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golf tournaments have become a very popular way for charity to raise money. Probably the number one reason why most companies support a tournament is an affinity for the cause. But in addition to supporting a worthy cause, golf tournament sponsorship represents an opportunity for effective advertising. This article contains some anecdotal evidence to support this theory.

At a golf tournament a while ago, I happened to be on the same foursome and share a cart with one of that tournaments major sponsors. This fellow was a marketing manager for a car dealership. His rather enviable job description included playing in tournaments that the company sponsored, which through the summer months amounted to about two or three a week. Of course, he had some other responsibilities like making sure the cars from the dealership were displayed properly and the gift bags his company sponsored got to every golfer. So it was a long day for him, showing up well before the tournament started and leaving long after the last after dinner speech was made. But even so, he still got to golf as major part of his job. He had a hard time garnering any sympathy from our group.

As we talked throughout the day, I learned that his job of playing golf had not come about by accident. A few years earlier, he had done some extensive research and analysis of the companys advertising budgets, their media exposure and the cost effectiveness of the various types of promotion they were undertaking at the time. This analysis resulted in the very conscious and deliberate decision to drop their media advertising and focus their budget on event sponsorship.

In other words, they found that the caps and shirts they gave away at each golf tournament, the cars they had on display at hole-in-one and other contest holes, their logo on the program and on signs located around the golf tournament, and their name on the sponsor list in the paper and on the tournament website, and so on, resulted in more exposure and more people showing up at the dealership when shopping for a car, than the ads they used to run in the paper and on radio and television.

He would not divulge any numbers, but I can imagine what a major car dealership in a city of over a million would spend on advertising in a year. It would be millions of dollars. To divert this budget to sponsorships was a major decision. Given the money involved, I believe him when he talked about the homework they did before making the decision and the research they did on an ongoing basis to monitor the effectiveness of their expenditure.

He believed the strategy of sponsoring golf tournaments and other events was effective for a number of reasons. They appeared to be more a part of the community if they were associated with local causes and organizations. This elevated the perception of trust in the minds of consumers. The prizes and gifts they gave away, like caps and shirts, displayed their company logo to far more people for far longer, with that positive association, than any form of media advertising. And they could target their audience very carefully and specifically.

So when a charity calls asking your company for sponsorship of its golf tournament, think about supporting the cause, but also think about the win-win that can be accomplished by strategic placement of some of your promotion budget into golf tournament sponsorship.

Ron Strand is a part-time Instructor at the Centre for Communication Studies at Mount Royal college and the President of Strateo Consulting Inc. - a strategic marketing and communications consulting firm.

# posted by 89048 @ 6:36 PM 0 comments

One of the quickest and most effective ways to increase golf swing speed is by engaging in weight training exercises. You don't have to enrol at a gym for this if you do want to spend so much.

A simple weight, like a bowling ball or a dumbell, will do the trick. What weight training can do is make your upper, core and lower body more enduring, because, well, golf as a sport does take a lot of muscle control.

Do Lunges

1. stand up with your arms hanging straight down in front of you, while holding your chosen weight with both hands.

2. Slowly step forward then simultaneously turn your upper body toward the side where you made the step and pose the weight perpendicularly to your lowered leg.

3. The weight should be level with your chest the entire time.

4. Count 2 secs then return to your original position (standing up) with your feet together.

5. Count another 2 secs then do the same for the other side of your body. Do three sets of these with ten lunges on each side for every set.

Another way to increase your golf swing speed is to do rotational exercises. These are very simple moves that can be done even by the most senior of golfers. It helps boost muscle strength and endurance.

1. Sit with your back straight and place a club on your shoulders (behind your neck), holding each end of the club with your hands.

2. Looking straight ahead, rotate your body slowly to the right and then to the left. You will notice a slight tightening in your body at the start, but this will eventually go smoothly when your muscles start to warm up.

3. Repeat this procedure slowly for around 5 times on each side, then increase your speed thereafter. Go for ten turns for each direction and make three sets.

It is advised that you begin with the rotations first before you do the lunges, so your body won't be surprised too much and react adversely.

Remember, while golfing is not exactly considered one of the most strenuous sports around, you still need to exercise if you want your swings to get better. Golfing is not as wimpy as non-players think it is.

To learn more tips for improving your golf swing, please go to www.improve-golf-game.info/

# posted by 89048 @ 7:50 AM 0 comments