Macali Communications Blog

Five Media Insights And Effects on Golf Business

2010-03-18T08:00:00-05:00

When it comes to providing a comprehensive and compelling view of the news media, The Pew Center State of the Media 2010 delivers (pardon the expression).

Here are five of my favorite insights and their effects on golf, sports and media businesses:

o The future of new and old media are more tied together that some may think. Even the best news sites have limited capacity to produce content. One concept that is getting more attention is the collaborations of old media and citizens or what some call a "pro-am" (professional-amateur) model for news. Golfwrx.com?

o Online news consumers are resistant to ads and "pay walls"-- 79% of online news consumers say they have never or rarely clicked on an online ad. Only 35% of online news consumers can identify a "favorite" news website, and of this group most likely to pay for the content, only 19% said they would. Does Sporting News Daily have a good bead on this? Will the nascent Global Golf Post follow suit?

o The notion that the news media are shrinking is mistaken -- reportorial journalism is getting smaller but commentary and discussion aspects of media, which adds analysis, passion and agenda shaping, is growing -- in cable, radio, social media, blogs and elsewhere. Is this Geoff Shackelford?

o Technology is further shifting power to newsmakers, and the newest way is through their ability to control the initial accounts of events -- for now at least, digital technology is shifting more emphasis and resources to braking news. How much was this at play with Tiger Woods and his scandal coverage from TMZ.com and New York Post, etc.

o News magazine websites, as a group, rank relatively low in the hierarchy of the Web compared with other media. Time.com attracts 1/7 the number of unique monthly visits as YahooNews, the leading news site. Golf magazine sites viewers are declining recently.

Finally, what the report asks about the future of journalism in general certainly applies to golf:

1. How much lost revenue might come back as the economy improves?

2. How much journalistic potential exists in alternative news media operations?

3. What progress was made in new revenue models online?

Should be interesting to watch and definitely newsworthy.

Global Golf News Freshly Digital & Urgent

2010-03-16T07:00:00-05:00

Jim Nugent is one of the most respected and tenured media executives in the golf industry. He led the development of GolfWeek in the physical world, and with Global Golf Post (GGP), he will build another in the digital world.

Jim was successful in building Golfweek into a powerful media and marketing enterprise. He also managed the turnaround of PGA Tour Partners Magazine, generating record revenue and profitability during his tenure.

Jim counts the leaders of golf’s most respected organizations as trusted colleagues including top management of all major golf equipment manufacturers, PGA Tour, PGA of America, USGA, LPGA and AJGA.

An avid golfer, Nugent has served on the executive committee of Golf 20/20, the industry’s growth organization, since its in 2000. He has also been a member of the Board of Directors of the American Junior Golf Association since 1993.

How did you decide to launch Global Golf Post (GGP)?

I was paying attention to what was happening in the delivery of golf and sports news, particularly in newspapers and magazines. I saw more quality digital delivery that readers seemed to appreciate, and then realized that the trend was becoming irreversible. Clearly, this was an opportunity upon which golf could capitalize. Specifically, we could provide a truly digital-focused magazine with unsurpassed speed. We exclusively deliver Global Golf Post by Monday 7am Eastern time around the globe, almost a week before other conventional golf magazines. Most important, GGP concentrates on the golf’s global nature and the emerging global voice of golf. Frankly, the benefits seemed rather obvious to me.

What are the advantages of digital versus mainstream publication?

For readers, it’s two-fold. It’s the speed and the global nature I mentioned. Early Monday morning, they get a comprehensive report in a concise and compelling manner on golf competitions around the world. With competitive and conventional platforms, those readers have to wait for days for news. Golf, like the Olympics and other sports, is increasingly a global competition with a global following. The recent Accenture Match Play is a perfect example of this as the four semifinalists were international players. Golf has a global interest, platform for competition, marketing, promotion and excitement for the fans.

For the advertisers, GGP is a multi-media and dimensional platform, beyond banner ads and buttons (whose efficacy is being challenged). Our publication uniquely offers the impact of branding and product messaging provided in the print media with the measurability of the web. In GGP, you can run digital ad that looks like one with all the appealing photos, graphics, etc. We can combine that with digital features like video, flash animation, links to web sites and social media fan pages in addition to valued measurability such as clickthroughs, page views, etc.

What has been the toughest challenge to publishing?

Initially, our toughest challenge was producing this quality digital magazine in the advantageous time frame we intended and promised. During our initial production prototypes, we literally dedicated all of Sunday to meet our editorial content and production standards. We had six weeks to get out rhythm, and we all feel very comfortable with our product. Externally, we have gone from zero to 20,000 readers by the end of February. The challenge now is to scale up as soon as possible and getting readers to continue reading.

What makes you smile about GGP?

Frankly, it’s been the reaction from different quarters and from around the world. It’s been gratifying to hear positive response from outside the USA, particularly in Great Britain and Ireland. The head of the R&A has been encouraging to us. IMG offices around the glove have been equally supportive. The positive response has really come from all corners of the world.

Why has there been such positive response?

Golf journalism has been under siege with a retrenchment and elimination of different media outlets recently. Our team had a mission to draw a line in the sand and declare that golf journalism is not broken. GGP strongly believes that the delivery of quality golf reporting can be improved, and that the delivery method and speed matters. So instead of resisting or feeling threatened by the changing nature of golf journalism, we got our arms around, embraced it and are making it work. Most golf organizations associate a healthy golf journalism with a healthy sport, which it is, and that’s what I believe is the essence of this positive response.

What surprised you about the GGP launch?

How quickly people have supported us. GGP launched on January 11th and we’ve only produced six issues. We only had three issues before the PGA Merchandise Show, but golf business and organization people were sincerely congratulating and genuinely encouraging us. I didn't expect that as early as golf was coming out of hibernation then and we we’re barely we’re off the tee, so to speak. In the Spring, we're going to really show our stuff, so if you liked us in January, you're going to love GGP in May.

What are you doing to build readership?

First, we created a PR outreach to golf people “inside the ropes,” including golf organizations, media, executives, marketers and manufacturers to show them prototypes and tell them about Global Golf Post. That happened in November. In January, we added relationships with golf associations (e.g. AJGA) and encouraged them to enlist their members as readers. We then began promoting GGP on Facebook , where we got nearly 40 new subscribers every day of the week. We've done this through a special Nike “Golf Balls for A Year” promotion that we plan to run periodically to attract subscribers.

We’re getting close on signing partnerships with a major national golf retailer and an important golf media entity. We will continue to develop our potential with golf associations around the world (e.g. Golf Australia). We will create new strategies and tactics as our business evolves. We expect to be a serious media platform on a very quick time frame while delivering quality golf reporting in a fast, attractive and global manner.

Fortune 500 Companies Getting More Social; Twitter Winner

2010-03-11T07:30:00-06:00

Social media strategies at important companies keep gaining traction.

Fortune 500 companies are getting more social and Twitter is the winner, reports the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research. Highlights of this insightful study:

1. The percent of F500 firms adopting public blogs increased to 22% from 16% in 2008.

2. Most blogs belong to top 100 companies, and yet smaller companies (401-500 in rank) showed the greatest increase in adopting blogs up to 18% from 10% in 08.

3. Twitter is most popular with 35% of F500 having such accounts.

4. Top 100 companies have greatest Twitter share (27%) and 401-500 are in a close second at 19%.

5. Many of these companies are integrating social actions -- 86% link blogs with Twitter accounts.

6. 30% of F500 blogs including video blogging and 195 feature podcasts.

Earlier data from the Center showed F500 companies being outpaced by smaller, more nimble and agile firms in the Inc. 500. More than half that group used Twitter in 09.

Want some inspiration, read these strong corporate blogs for Southwest, Zappos and Quicken Loans.

An Expert's POV on Golf and What Makes Golf News

2010-03-09T07:00:00-06:00

Matt Adams is a New York Times best-selling author, who has co-authored multiple books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Matt is an expert in golf equipment technology, having spent many years on the manufacturing side of the game, building and designing clubs for major brands including Nicklaus, MacGregor, Ram, Lynx and Wilson. He is also a professional sports broadcaster for the Golf Channel (Golf Central contributor) and PGA Tour Network, speaker, golf historian and golf travel writer. Matt is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America, Golf Travel Writers of America, Press4Golf (U.K.), National Association of Sports Writers and Sportscasters Association, Club Managers Association and Ancient Order of Hibernians. Matt is a perfect person to talk about the game and its many aspects. At the recent PGA Merchandise Show, Matt agreed to share his thoughts.

How would you describe the state of the game?

In a few words, the state of the game is not good enough. Golf is challenged by many growth barriers or the appearance of them including: it’s too hard to learn; new players facing embarrassment and quitting when don’t know how to play; and new players, especially young and women, not feeling welcome. Golf also can take too much time, and for the best quality conditions and experience, a round can be too expensive. It’s disappointing that golf hasn’t attracted as many baby boomers who were expected to be a growth opportunity for the game.

How can we get more people playing golf?

I support collaborative initiatives like Play Golf America because they bring together all the interested bodies: USGA, NGF, PGA Tour, PGA of America, etc. We also will benefit from introducing the game beyond the competitive nature of the sport. Golf is about what I call “a walk in God’s garden.” The game is about the companionship, the fun, the test versus yourself in handling adversity as well as playing the game. I also think all golf organizations should support and promote affordable, nine hole rounds, even if we forfeit 18-hole revenue at times. Imagine all the additional revenue a course gets from nine-hole events like leagues where players spend at the grill, pro shop, on carts, at the range, and build a bond with their course that only grows revenue. Clubs can only gain from recognizing that its revenue comes from more than just greens fees.

Why should a person take up the game of golf?

Golf is like meditation or a prayer. It’s a great game because of all its facets. Golf offers solitude and yet it's the most social of games. You can compete with your friends and at the same time compete against yourself. It’s about ethics when you must call penalties on yourself, teaching us lessons beyond the fairway. And for people who fall in love with it, it's more than just a game, it becomes a way of life.

What's the most important gift that golf gives?

Golf brings out the best in everyone, and its cruelty is that it can bring out the worst. It demonstrates the value and importance of balance. In its purest form, it's an opportunity to commune, know yourself, relax, engage in competition and make new and deepen relationships. There is no doubt that shared golf experiences grow relationships. Those who have been on a buddy’s golf trip will assure you that their relationship changes afterwards.

What makes golf business news?

There's a dichotomy between what a product or organization believes is news and what actually is. Marketing and PR folks need to engage and know that news is foremost what somebody else wants to hear. The vast majority of news announcements, whether in releases, conferences, etc, circle around the news the sender wants you to hear, not what the recipient wants to hear. Organizations will benefit from knowing what the recipient cares to hear and hook him on what interests him. If it's a new wedge for instance, you should hook into an established fact that 50% of your strokes are from 100 yards in and here’s how this wedge will help improve this important part of your game. Any marketer needs to pay attention to what the consumer is interested in and what his needs are, instead of only focusing on the message they want to send. You can have something to say, but if no one wants to hear it, it does you no good whatever.

How do you evaluate that for something like the PGA Merchandise Show?

It's a simpler platform. I consider what the passionate and average fan will think of this introduction. When you think that way, you can develop a powerful message. So think for a minute, an average golfer wants a club or ball that's longer, straighter and more consistent. He wants to play better, putt better and get out of a bunker easier. The PR manager will benefit from looking at that hierarchy of needs. For instance, on a driver, does it offer more stability at impact or allow him to square the face easier? Other questions might include is it longer, tested and proven in some demonstration? Do you have a celebrity that can endorse its superior design and performance like Tony Jacklin, a multi-Ryder Cup player and U.S. Open and Open Champion? If someone of that credibility endorses it that will get my attention. At the same time, I have seen some outlandish demonstrations, which could be a gamble. You want to make sure they don't detract from the product’s message. Essentially, you've got to do more than just show up.

What's your perfect golf day?

It would be on a golf course with my late father in Ireland. That might be a dream day for all of us because our dads really get many of us into the game. They are the gateway that starts and nurtures that lifelong passion for golf.

Customers' 3 New News Relationships

2010-03-04T07:00:00-06:00

Your customers are accessing news in more multiple formats on multiple platforms on myriad devices, according to the Pew Report on the New News Landscape.

People's relationship to news is becoming more portable, personalized and participatory:

o Portable -- 33% of cell phone users now access news on their cell phones.

o Personalized --28% of internet users have customized their home page to include news from sources and on topics that particularly interest them.

o Participatory --37% of internet users have contributed to the creation of news, commented about it or disseminated it via posting on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter.

The report also reveals that news consumption is a socially-engaging and socially-driven activity, especially online. The public is clearly part of the news process now. Participation by consumers comes more through sharing than through contributing news themselves.

Online, the social experience is widespread:

o 75% of online news consumers say they get news forwarded through email or posts on social networking sites (Sns) and 52% say they share links to news with others via those means.

o 51% of Sns (e.g. Facebook) users who are also online news consumers say that on a typical day they get news items from people they follow. Another 23% of this group follow news organizations or individual journalists on Sns.

In golf? Well, how about golfwrx.com and the new Global Golf Post and the upcoming Golf Digest in tablet form which exemplify the emerging power of online golf news.

So, get going with your social media listening, participating and measuring strategy. You can be the source for your brand and product news.

5 Fast Ways to Find Target Blogs, Networks & Communities

2010-03-02T07:00:00-06:00

It's as simple as five steps, according to strategist Stephanie Weingart:

1. Search for questions, not terms (e.g. buying a 2010 driver, Kohler course reviews ).

2. Analyze the competition and what your audience might be doing on line with social networks.

3. Search Google Blogsearch for Chicago golf lessons.

4. Check out Alltop's current list of blogs, networks and websites that are respected and popular.

5. Do a social search on Joongel.com for Cincinnati women's golf groups.

Wasn't that easy? Thanks, Stephanie.

Selling Decision Makers On Ten Social Media Benefits

2010-02-25T07:00:00-06:00

The potential and power are there, so how do you sell social media (Sm) benefits to decision makers?

Christina Kerley offers smart, compelling and powerful arguments in these two posts Part 1 and Part 2. I value her arguments because they sound like legitimate decision maker conversations about social media, not just buzz words.

Here are my favorites:

1. ROI -- it's beyond a consumer channel, Sm is a marketplace brimming with professional activity and profit potential.

2. Influence purchasing decisions-- B2B buyers now use Sm to research and make purchases, and today's professionals are heavily influenced by shared information and connections.

3. Facilitate cost savings -- Web 2.0 technologies are the most cost-effective set of marketing media ever.

4. Generate leads -- generating leads that, in turn, create more leads is rooted in relationship-building, which is core to Sm.

5. Extend CRM -- providing touch points across various channels for customers has always been the rule. Why should Sm be the exception?

Sound familiar? So, you will benefit from reading about the other five arguments Kerley offers.