than signing equipment deals. Chu: "When you look at players, you see what's on their hats, you see what’s on their shirt and sleeves, you see the kinds of shoes they're wearing. Those are very visible marks for a brand. ... If you look at the clubs, you have got to be perhaps more keyed on the clubs and equipment to see what exactly they’re playing." He added, "With apparel and footwear, you arguably get a little bit more visibility for your brand because you're always focused on the player and not often times the exact club that they're hitting” (“Morning Drive,” Golf Channel, 9/14). ESPN's Jason Sobel tweeted on Nike's golf strategy: "Don't be surprised if Nike gets more aggressive in clothing deals" (TWITTER.com, 9/13).
STILL MOVING THE NEEDLE: Tiger Woods is among the Nike endorsers looking for a new equipment partner after the company last month announced it is exiting that business, and CNBC's Chu said Woods, despite missing the entire '15-16 PGA Tour season, is "still the preeminent brand when it comes to an actual person in the world of golf." Woods is "going to command a huge premium" from whichever club company he signs with, as he could "drive sales in a meaningful way for some companies." Chu: "Now it's about whether or not those companies are going to want to shell out that kind of money. ... Maybe Mizuno Golf is one of them. I’ve heard a lot of buzz about PXG, Parsons XtremeGolf. So a lot of companies could be poised to make some gains if they can get a winning athlete with the brand cache Tiger has in their stable” (“Golf Central,” Golf Channel, 9/13).
