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Arnold Palmer Leaves Unique Marketing Legacy With McCormack, IMG

Arnold Palmer, who died yesterday at the age of 87, "revolutionized sports marketing as it is known today" when he "joined forces" with Mark McCormack and IMG in '60, according to a front-page piece by Chris Dufresne of the L.A. TIMES. McCormack helped "promote Palmer's brand into a corporate empire, while IMG grew to become a world-renowned sports, entertainment and media management company." Under the umbrella of Arnold Palmer Enterprises, Palmer "pitched sporting equipment, cars, clothing, insurance, soft drinks, cigarettes and household and hardware products." He also created his own "chain of dry cleaner centers." Palmer on the course chain-smoked "L&M cigarettes and swigged Coca-Cola to calm his nerves -- he would later endorse both products." The tractor he rode in popular TV commercials "was his father's, and it ran on Pennzoil long before the endorsement deal was signed." He "insisted ... on promoting products he used or believed in." Palmer also "had his limits, once turning down a chance to promote what he called 'a revolutionary manure dispenser.'" (L.A. TIMES, 9/26). In Orlando, David Whitley notes Palmer became the sports world’s "first one-man conglomerate." With the guidance of McCormack, Palmer "launched a business empire that included golf equipment, course design, real-estate development and product endorsement." From Pennzoil to umbrella-logoed golf shirts to lemonade-flavored iced tea, "if Palmer sold it people bought it." That charisma is "why he was earning" an estimated $40M a year "almost a half-century after his last PGA Tour win" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 9/26). CBS’ Dana Jacobson notes Palmer was a "pioneer in marketing for athletes and paved the way for future stars.” Jacobson: "Everybody thinks it was Michael Jordan that made marketing in sports, Arnold Palmer was the one that started that” (“CBS This Morning,” 9/26).

SELLING AN IMAGE: GOLFWEEK's Adam Schupak noted McCormack sold Palmer's "personality and the values he represented rather than his status as a tournament winner" (GOLFWEEK.com, 9/25). GOLFWEEK's Martin Kaufmann noted IMG "liberally licensed Palmer's name to hundreds of companies in the U.S. and abroad during the past six decades" (GOLFWEEK.com, 9/25). GOLF.com's Michael Bamberger wrote the range of Palmer's business interests over the years is "mindboggling, with an ownership interest in dry cleaners, car dealerships, hotels, a golf-club manufacturing business, among many other ventures." He was a "prudent investor but in general much preferred to be paid as a spokesman for various products," including a "blood-clotting drug in recent years that had him appearing in TV spots with the comedian Kevin Nealon." He drove that "famous red tractor for Pennzoil for years, ran through airports with O.J. Simpson for Hertz and appeared in an Electronic Arts video golf game with Tiger Woods" (GOLF.com, 9/25). In Pittsburgh, Gerry Dulac in a front-page piece writes Palmer endorsed "countless products," and he even "has a drink named for him." Arnold Palmer Enterprises in '01 began bottling the Arnold Palmer -- a mixture of iced tea and lemonade -- and "eventually reached a deal with AriZona Beverage" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 9/26). 

CREATING A 24/7 GOLF OUTLET: In Pittsburgh, Ralph Paulk notes cable entrepreneur Joe Gibbs in '90 "began his quest to launch a 24-hour golf network." Coincidentally, that was the year Gibbs "had Palmer as a guest" in his Birmingham home for the PGA Championship. It was the "start of a friendship and partnership that set in motion the birth of Golf Channel" in '95. In less than a decade, the Golf Channel had "nearly 30 million subscribers." The channel's growth has "been remarkable" (PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 9/26). CBS' Nick Faldo said, "We know how the Golf Channel has grown for 20 years now, and what the Tour players are doing and how they perform and what a high-profile sport golf is globally. We all know it's very much largely due to Arnold” (“Golf Central,” Golf Channel, 9/25). Golf Channel has gone commercial-free since announcing Palmer's death around 9:15pm ET last night.

ARNOLD THE ARCHITECT: GOLFWEEK's Bradley Klein noted Palmer monitored progress on more than 300 golf course design projects "that came his way during the last half-century of his life." What began as one of "many ancillary businesses" initially was "little more than a vanity enterprise." However, it "quickly grew to a point" in the '90s that Arnold Palmer Design offices "arguably were the busiest in the world, with 25 employees churning out plans and overseeing work, with little hope of catching up on the backlog." His design legacy "embraces 37 U.S. states, 25 countries and five continents" (GOLFWEEK.com, 9/25). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Timothy Carroll notes Palmer was the "principal owner of the Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Fla., which hosts a yearly Tour event." He also was "part of a group of investors who bought the famed Pebble Beach course in California" in '99 (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/26). 

THE GOOD STUFF: GOLFCHANNEL.com's Randall Mell noted Palmer helped "build the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando." He "founded Arnie’s Army Battles Prostate Cancer and contributed to countless charitable endeavors." He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in '04 and the Congressional Gold Medal in '12 (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 9/25).

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