Overnight Sensation? FedEx Cup Makes Its Debut On PGA Tour
By Rick Ellington, Staff
Writer
FedEx’ title sponsorship of the PGA Tour’s new championship format
marks the largest investment the company has made in the PGA Tour. The company
had been the title sponsor of the annual tour stop in Memphis since ’86
and became an official marketing partner of the circuit in ’00. Also, FedEx
maintains the title sponsorship of the Champions Tour event in Austin. However,
this new venture with the PGA Tour raises the relationship to a different level.
FedEx Dir of Sports Marketing Kevin Demsky said, “The FedEx Cup is everything
that we’ve done times ten, but we think it was a very natural progression
for us to take on.”
SUPPORTING EFFORT: To that end, FedEx is taking steps to make
sure it maximizes its investment. “The most visible thing people will see
is the advertising muscle we intend to put behind the FedEx Cup,” Demsky
said. “We look at this FedEx Cup sponsorship as being a major plank in our
entire sports marketing portfolio. We intend to leverage it and make the investment
necessary to have it pay off.” The company is planning an integrated ad
program across several media platforms, including 30-second spots that debuted
during Fox’ coverage of the FedEx Orange Bowl and will air during PGA Tour
coverage on CBS, NBC and Golf Channel. There also will be ads in print and online
publications, as well as a large branding presence on-site at the 40 events comprising
the series and the playoff. In addition, FedEx is planning a direct mail campaign
featuring the FedEx Cup logo to reach its core customer base.
OPENING NEW AVENUES: As part of its wide-ranging marketing blitz,
FedEx is attempting to take the clubhouse into the board room. The company is
running ads for the FedEx Cup in non-golf-centric magazines like Business Week,
Forbes and Fortune, and Demsky indicated that it is a conscious effort to attract
a new awareness for the playoff system. Demsky: “This is a very unique opportunity
for us — to take this sponsorship and the sport and communicate our business
message, using the golf theme, in those channels where the PGA Tour traditionally
hasn’t been.”
MAKING THE PUBLIC AWARE: Convincing the public to pay attention
to a playoff system may prove to be a difficult task. Pro golf has long been centered
around the four major tournaments, and outside of weekends when Tiger Woods is
in contention or special events like the Ryder Cup, the sport has traditionally
had trouble getting the casual fan to tune in. Demsky said, “You’re
going to see a lot of effort from FedEx and the PGA Tour to remind the fans, ‘Hey,
this year’s different. There’s a playoff structure in place.’”
With most fans unaware of how the new scoring system works, Pickett Advertising
Exec Creative Dir Bob Dorfman said, “I'd suggest a weekly Monday ad in USA
Today displaying the Cup schedule, rules and current standings, along with commercials
starring Tiger, Phil, Sergio, John Daly and other top players promising their
full and enthusiastic participation in the Cup playoff.”
PLAYOFFS PART OF SPORTING FABRIC: While noting the majors are
“always going to be an important part of golf,” Demsky said the creation
of the Chase for the Nextel Cup in NASCAR has paved the way for a similar configuration
on the Tour. Demsky: “The American fan understands the concept of a playoff
across all sports. This concept of win-or-go-home is something that, because the
fan is already familiar with it, we think is going to translate quite easily into
golf.” ESPN.com golf writer Bob Harig said at the start of the season, the
interest in the points race may be muted, but he expects it to pick up at the
end of the year. Harig: “Here at the beginning, it’s going to be hard
to get into it because it is new. But if a guy like Tiger had a so-so year, people
could start speculating what he had to do to catch up and win the Cup.”
|
Related Stories By Company
|
Related Stories By Sport
|
Buick To Limit PGA Tour Courtesy Cars
November 18, 2008 :
SportsBusiness Daily
PGA Tour Releases '09 Schedule
November 12, 2008 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Super Bowl Ad Buying Hit By Economy
November 11, 2008 :
SportsBusiness Daily
PGA Tour To Adjust System For FedEx Cup
November 10, 2008 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Golfers Feel PGA Tour Will Withstand Economy
November 7, 2008 :
SportsBusiness Daily
|
LPGA's '09 Schedule Boasts Smaller Purse
November 20, 2008 :
SportsBusiness Daily
LPGA's '09 Schedule Hit Hard By Economy
November 19, 2008 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Buick To Limit PGA Tour Courtesy Cars
November 18, 2008 :
SportsBusiness Daily
ESPN, The R&A Ink British Open Deal
November 14, 2008 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Callaway To Launch New Ad Campaign
November 14, 2008 :
SportsBusiness Daily
|
|
