The PGA of America has unveiled its branding plan for next year’s Ryder Cup, aimed at attracting additional corporate partners and building even more fan interest around one of golf’s highest-profile events.
Sponsors of the Ryder Cup for the first time in 2016 will get rights to use the event’s marks in their efforts, with extensive on-course branding planned to allow for more sponsorship activation. Also planned for 2016 are a new advertising campaign, new broadcast efforts, and a broad merchandise and retail strategy.
The 2016 Ryder Cup is scheduled for Sept. 30 through Oct. 2 at Hazeltine National Golf Club, near Minneapolis.
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Red-and-white signage, slogan will be new in 2016.
Rendering: PGA OF AMERICA
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“[The Ryder Cup] is a property that has been held close to the vest and hasn’t allowed partners to unlock the property,” said Jeff Price, chief commercial officer of the PGA of America. Price added that the goal of the 2016 branding plan is to “maintain the integrity but make the event a bigger part of the landscape.”
The plan was revealed to Ryder Cup partners by the PGA of America last week at a year-out event at Hazeltine.
The Ryder Cup pits teams of U.S. and European men’s golfers every two years, and the location alternates from
one side of the Atlantic to the other. The PGA of America is in charge of the event when it is played in the United States. The group earlier this year hired New York-based Catalyst Branding, run by David Martin, to help with the rebranding.
At next year’s Ryder Cup, fans, players and a global television audience will see new red-and-white-based signage around the greens, with organizers looking to create more of a unified, home-team atmosphere around the event.
“We are moving to a red-and-white construct that will still represent the nature of the brand but will also bring commercial partner branding into the mix,” Price said.
The Ryder Cup counts one worldwide sponsor, Standard Life Investments, through a deal that was signed for the 2014 Ryder Cup in Scotland and runs through the 2016 event. PGA of America officials have said they would like to add more worldwide Ryder Cup deals along with up to three additional PGA of America patron-level sponsors — deals that likely would include some involvement in the U.S.-hosted Ryder Cup as well.
On the merchandise front, the PGA of America is drawing on Ralph Lauren, official outfitter for the U.S. team, to help drive retail sales.
“We are working with Ralph Lauren to take the team uniform and bring it into retail environments like Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and other locations,” said Kevin Ring, chief revenue officer of the PGA of America. Ring said the merchandise rollout is slated for next summer.
The ad campaign that’s been developed for next year’s Ryder Cup features the phrase “We Are 13,” with the tagline promoting the idea that the Ryder Cup team is 12 players plus one nation, PGA of America executives said.
As for TV coverage, NBC plans to simulcast Golf Channel’s live opening-tee coverage on Friday, Sept. 30, across several of the network’s other channels and NBC-owned RSNs, though network officials have not said which or how many other outlets will be involved. NBC, which will show Saturday and Sunday play, and Golf Channel also will air match coverage through select national commercial breaks, something the network has never done in its golf coverage.
“We have tested it on the European Tour and found we were keeping viewers longer, so in some breaks you will hear audio of the commercials and continue to see the action,” said Regina O’Brien, senior vice president of marketing and brand strategy for Golf Channel. “We are calling it Playing Through.”
RyderCup.com will be relaunched early next year, incorporating the 2016 event’s rebranding while also allowing for more mobile use and featuring increased live video content. But one previously anticipated effort will not occur. PGA of America executives previously said a fan festival would be added for 2016, potentially in downtown Minneapolis. Those plans have been pulled back, with PGA of America officials citing a desire for the event to have a national, rather than regional, focus.
