Ready for Top 100 success?
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Top 100 rankings are a benchmark of excellence in the world of golf resorts and golf clubs. Love them, or loathe them, your customers will definitely be influenced by them. Whether you are #1 or #100, your inclusion can work as a powerful springboard for future sales and marketing initiatives.
Being a Top 100 venue offers you a clear strategic advantage. It positions you above your competitors, it tells customers they can expect a very special experience when they visit, and, quite honestly, it’s reputational gold dust!
Enhancing a venue’s position in a Top 100, or even entering a ranking for the first time, is often a target we have been set by clients. However, the delivery of such a goal requires the creation of a cohesive plan.
The things you need to know:
Your plan needs proper consideration, have realistic goals and monitoring, and it requires a sufficient amount of time to be well-executed.
Depending on the circumstances, a Top 100 listing can actually be a long-term goal for some businesses, as significant capital investments such as golf course renovations or even the development of non-golf leisure facilities, may be required for you to be a serious contender.
Remember, rankings are not all about the golf course! You will be marked down if other elements of your operation are not up to scratch.
A successful Top 100 campaign requires clarity, honesty, focus and relationship building.
To achieve long-lasting success, leave nothing to chance.
Landmark’s team of experts possess years’ of experience in managing Top 100 campaigns for golf clubs and resorts across the EMEA region.
Importantly, prior to contacting media, it is essential to define your brand positioning and key messaging – and then create relevant content that tells your story. This might include videos, an interview with your course architect, blogs and press releases.
This will help you engage the experts effectively. We then follow this simple framework:
| PLANNING | |
| Identify the experts: | Engage with the decision-makers |
| Understand the process: | Be clear on how judging is undertaken |
| Establish the criteria: | Recognise what you are being rated on |
| Discuss visits: | Proactively plan to host ratings experts at your venue |
| HOSTING | |
| Targeted itineraries: | Created with the judging criteria in mind |
| Interviews: | Raters must meet your key spokesperson/senior executive(s) |
| Relationship-building: | Continue the dialogue with the rater(s) following the visit |
| ACTIVATION | |
| Communications Plan: | When success comes, use it to proactively drive awareness, visitor bookings, golf membership sales and real estate enquiries, if applicable. |
We have guided three of our current clients, Gleneagles (currently ranked the #1 Golf Resort in the UK & Ireland by Golf World), PGA Catalunya Golf and Wellness in Spain (the #1 Golf Resort in Spain, Golf World) and Le Touquet Golf Resort (#1 links course, France & top 20 Golf Resort in Continental Europe, Golf World) to rankings success.
All identified the importance of rankings to their brand and businesses, and have seen commercial benefits as a result.
If you would like to discuss your Top 100 strategy, please contact Landmark.
