SPONSOR GOLF??
YOU MUST BE KIDDING!!!!

Imagine being a CEO these days and someone comes along trying to peddle a golf sponsorship. Further, imagine what the guy peddling the golf sponsorship is running in to!

This golf peddler recognizes that cutbacks, retrenching, restructuring, etc., have to be top candidates in the solution department. However the wise CEO, in the author's opinion, asks those responsible for budget management to first revisit, RE-THINK, total activity against the corporate mission statement. Downsizing may well be one of the outcomes but at least what's left has been put through the proverbial grinder and "stood the test."

This observation is especially true in the marketing arena. For those companies not fortunate enough to be managed with the suggested process, not having the foresight to take extra time required for the excercise, will be the first to lose, the last to recover.

The "short form" for corporate solutions today is to cut back expenditures that are difficult to defend. Anything not delivering trackable revenue (ideally, immediate) is suspect. To accomplish brand switching, brand retention, media "experts" will reward those programs who can substantiate highly efficient reach and low cost CPM's. In the same light, tough-to-track expenditures, those appearing "frivolous" by some will, without question, be recommended for the chopping block. Sports sponsorships, as we are witnessing as of late, fall in the latter category.

Can it get worse? You bet. Who ends up paying for the ball-player earning $45M for a 2 year contract. Not the owners. Not the league. The answer is either the poor guy paying for the seat or the corporate advertiser. But there still will be a need to communicate to and for companies to have a more favorable association with, the sports fan. The question facing those having to RE-THINK their plan, is how to do it wiser.

The suggested wisdom to be employed also has to embrace changes in behavior amongst the various publics a company attempts to communicate with. The wisdom cannot overlook these publics that impact a mission statement be they consumers, employees, the investment community, regulators, consumer and trade media. We see a significant upwards shift in the importance of judging company's value by looking at who they associate with. Tough to track, but an increasingly critical element in today's marketing environment.

Now the pitch. If I need to communicate with sports fans, why golf? Consider the following:

1. Professional Golf has generated more charity donations than all other major professional sports combined.!

2. Professional Golf is expanding. The PGA, LPGA, The Champions, Nationwide, Futures, European, Asian Tours are gaining more global attention. Witness the increasing interest in the Ryder & President's Cups, The Fed Ex, The Schwab, plus the high rated majors!

3. Professional Golf reaches the grass roots. It has more community volunteers than any other sport; it has launched highly regarded youth programs such as "First Tee" and besides being ambassadors of good will around the globe, our professional golfers are regarded as some of the best sports role models!

4. On the subject of role models, Terry Underwood of The Sunbelt Senior Professional Golf Tour recently remarked (jokingly) when delivering this presentation:..."and our guys don't make daily headlines for being arrested or wear nose rings or tattoos!"

Why the seniors?

The Champion's growth has been phenomenal. Ask Arnie. It will get more attention. Look whose coming:

1. 2009- Lehman, Tway, Couples, Pavin plus 8 other PGA Tour past winners.

2. 2010- Azinger, Clampett, Nobilo, Calcavecchia, Perry, Baker-Finch plus 10 other past PGA Tour winners.

3. 2011- Pate, Faxon, plus 7 other past PGA Tour winners.

Why the Sunbelt Senior Professional Golf Tour?

Understandably, The PGA Tour has been and will always be the primary feed into the Champions Tour. However, for non-exempt players, there has been only one Senior Tour lasting over 13 years and staging over 350 events that has provided an opportunity for those professionals aspiring to raise their skill levels. The ultimate determination of success for these professionals is how they do when they compete. The Sunbelt Senior Professional Golf Tour provides that environment.

To maintain the professional interest and to modestly reward those who participate, increased purse sizes must be sought by charitable underwriters and/or corporate sponsors. Our sponsor programs follow.