Changing the Business of Golf
Return to Insights
This week we are launching Syngenta’s new industry insights report, Golf & Social Media: Engaging Women.
It’s part of a huge social listening study analysing 16.1 million social media posts, shares, comments and blogs over a three-year period and is designed to help golf businesses understand what is being said about golf online.
Working closely with Ipsos and their team of social intelligence researchers, the findings are compelling and show that TV, Instagram and TikTok could be the most influential channels for golf businesses to attract female customers.
We have seen what TV coverage can do for other women’s sports – and Syngenta’s research over the past decade has consistently shown that TV is a sweetspot for attracting new female customers.
In 2014, 10% of female non-golfers became interested in new sports by seeing them on TV.
The challenge is, there still isn’t enough coverage. Golf at the Olympics piqued interest in new audiences and it would be good news to see a similar spike in reach, engagement and conversion as a result of the Solheim Cup, shown on TV and amplified on social media. Let’s see.
Overall, the number of women playing golf and the proportion of female customers has increased. But there’s plenty more to be done to unlock the additional $35 billion a year new women golfers could bring to the golf industry.
As my colleague Sarah Gwynn writes in her personal reflection of Women in Golf, the industry has changed and more women working in golf is good for businesses as it brings diversity of thought, in turn inspiring more women to join the industry.
As Billie Jean King said, “You have to see it to be it.”
At LANDMARK, we’re proud that we are a gender balanced organisation.
Our two latest recruits are both young women from the UK who studied in the United States on golf scholarships, but wished to follow their passion for golf marketing.
Their contribution to our business in a short space of time is considerable, as is the work of our Business Director, who was new to golf when she joined us 12 years ago.
Seeing things differently, thinking differently, bringing new ideas and experiences is how businesses and industries evolve.
One of the projects for Syngenta I’m most proud of is our mini-documentary series Changing the Business of Golf, following professional golfer and new golf club owner Fame Tate.
If you haven’t seen it, please do. You’ll find all the episodes on Syngenta Golf.
It offers important learnings for golf businesses and the wider industry.
It’s been our privilege to work with Syngenta on its Growing Golf campaign and market studies for more than a decade.
And as I listen to our team advise our clients on the insights-based solutions that will make a difference to their long-term business sustainability, and see how female customers are factored front and centre in our strategic thinking, I know we’re headed in the right direction.
