pga sports academy (6)

The PGA Sports Academy 1

The PGA Sports Academy

Christopher Bray, Carleen Craffey, Jeana Esernio, Erika Hayes, and Kayla Stravin

BUS 440 Topics in Marketing: Sports Marketing

Professor McGinnis

April 30, 2015


Table of Contents

I. Executive Summary Page 3

II. Background Information. Page 4

III. Environmental Analysis

A. Political-Legal Page 5

B. Competitive Page 7

C. Technological Page 11

D. Economic Page 14

E. Socio-demographic Page 17

IV. Summary SWOT Analysis: Page 19

V. Goals and Objectives Page 24

VI. Segmentation Strategies: Page 24

VII. Target Market: Page 26

VIII. Positioning Page 28

IX. Marketing Mix

A. Branding Strategies Page 31

B. Product Strategies. Page 35

C. Place Strategies Page 36

D. IMC Strategies Page 37

E. Price Strategies Page 43

X. Measurement Page 44

XI. Conclusion Page 44

XII. Appendix Page 46

XIII. References Page 49


Executive Summary

“PGA Sports Academy gives our participants the DRIVE to play golf, to get that CHIP off their

shoulder, and PUT(T) them on a COURSE towards greatness”. Our sports academy is one of the leading sports camps for youth that focuses on the game of golf as well as fitness and nutrition

and living an overall healthy lifestyle. We are focused on growing the game of golf and the logistics of the sport to get the younger generation involved and interested in such a traditional sport. Our focus is “to develop core golfers and provide them with pathways to continue to play

golf socially or competitively based on each individual’s desire” (PGA of America).

Objectives:

1. To educate our participants about the importance of fitness, nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle. 2. To promote the game of golf using other sports and activities as FUN. “We must make sure

new golfers are engaged and have a fun, interactive experience” (PGA of America). 3. To maintain at least 70% of customer satisfaction and the return of participants

4. To examine our competitors within our market including Nike Golf Camp, and sports teams camps including the Boston Celtics, Boston Bruins, and the Boston Cannons 5. To analyze our program by using the SWOT analysis strategy

6. Increase brand awareness by at least 30% over the course of the next year

Our program will focus highly on customer satisfaction as well as the quality of our program with the technical of fitness and living an active lifestyle. In the beginning of the development

our marking plan for our program, we will solely focus on brand awareness and getting our service to the consumers by mostly attracting the parents. Through researching, analyzing and discussion we feel as the PGA Sports Academy that is suitable for the current market of youth

sports camps. Through a situational analysis we will be utilizing environmental factors, marketing mix as well as a SWOT analysis. Our program will be attracted to those who are

interested and willing to learn the game of golf and we want our program to be personalized to each participant that comes through our program. As a premier academy, customer satisfaction and fun for the participant are major goals that we want to continue to increase and we are

assured that our program will be a successful contender in the youth sports camp industry.

As a group we have put countless amount of hours into marketing and improving the PGA Sports Academy including, researching, analyzing, discussion, and decision-making in order to have a

strong and competitive sports camp. We recommend you to take the time and read our paper thoroughly and take into consideration the time, dedication and effort that we have put into this service as a group and willingly consider our program and the process involved. As a whole we

are fully behind the PGA Sports Academy and we appreciate and thank you for engaging in the marketing process of the PGA Sports Academy. Enjoy!


I Background Information

A.) Introduction

a.) “PGA Sports Academy gives our participants the DRIVE to play golf, to get that

CHIP off their shoulder, and PUT(T) them on a COURSE towards greatness”. This is the

mission that we strive for. PGA Sports Academy is one of the leading youth sports camps

when it comes to wellness and health as well the game of golf. The PGA Sports Academy

introduces their participants to more than just golf. After countless hours of research and

analyzing, there are categories in which the PGA Sports Academy can improve as a

brand and one of the leading youth sports camps in America

b.) Looking at our major issues, weaknesses and threats we have seen that the

competition is our biggest pain. Lacrosse, hockey, video games, and other fast paced

sports are much more intriguing to children. We have analyzed solutions that we think

will be beneficial for our program. The PGA Sports Academy is ready to promote golf,

fitness, nutrition and fun for all involved. We want our participants of the academy to

want to come back to the camp every year to improve, learn and gain so much from our

curriculum. The PGA Sports Academy, “putting the FUN in FUNdamentals”.

B. Flow of the Paper: Kayla developed the graphics utilized by the PGA Sports

Academy. She also researched and wrote about the current positioning as well as the

branding strategies incorporated in the marketing mix. Kayla also worked on the

competitive aspect of the environmental analysis and also the SWOT interactions as well

as the conclusion for this paper. Carly creatively designed our programs mascot which we

feel as though will be very beneficial in creating that brand equity and brand awareness.


She also worked on the strengths aspect of the SWOT analysis, economic factors

regarding the environmental analysis, financial and communicative objectives and the

pricing strategies involved with the marketing mix. Jeana handled the socio-demographic

aspect of the environmental analysis, the weaknesses of the SWOT analysis, integrated

marketing strategies, and the measurement of our program as a whole. Chris analyzed

and researched the opportunities of the SWOT analysis, technology aspect of the

environmental analysis, and the place strategies categorized in the marketing mix. Erika

examined and synthesized the threats in the SWOT analysis, the political- legal aspect of

the environmental analysis, the target market and the product strategies. She also wrote

the introduction and the executive summary. Collaboratively as a group we met and

discussed the numerous components that define our program and service as well as make

up this project.

II Environmental Analysis

A.) Political-Legal

When offering and developing a service, the process seems so complex. The PGA Sports

Academy has to take in consideration all the federal requirements that our program has to

withhold before selling our services to prospective families. The PGA Sports Academy

promotes fitness, nutrition, sportsmanship, while incorporating the game of golf to children all

the way up to high school students. The goal of PGA Sports Academy is to have a fun

environment that the children will be able to enjoy. In order to have a successful academy there

are some legal aspects that we need to take care of in order to protect PGA Sports Academy as a

whole including employees as well as participants. Although there are some laws that we are

going to affect our service as a sports camp, we will adjust to them in a professional manner.


Once we are able to get the Academy legally prepared we will be able to adjust in a timely

fashion and the PGA Sports Academy will be a great success.

Although there are several regulations and laws that affect our company, many of them

fall under the Federal Trade Commission Act. The Federal Trade Commission Act, “prevents

unfair competition methods and unfair or deceptive acts that may affect business.” (Business

Law Website) Within the federal trade commission act is an advertising and marketing

regulation. This includes internet advertising which has major effect on our company, due to the

fact that our company will be marketing the PGA Sports Academy through the channels of social

media, websites, etc. Throughout our campaign of promoting the PGA Sports Academy we will

be using various techniques including experiential marketing, IMC, and more where we have to

take into consideration our mission and present it in a transparent and truthful manner.

As a whole, our program has to follow the FTC guidelines on Internet Advertising. According to

the FTC, “its own consumer protection rules and guides apply to advertising and sales made via

the internet.” (Advertising Law Website) In other words all of the guidelines regarding

advertising and marketing for a company outside of the internet, it takes on the same ideas and

rules for advertising and marketing. Also another policy that we have to be aware of is the FTC

policy statement on Advertising Substantiation. This specific policy states that we must have a

reasonable basis for advertising claims before they are spread among consumers. By following

these policies and guidelines, PGA Sports Academy will surely be a company that will be

competitive against other competitors.

Due to the idea that our prestigious Sports Academy involves sporting activities, there is

some risk that we have to be aware of as well as letting the participants aware of. If we let the

participants aware of the risks then we will be protected under law if anything were to happen to


a staff member, coach, or participant. Our actions will include a negligence contract that

participants will have to fill out a liability form. In order to protect the academy and our

participants, we are going to have to have accident and liability coverage. Most of the activities

that the participants will be taking place in are very low risk, but it would include both accident

and liability coverage. All participants and staff members would be covered under this insurance

policy. According to the Allen Financial Insurance Group, “This program provides protection for

your camp, coaches and staff members against claims of bodily injury liability, property damage

liability and the litigation costs to defend against such claims” (AFIG).

We would need to put this policy in place when we would do our marketing event titled

“Keeping the Ball Rolling.” This event would have participants in groups of four go inside a

human hamster ball and try to get themselves into the oversized hole. The winner would win a

green t-shirt modeled after the Masters Golf Tournament. Again one would think this a liability

issue, but by having participants sign a waiver and make them aware of the risks and PGA Sports

Academy protected under the insurance policy, the event is sure to be a success for the academy.

B.) Competitive

a.) The PGA Sports Academy faces both brand competitors and category competitors

that are taking prospective children away from their activities. Brand competitors are

alternative camps and activities directly related to golf. These would be golf clinics for

children such as the Nike Golf Camp, camps sponsored by local golf courses, and Parks

and Recreation golf camps. Each golf camp has their own unique selling proposition that

they use to draw children in whether it is a low priced camp or more of an upscale camp

offering an overnight camp with more promotional offers such as golf balls upon

registration.


Category competitors are other activities that are fighting to fill the leisure time of

the target market. With a focus on children, there are major category competitors

involved with other sports as well as video games. According to the National Center for

Biotechnology Information, the top activity that elementary school children engage in

during their leisure time is video games (Harrell, 1997, p. 247). Video games and

electronics are a huge part of children’s lives today due to the new and advanced

technologies invented each and every day. Martha Irvine reported that ABC conducted a

survey with children and found that 97% of the young respondents reported that they play

video games (Irvine, 2010, p. 1). Video games are intriguing to children today because it

meets the instant gratification needs of their age group. The CDC reported “16.9% of

children were considered obese in 2009-10 which has almost tripled since 1980” (Ogden,

2012, p. 2). Children are much less active due to video games and different types of

technology such as Apple products that do not have the health benefits that sports have.

Fast paced sports such as basketball, hockey, lacrosse, and football also act as

category competitors for the PGA Sports Academy. ESPN noted that there are 21.5

million children in the United States playing team sports between the ages of six and

seventeen (Kelly, 2013, p. 1). Parents register their children for teams in order to improve

their skills in the sport but most importantly so that they learn social skills.

Communication is a skill acquired from teamwork which is important for developing

children. This is a strength of these types of sports that many people believe that golf is

lacking. Children also love the action and fast paced playing environment in these sports.

In an area like Boston with a sports dynasty there are professional teams playing

these same sports which creates role models for children to look up to. Parents bringing


their children to sporting events such as the Boston Bruins or New England Patriots are

another alternative way of filling their leisure time. This is more experiential for them

since they are simply watching the games occur from the stands. The access to so many

teams locally is a benefit that golf does not have. Since golf tournaments are constantly

traveling, there are not as many opportunities for children to witness these events and

create role models. There is a PGA stop right within the Boston area with the Deutsche

Bank Championship but this may not be as effective as having 80 Red Sox home games

to choose from or many Bruins home bruins games that children could attend more

often. Many children do not have the intention span to watch golf on televis ion because

they think it is boring so this is a problem for the sport.

b.) A brand competitor such as Nike is a huge threat to the PGA Sports Academy.

The brand’s market share for 2014 is 46% of all sport footwear and 31% of all sports

apparel (Cheng, 2014, p. 2). Nike is a global powerhouse with a great deal of brand

recognition. Many well-known athletes are positioned with the brand so this is a

positioning strategy that helps them attract children to their golf camps. In a study of

children ages three to six years old, 57% of the children recognized the Nike brand

simply from the logo (Valkenburg, 2004, p. 92). The Nike Golf School is for children

somewhat older than those involved in the PGA Sports Academy. This camp is for boys

and girls ages 7 to 16. There are many promotional features involved with registration

including a Nike hat, one dozen Nike golf balls, a tag for your golf bag, and other rules

workbook. This camp is extremely expensive compared to other camps. Nike charges

$735 for 9 hours a day for one week. (USCC, 2015)


The local golf courses and Parks and Recreation camps have a lower priced

advantage to their camps. For example, Presidents Golf Course offers weekly clinics for

children ages 5-16. They separate the camps by age so that professionals can focus on the

different needs of different maturity levels. This camp is advertised on the website and

through flyers posted in the Pro Shop. The benefit of this is that members of the course

are likely to sign up their children since they have a connection with the course and the

staff. This is a three day camp for eighty dollars involving instruction in putting,

chipping, and full swing (Presidents Golf Instruction, 2015). The Quincy Recreation

Department puts on a one week golf clinic for experienced golfers only. This is the

cheapest of the camps at fifty five dollars and includes a t-shirt upon completion of the

camp. Requiring experience limits the children that will sign up and does not create the

inclusive environment that the golf industry is trying to promote. The benefit here is that

it is low cost and an easy commute since it is for Quincy residents only. These tend to be

fun for children since they can sign up with their friends from school and other sports.

In terms of the category competitors, all of the major sports teams sponsor sports

programs for children in the local community for the summer. These tend to be much

more expensive yet they have the capability of advertising more extensively through their

websites and at the live sporting events. There is a strong pull for these camps because

children grow up aspiring to be like the players on these well-known professional sports

teams. The cheapest of these camps is the NFL Camp which is free to children in the

local New England area. The key here is “Football for You” and it is hosted by the

Patriots Alumni and the NFL Youth Football Fund. (Patriots Football Clinics, 2015)

Next, is a lacrosse camp sponsored by the Boston Cannons. This is a four day camp for


$275 that includes a free ticket to a game as well as a lacrosse t-shirt. (Cannons Lacrosse

Academy, 2015) The NBA hosts a Boston Celtics Basketball Camp at the training facility

in Waltham. This is intriguing because it allows children to practice on the same court

that the Celtics players use. This is similar to the PGA Sports Academy because they are

focused on fun using different contests, competitions, scrimmages, and skill training.

Some promotional features are player appearances, two Celtics tickets included, and a

camp jersey. (Boston Celtics Summer Basketball Camp, 2015) The final and most

expensive category competitor is a NHL Hockey camp sponsored by the Boston Bruins.

This includes autograph sessions with players, a camp jersey, and on as well as off ice

experiences with current and former players. This is $630 for one week yet hockey as a

sport tends to be more expensive in general due to the equipment and ice fees. (Boston

Bruins Summer Camp, 2015) Many children aspire to grow up and play on this

professional team which helps draw in more campers each summer. Many parents are

also willing to sign up their children especially if they work because they need childcare

and also want their children to enjoy their summers even if they can’t physically be

present all of the time due to work. Each brand and category competitor has their own

unique selling proposition and benefits, but it is ultimately up to the children and their

parents to decide which camp would best fit their specific needs and interests.

C.) Technological

a.) Technology plays a huge role in the way we go about our business at the PGA

Sports Academy. While the game of golf is seeing technological advancements through

equipment and the way people watch the game, it is also huge in other ways that are

important in getting our product in the position that we would like it to be. The current


technology that is out there allows us to go above and beyond in our strategies to create

awareness and desire to become a part of our program.

Technology proves to be useful to us through the customer relations and marketing aspect

of our business. Our website offers parents a way to find out what we are all about and

how to see what their children are receiving when they attend our camp (PGA Academy

Website). The website is a useful tool in seeing what our mission, objectives, and goals

are when their kids sign up for our program. In addition to those details, parents can

research events based on their desired location to see if it is possible for their kids to

attend. Without computer and internet technology, it would be difficult for parents to get

the information needed to make decisions on whether they want to sign their children up

for our program, or not.

A large part of our campaign involves social media. Within the middle of the

grand rise of social media, we feel that it is a very effective way to get our word out there

and hopefully attract children as well as their parents to gain interest in the game of golf

and especially in our program. Through Facebook and Twitter, we hope to have

successful marketing and campaign strategies that people will see and hopefully share

with their friends (Appendix A and B). According to Nic Newman, “social media

marketing looks set to join search engine marketing as an essential skill-set for the

modern publisher” (Newman, 46). It is very beneficial to advertise over social media as

you’re getting the same results as one would from doing a Google search. Because social

media is such an inexpensive way to get our word across, we try to use it as much as

possible and we hope the results follow with more and more kids being signed up for the

PGA Sports Academy.


In addition to social media marketing, we think it would be effective to offer

advertisements on various websites that are frequently visited by people interested in

sports, and specifically golf. According to Jeffrey Ullman, “web advertising can be

selected according to the interests of each individual user” (Ullman, 303). This tells us

that we should provide advertisements on the sites that already have sports fans viewing

these pages. It would be a waste to advertise on websites that have a small percentage of

sports fans visiting those sites. Overall, we don’t think web advertising can hurt because

nothing bad can come from it. People will either see it and ignore it, or see it and click

on it wanting more information, with possibly signing themselves, or their children up for

our service.

Another way technology can affect our program is through golf video games. Our

website offers potential “near” golf experiences that can help consumers want to get into

the game before actually trying a real game of golf. The website says that these video

games provide a good way to keep golf on your child’s minds. By doing this, children

will still gain the understanding of the game and how the game should be played. These

video games resemble real “game-like” experiences, which will help children learn the

rules, strategy, and etiquette that would also be seen on a real life golf

course. Ultimately, technology offers children with an alternative way to enjoy the game

in the event of inclement weather or not ideal playing conditions.

Putting our marketing strategies aside, children will also have the chance to use

technology within our program in a hands-on way. The technological advancements in

golf have given a whole new look to the game. With so many wearable devices that give

information on swing strength, movements, and rotation, performance can be measured in


way it never could have been before. Having technology available only benefit us, as

well as the game of golf, find success, especially in a time when golf has been struggling

in recent times.

Technology is truly prevalent in the way we go about our business here at the

PGA Sports Academy, in addition to the game of golf. Through our customer relations,

website, social media, and marketing, technology plays a huge role that affects our

product. Without the technology we have today, it would be more difficult to get our

word out and attendance in our programs most likely would not be at the number that

they currently are at today.

D.) Economic

The different phases of the economy: recession, recovery, and prosperity have a

great effect on the PGA Sports Academy. When a recession strikes everything that is not

a necessity is typically removed from the household’s budget. This cut would include any

extra paraphernalia in the world of golf whether it being clubs, outfits, balls, etc. Other

competitive products in the industry of the PGA Sports Academy would include other

sports and camps that children may attend.

About 49 percent of camps that responded to a survey in April said they were

experiencing lower enrollment this summer than in 2008, according to the

American Camp Association. Meanwhile, 29 percent said they had higher

enrollment, and nearly 21 percent said enrollment was about the same (Alban,

2009).

This survey showed a significant decrease in enrollments during the recession. To follow,

Gary Foster, the camping specialist for the YMCA mentioned out of 265 overnight camps


and 2,000 day camps, most children a signed up for a few weeks and not the whole

summer due to the recession. (Alban, 2009) The Stock Market Crash of 2008

fundamentally altered the lives and behaviors of consumers. Once people adjusted to

living by their means it became their new normal so many consumers in the future will be

hesitant to make big purchases (Bohlen, 2009). When children demonstrate that they have

enough interest in a sport a parent is more willing to strive to make the sacrifice in order

to make their child happy and involved. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that

Domestic Personal Consumption Expenditures on leisure and hospitality has been

improving since the dip in 2009 caused by the recession. By 2022, it is expected to be at

920.4 billion as compared to 695.3 billion in 2009. (Barello, 2014, pp.1) This illustrates

that there is plenty of room for the sport to grow. It is evident to see that the consumer

behavior is lacking in response time to purchase camp programs for children.

The recovery period is the stage that follows the recession. In a recovery period

people are trying to ‘simulate the economy’ and are more willing to purchase more than

the basic necessities to keep their household going. There is more a cash-flow during a

recover which leads to more transactions and time. During a recession, many people are

working overtime just to keep their families out of poverty. The recovery demonstrates an

ability to spend more time and money on leisure activities, such as enrolling in golf and

the PGA Sports Academy. Consumers are more willing to purchase goods in the part of

the cycle. This is where differentiation strategies really become important due to the more

competitive nature of many industries. There is limited, but still enough spending money

where consumers have the ability to choose between products. There are more products


being purchased in a recovery period rather than a recession, but not as much as in

prosperity.

Finally, during a time of prosperity consumers are willing to purchase more

because they are able to make enough money to support their families while also having

surplus funding to spend elsewhere. This would include the PGA Sports Academy.

Many companies within the industry are thriving at this point in the cycle. The golf

industry as a whole would see an improvement in purchases of clubs, which would be

one of the bigger investments in golf other than a course membership. According to

Bloomberg Business, in 2017 about half of the U.S. population will be 50 or older and

will control more than seventy percent of the nation’s disposable income (Rupp, 2014, p.

1). This statistic shows how generational the sport is and how it could be used to bond

with grandchildren. Older people have the savings to retire at a younger age and therefore

have the ability to spend leisure time with their families. The courses would benefit

because these individuals would give them business. The rapidly growing middle class

would also have an interest in golf. The middle class and upper class maintain adequate

levels of income which allows them to live an active and healthy life with golf in it.

Elasticity varies among consumers and some products are more essential than

others to different consumers. The PGA Sports Academy would best be described as

demonstrating an elastic demand. This is the case because the more money consumers

have to spend the more they will spend it on things that might not be a life necessity.

With more income they are allowed to focus on the products that they desire but do not

necessarily need. There are three factors that would affect the demand: availability of

substances, amount of income available to spend on the good, and time. The more


substitutes that are available for a good, the more elastic the demand will be for the

product. For example, there are many summer camps for children so parents have the

option to choose the one that they think best suits their child. Second, there must be

resources in order to purchase the product. Third, time is a huge influencing factor. At

the Academy, children will be committed to the camp to improve their health and

wellness and awareness of skills and etiquette that revolve the game of golf (Heakal,

2003). The PGA Sports Academy is constantly evolving and improving and it will have

no choice but to business cycle to keep it appealing and an option for children to attend.

They key is to make it appealing so that parents will want their children to be a part of

this great learning environment.

E.) Socio-demographic

Although a rise in technology has been harmful for the golf industry with children

wanting to be more attached to their devices, it could also be helpful for the PGA Sports

Academy in attracting parents to enroll their children in the academy. According to The

Wall Street Journal, Combined participation in the four most-popular U.S. team sports—

basketball, soccer, baseball and football—fell among boys and girls aged 6 through 17 by

roughly 4% from 2008 to 2012 (Wallerson, 2014). While this may be due to the increase

of technology, it is also because of the high injury risk children face in these high contact

sports at such a young age. Parents are becoming more concerned for their children’s

safety in these sports, especially with the rise of concussions and head injuries that come

with serious risks. According to Safe Kids WorldWide, approximately 1.35 million

sports-related injuries were seen in the emergency department in 2012. Out of that 1.35

million, 163,670 were concussions. According to this data, every 3 minutes a child is


seen in an emergency room for a sports related concussion ("Game Changers: Stats,

Stories and What Communities Are Doing to Protect Young Athletes", 2013). Because of

the decline of team sports and parents not wanting their children to face these types of

injuries, PGA Sports Academy will be able to market themselves more to not only

children, but parents, as a fun way to get kids staying active with people around, and take

up a sport at the same time with minimal to no injuries to worry about.

In the U.S, there has been a rise of the importance of fitness and nutrition for

children. In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or

obese. Healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower

the risk of becoming obese and developing related diseases (CDC, 2014). With the

importance of living a healthy lifestyle more prevalent than ever in today’s society, the

PGA Sports Academy is the perfect way to get kids moving, keep them entertained, and

increase their interest in golf for the future, and point out all the benefits of the game.

PGA Sports Academy makes it a point to discuss nutrition and healthy eating habits in

their program. By marketing all these benefits directly to parents, it makes them more

likely to sign their children up for the program, not only to have fun, but to learn about

living a healthy lifestyle.

Another demographic factor that has become more prominent in children is the

rise of autism. According to the CDC, about 1 in every 68 children has been identified

with Autism Spectrum Disorder (CDC, 2014, p. 1). Golf and the PGA Sports Academy

can take advantage of this because it is a way children with autism can stay active and

interact with other children while learning a useful skill and sport. While the PGA Sports

Academy can provide fun and entertainment for children, it will also teach them the basic


skills of golf which will be able to last them their whole lives. Children with autism will

be able to participate in the academy, but also keep them interacted with the sport through

the sense of achievement and success they will feel while playing golf. Golf is a game

that anyone no matter their limitations can take advantage of.

III. Summary SWOT Analysis

A.) Strengths

One strength of the PGA Sports academy is that it highlights fitness and

nutritional benefits within their camp. It is important to show children how to maintain a

fun, healthy lifestyle through a well-balanced diet and exercise routine. This is done in a

positive environment without being too strict which helps children to enjoy exercising.

They are learning to embrace skills that will benefit them for their entire lives. The camp

promotes skills for children by breaking down the basics for simple understanding. The

skills not only improve their game, but also improve their overall confidence as a child.

Children can be in a vulnerable emotional state so it is crucial to build up their self-

esteem through environments such as the PGA Sports Academy. Golf is a non-contract,

which means fewer injuries. This strength is appealing to parents especially who are

concerned with the threats of concussion and other serious injuries to their children. The

PGA Sports Academy allows for a competitive environment where there are less physical

risks to children. With a rising population of children with Autism, the PGA Sports

Academy is a welcoming environment. These children can learn life skills through the

game of golf. Golf is a slow game that helps them learn how to interact with others while

preventing them from getting intimidated in large groups. Many children become over

stimulated with other competitive sports so the PGA Sports Academy is a perfect


gateway to get these children involved with the game of golf. The children have an

understanding and likely to the game because it is unlike other games. The Pricing is

right and affordable for children enrolled in the PGA Sports Academy. They include

discounts for multiple children enrolled which gives parents of larger families a financial

break. If parents believe the camp is worthwhile than they will be willing to pay for the

Sports Academy over others, especially if the father is a big golf player.

Weaknesses:

The PGA Sports Academy, like any camp, may face a few weaknesses when

trying to promote their brand and sell the academy to children and parents. One of the

biggest weaknesses the Academy may face is ideologies of how people perceive golf.

Children often think that golf is not a fun, interactive sport. Many times they perceive it

as boring. Parents who don’t have a love for the game and do not recognize the benefits

may be less inclined to sign their children. The PGA Sports Academy will have to

reposition themselves in the minds of children as a fun interactive way to learn golf.

Another weakness is Lacrosse’s increase in popularity among children, especially in the

New England area. It follows along with the fast paced environment that children usually

enjoy participating in and has created a large following. Children are more likely to be

attracted to the action and team effort in the game of lacrosse rather than golf. Another

weakness is the lack of local golf players to promote the brand and the academy. Sports

teams around the New England area have very well-known players to promote their

teams and sports in different areas. Local golfers are not as well-known and many would

not draw a big crowd into the game. The PGA Sports Academy could focus on a local


hometown player that could be the face of the NEPGA as well as the PGA Sports

Academy to draw children as well as parents in.

Opportunities:

The PGA Sports Academy is constantly looking for opportunities that allow us to

break into new markets and get more children to enroll in our golf camp. The first major

opportunity that we consider helpful to us is the recession recovery. Previously, families

might not have had the means to spend on leisure activities, including our program for

their children. With the recovering economy, parents have some extra money to spend on

non-essential activities. While parents have more secure jobs and have the ability to save

their money with the recovering economy they are more willing to sign up because they

can focus on not just the physical needs of their children but also their wants.

Another opportunity we look at to aid our program is the rise in the importance

body awareness in today’s society. With so many people becoming aware of obesity and

other health related issues, we think it is the right time to offer a program that allows

people, especially children, the opportunity to get outside and get some exercise in order

to stay fit. Our program offers various conditioning aspects in addition to the game of

golf, which could catch the attention of parents that want their kids to get the necessary

exercise to stay as healthy as possible while having fun.

Finally, one last opportunity that we think is important is the modifications to

games in today’s society, especially golf. While it is known that golf can sometimes be

slow and boring, we see a chance to change that by making changes to the game that

allow children to be more active and involved. Newer games, like Foot Golf, could catch

the attention of kids that like the idea of golf but want something more active and fun to


play at our camps. Another game we can incorporate into our program is virtual golf that

still teaches the game and how it is played, but gives it a whole different feel for children

that aren’t crazy about actually being on the golf course. This could also be helpful in

case of inclement weather, especially in New England, because it would give us an

activity to use indoors in the case that there was still snow on the ground or it was

raining. During our camp we see the chance to create an environment like the Sixteenth

Hole where parents and children can go and cheer for one another are they are golfing.

This creates a more supportive and fun environment similar to the aspects of games such

as hockey and basketball where fans love to cheer on the players.

Threats:

Youth participation in sports have seen major growth whether it is in soccer, football or

even lacrosse. Unfortunately with improvements and innovation in technology, recently it

has been decreasing youth participation and shifting the focus to video games, on their

cell phones and social media. Children are now spending a huge portion of their time on

technology instead of participating in sports and it is directly affecting the game of golf.

It is finally spring time in New England and the temperature is 32 degrees and still snow

on the ground. The weather can be a major threat to the game of golf as well as any

leisure activity outside. Golf in New England is definitely a seasonal sport and can only

be played a few months out of the year. This can be a major threat to the academy since

there are many sports that have indoor arenas that children can participate in year round.

Unfortunately there are so many other tasks that people can do than play a round of golf.

There definitely is competition for leisure time. One may ask “should I play a round of


golf in two hours”, or could I play a game of soccer in 60 minutes”. Golf is a very slow

game so it drives people to do other activities that have more of a fast pace.

B.) The most optimal SWOT interactions for the PGA Sports Academy involve an

opportunity times a threat as well as a strength times a weakness. The opportunity times a

threat strategy includes the opportunity of the rise of the importance of body awareness

and the threat of technology. We can use technology and incorporate it to help the PGA

Sports Academy promote fitness and healthy lifestyles. In an age with so many different

technologies such as Fit Bits and health apps on cell phones we can allow children to

track how many miles they walked or how many calories they burned throughout the

camp. This looks at technology as a more positive tool that is physical proof of the great

things that children are doing for their bodies while attending the PGA Sports Academy.

The key here is that they are having so much fun that they do not even realize that they

are also benefitting from exercise.

Another great option for the PGA would be to use the strength that there is a

growing interest in golf among children on the Autism spectrum and align it with the

weakness that many believe that the sport is too slow and boring. With an increase in

children with Autism, the PGA Sports Academy stands out as an option for these children

to learn social skills and feel a sense of achievement and pride in their successes. Many

of these children have difficulty communicating, desire to be alone, and need to keep

order and routine. Golf is extremely systematic and even though many view it as boring,

it is the perfect environment for these individuals. Though it would be nice for them to

get to know others during their time at the Academy, it is not necessary. The camp also

involves repetition with the swing and setup which would be appealing to a child with


this disorder. We can take a limitation of golf and show that even though it is not

desirable to some, it is the perfect option for others who might not desire a fast paced,

over stimulating environment.

IV. Set Goals and Objectives:

a. Financial goals and objectives: Financially, we would like to make PGA Sports

Academy more profitable. There is an unlimited budget provided. However, we would

like to increase revenue by 15%. We believe that there are missed opportunities

regarding this area of the PGA. We hope to increase marketing budget by 10% for the

following year. We do not have a budget as of now so we are looking to expand our

Marketing possibilities.

b. Communication goals and objectives. Our main focus involves communication goals

and objectives for our brand. We hope to increase signups for the PGA Sports Academy

by 15%. The PGA Sports Academy does not currently have a Twitter, Facebook, or

Instagram account. Our objective relative to social media is to get at least 500 followers

on each platform. We would want the PGA to take advantage of this and start

communicating with parents effectively. We want to increase brand awareness by 30%

because this will help people drive people to our programs. Most importantly, we would

like to maintain at least 70% of customer satisfaction and participants returning. We want

children to leave the program happy and counting down the days until they can come

back.

V. Segmentation Strategies:

At the PGA Sports Academy, there are various segmentation strategies that need to be

used given the product’s characteristics and potential target. It makes sense for to use


geographic, demographic, and psychographic variables when making decisions on where to

focus the marketing efforts.

Using a geographic strategy divides the market according to a specific location. In the

Academy’s case, we focus on the New England region, and only the New England region. The

northeast is the mean focus because it is a popular place for golf to be played and paid attention

to. The large number of golf courses in the area makes it easy for programs to be held, as we

only need to provide materials and equipment once the courses are in the Academy’s possession.

Another part of this segmentation is looking at the climate. Obviously, the Academy’s programs

are taken place during the summer and warm months of the year, which tend to be good weather

for golf to be played in. We would not want to choose a location where it wouldn’t be ideal to be

playing a game outside. Once last thing that is considered is the fact that the landscape is prime

for golf. The lands don’t really contain many mountains, which wouldn’t be ideal for golf.

A demographic strategy is also helpful for the PGA Sports Academy because there is a

specific target when looking at age, income, and type of family. Obviously, the Academy is

searching for families that have young children. The Sports Academy segment would be just

that: families with children ages 5-17. We also would target those families that have medium

level of income. As far as our marketing goes, we would search for advertising opportunities in

magazines, websites, and other writings that serve to those types of families.

One last strategy that the Academy can use is the psychographic strategy. We want to

segment according to lifestyle. More specifically, we want to target individuals and families that

are outdoors and sports oriented.

We don’t think that behavioral variables would be very useful to the PGA Sports

Academy because there is one product that is being offered and we don’t think that is dependent


on the attitudes or knowledge of the people looking to peruse our product. All we need is

children and parents looking for fun. We believe that there are enough strategies in use through

the way the Academy can segment through geographic, demographic, and psychographic

segmentation strategies.

VI. Target Market:

A. Located in New England region, we will be targeting the youth ranging from age 5 to 17

as well as their parents. In order to define the target market, we researched the school

enrollment numbers as it connects to our branding strategies. According to the US Census

Report in 2012, in the Northeast there are 3.7 million multi-generational households with

children ranging from one child, to more than three children (US Census Bureau).

Although our main target is the children, we also are trying to target the parents that are

willing to invest in our program and trust in our mission. Every day that number is

growing so the market could be increasing as we speak, this is great for our program. The

more our target market grows; the numbers of our participants for the PGA Sports

Academy will grow which ideally is one of our major goals. We will be focusing on

parents and children who want to be active within the game of golf and want to pursue.

Through our three different levels of skills, knowledge and age. Those include Player,

Sport and Champion. We are targeting participants who follow the criteria of those

groups and are motivated to have FUN.

B. This youth market is also known as “Generation Z”. Children in this target market are

well-educated and environmentally conscious, due to greater access to a large online

information pool, new teaching modalities and extracurricular activities” (4Imprint

2011). Our youth market lives in an environment where technology is very prevalent and


always looking for ways to innovate. Although technology can be considered a weakness

when we analyze our program, Generation Z is “comfortable with, and even dependent

on, technology having grown up in a digital world where technology was ever-present”

(4Imprint 2011). Many kids now are so focused on video games, YouTube and social

media, and there is less time focused on daily activities including sports and golf in

general. According to marketing today’s youth, “They are savvy and well-informed when

it comes to advertising—they are better than any previous generation at recognizing when

they are being marketed to. For this reason, they’re more apt to be influenced by friends

than television commercials” (4Imprint 2011). As marketers we are confident that we

will be able to target our market in the most efficient and profitable way. As a dual target

market, we need to improve on both facets of the children and the parents as well.

C. Instead of focusing solely on the youth, the target should be improved by improving the

market of parents as well as the children. As marketers we want to improve our position

for parents and create more of awareness for the youth. After analyzing the program, we

feel as though the children are not really aware of the PGA Sports Academy and we

definitely want to create more of awareness and get out there in the market. In order to

create that connection between the parents, the children and the brand, we have to keep a

few things in mind. According to atLargeinc, we need to “capture that ambitious spirit

with messaging that lets them know you believe their child is special, too. And your

product or service is the secret ingredient to unlock their true potential” (Kindelspire

2013). When marketing our program, we have to be focused on each individual and cater

to the participants in an effective way. In other words focus on the positive. Our program,

the parents and the children, that is a partnership. Through the partnership that is where


our customer satisfaction can grow as well as the return rate of participants. We want our

participants to come out of the program with the benefits of the game of golf, high

confidence and we just want them to be happy and enjoy what they just achieved at the

PGA Sports Academy. As a program, we need “show them how you’re saving them

money, making life easier, or providing the enrichment opportunity their kid needs”

(Kindelspire 2011). In order to reach our goals and objectives, reaching out to the parents

of Generation Y, we will be much more successful, enriched and credible as a program.

By making the children more aware of the opportunities within the PGA Sports Academy

and targeting the parents more efficiently, we are optimistic that our numbers will

increase as whole for the PGA Sports Academy.

VII. Positioning:

A. The PGA Sports Academy is currently positioned as a way to help children learn the

game of golf while learning nutritional and exercise skills as well as having fun in the

process. Their current target market is children ages five to seventeen throughout New

England as well as their parents. The PGA Sports Academy is appealing to the children

who are most likely growing up with the ideology that golf is boring through the fun

activities that they do throughout the camp. The parents know the importance of children

staying active and learning healthy nutritional skills starting at a young age. According to

the CDC: “In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or

obese” (CDC, 2015). The PGA Sports Academy is a great option to promote a healthy

lifestyle while making it enjoyable for the participants.

One slogan that the PGA Sports Academy likes to use when describing the

program is “No Helmet Required” (PGA of America, 2015). This makes parents feel


better knowing that their child is safe participating in the PGA Sports Academy. The

Southwest Athletic Trainer’s Association reported that: “Concussion rates more than

doubled among students age 8-19 participating in sports like basketball, soccer and

football between 1997-2007” (SWAA, 2015). This shows that contact sports put many

children directly in the same target market demographic at risk for concussions and

serious injuries. The PGA Sports Academy can take advantage of this downfall and

promote the safety factor of this program. The trained PGA Professionals are introducing

these children to more than just the foundations of golf. There is a focus on improving

self-confidence and image by allowing the participants to set personal goals for

themselves and work with them to achieve them.

B. This is appropriate for the parents being targeted because they know that their

money is going to be well spent. It is intriguing for parents that their children can have

fun while learning the game of golf. This is something that would be especially important

for any mothers or fathers who like to golf. They can visualize playing with their sons

and daughters but must rely on the professionals to teach their children the basics. The

fun and fitness aspects are added benefits for the parents who already love the game of

golf. They know that it is worthwhile for their children to learn the fundamentals as well

as the proper etiquette of the game in a positive and supporting environment. The fun and

fitness aspects can act as the main pulling factors for those parents who may not know as

much about golf. Parents want nothing more than for their children to be happy so they

will sign them up for the PGA Sports Academy so that their children can enjoy the fun

environment. There are so many benefits such as learning social skills on top of learning

the basics of golf and fitness.


While looking at the positioning towards children it may not be as clear if this is

the appropriate way to communicate the message of the PGA Sports Academy. Many

children do not care about learning life essentials such as eating healthy and learning to

exercise. They also might think golf is an old person sport and is boring because this is

how many other people think about the sport.. This is where the PGA Sports Academy is

key because they put technique in the back of the children’s mind while fun as the

primary concentration. Children today are often extremely competitive. This is in their

nature because of all of the other competitive sports that they can watch on television or

even participate in. The PGA Sports Academy must really push the fun and exciting

environment that intrigues children. The key is that we do not want them to feel as if their

parents are forcing them to participate.

C. The PGA Sports Academy takes advantage of the fact that children are always

looking to have fun. This is a key aspect of the positioning that will remain the same. We

are looking to position the PGA Sports Academy as “keeping the ball rolling”. We know

that children will feel much more affiliation to the program if they feel that they decided

to enroll as opposed to their parents. The PGA Sports Academy’s goal is to establish the

intrinsic motivation in children where they feel empowered to make the decision to

participate. Golf has been declining in popularity among the younger generations so we

are looking at motivation to get them involved with the game and stay involved in the

future. This idea is that children are creating a better future for themselves by enrolling in

this program. We want to use graduates of the Academy to show that they learned much

more than golf techniques with the help of this program. The PGA Sports Academy is

going to be positioned is something that is setting children on the path to a bright future


by teaching them health and exercise skills as well as social skills through the game of

golf.

“To 5 to 17 year old future golf stars living in New England looking to meet new friends

and have fun, the PGA Sports Academy is a sports camp that opens up your future in

order to keeping the ball rolling."

VIII. Marketing Mix (Analysis of current strategies with suggestions and modifications):

A. Branding Strategies

a.) The PGA Sports Academy’s strong point is demonstrating the fun,

inclusive environment that parents desire for their children. This program has a

positive brand image and has a unique selling proposition that sets them apart

from their competitors. There are many golf camps within the New England area

that parents could choose so it is important to specifically define why the PGA

Sports Academy is better. They have succeeded in this by demonstrating that they

create an interactive and engaging experience for children where they learn much

more than the typical golf setup, swing, and putting skills. The differentiating

factor is that this program fosters a fun and positive environment where

participants learn social skills through different games and activities, develop

active and healthy lifestyles, and learn the game of golf. This is a multifaceted

program that is working to develop the child as a whole person. All of the skills

that they learn re beneficial to their futures but it is done in a positive and exciting

environment. The PGA Sports Academy is reliable because they are encouraging

self-confidence and goal setting for children in a safe and supportive manner.


b. The PGA Sports Academy does an excellent job resonating with parents

of the children who are signing up for the program. The positioning shows that

their money will be well spent because of the many benefits of the program for

their children. Focusing on the fact that it is safe and fun for children is a great

way to resonate with parents. Parents want to know that their children are in a

setting where they are learning and developing. The PGA Sports Academy brand

does not resonate with the children in their target market as much as we think it

could. The messaging that the PGA Sports Academy is “leading health and

wellness through sports” is not something that is intriguing or exciting to kids.

They need to utilize graduates of the program so that these kids can talk to

prospective participants. Once the children are finished with the camp they have a

positive brand image, but I think the problem is that many kids do not know about

the academy.

We can utilize advertising to get spread the word about the PGA Sports

Academy and from there we hope that children will encourage their parents to

sign them up. We do not want children to feel that the PGA Sports Academy is

something that their parents are forcing them to do. Instead, we want them to feel

that it is a place where they can be who they are and continue to improve both in

golf as well as other life skills. One effective way to gain brand awareness in kids

is creating a mascot. If we have a well-recognized mascot promoting the program

children will be drawn in and hopefully want to find out more. The PGA Sports

Academy mascot would be “Tyler Tee-Rex”. The reason we are picking a

dinosaur is because the Tee is a pun with golf terms and it is also gender neutral.


We want to encourage both boys and girls to become actively involved with the

PGA Sports Academy. Small gestures such as stickers with the logo can go a long

way with children and is a great way for us to promote brand recognition.

c. The colors and logo of the PGA Sports Academy are not leveraged to the

maximum capacity. The program fails to use a consistent logo across the different

programs within New England. The PGA Sports Academy has a great deal of

information listed under the PGA website yet does not even include the logo. This

is a current downfall of the program because the logo is a way to promote brand

recognition among the target market. Some courses represent the PGA Sports

Academy programs with a blue and green logo and a golf flag as seen in

Appendix A. The font, cartoon flag, and colors are perfect for representing the

program’s youthful approach. Other courses use a realistic depiction of a hole and

golf ball that says “PGA Sports Academy Junior Golf Program” as seen in

Appendix B. The issue here is the lack of consistency. The PGA Sports Academy

should be one program that is offered at a variety of different courses within New

England. It is vital that one logo represents the entire program so that people can

associate their positive experiences with the brand. Children as well as their

parents should be able to search the PGA Sports Academy on the their website,

the internet, as well as social media sites and see the recognizable logo that

symbolizes everything the PGA Sports Academy brand stands for.

d. The PGA Sports Academy offered nationally as opposed to just in the

NEPGA was sponsored by UnitedHealthcare in 2012. The PGA of America

president Allen Wronowksi spoke about this collaboration saying: “The PGA


Sports Academy offers expert golf instruction from PGA Professionals, with a

commitment to overall health and wellness provided by UnitedHealthcare, to

families and young athletes throughout the country. It's a relationship that makes

perfect sense for both organizations." The NEPGA does not currently have any

sponsorships created with the PGA Sports Academy. This is a great opportunity

for the program, especially since they do not have the budget to create elaborate

advertising campaigns. There are many aspects of the program that lends it to

being the perfect program to partner with. The main focuses of the program are on

fun, family, fitness and wellness, as well as golf. There are many brands that

desire to be seen as perfect for the whole family. Any brand that markets to

parents as well as children in the five to seventeen range can benefit from

sponsorship of the PGA Sports Academy. These sponsorships can be mutually

beneficial because it allows association of the positive aspects of each brand to

shine on the other brand.

e. The changes mentioned above involve the use of the mascot and working

to create a consistent brand image by using the PGA Sports Academy logo in the

green and blue. Branding is extremely important because we want both children

and adults to see our logo, our mascot, or even our website and associate it with a

wonderful program. This is extremely crucial to the success and future of the

PGA Sports Academy.

The New England chapter of the PGA Sports Academy will work to

leverage our brand through sponsorships by Autism Speaks as well as Yoplait

Yogurt. We think that the PGA Sports Academy can take advantage of the fact


that more children are diagnosed with Autism in the United States each and every

day. According to the CDC, about 1 in every 68 children has been identified with

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). (CDC, 2014, p. 1) Many children on the

spectrum desire to be alone. This is the perfect opportunity for them because

although it would be nice for them to get to know others, they are not forced into

any team interaction. Children with Autism because need repetition and structure

in their everyday activities. Golf is the perfect sport because it involves repetition

with the swing, technique, and setup We want to create an all-inclusive

environment where everyone is encouraged to get involved.

B. Product Strategies

Although our PGA Sports Academy is not a tangible object, we are promoting

and selling a service that has so many rewards and benefits. We analyzed our program

through the three levels of product strategy including core, actual and augmented. Our

program can be categorized into each level through the following, core, actual and

augmented. The PGA Sports Academy is selling its service of teaching the game of golf,

teaching fitness and nutrition and making sure our participants are learning in a fun and

friendly environment.

The programs core product is the youth sports camp focusing on the game of golf.

That is what we are trying to sell and increase the numbers of youth playing/interested in

the golf, especially in our region of New England. This golf camp will not only teach the

skills needed to play golf, but it also incorporates the importance of fitness, nutrition and

living a healthy lifestyle. Our main goal for our program is to bring in these kids so they


can have a platform of golf from the beginner level and move on up throughout our

program and the NEPGA as a whole.

Our program may have a strong emphasis on the game of golf; however our

program is so much more than that. Our actual product that we are trying to market

towards parents and youth is learning the game of golf through other activities. Our

program integrates sports like soccer and other outdoor activities. Our camp is not all

about golf. According to PGA, “We must make sure new golfers are engaged and have a fun,

interactive experience. To educate and get juniors involved in golf is the goal, but keeping

it fun is the primary focus. It’s crucial that instructors enjoy the experience—juniors will sense

your love of the sport and hopefully become golfers for a lifetime” (PGA of America 2014).

Learning the skills regarding the golf can be so beneficial within itself, but there is so much more

that children can benefit from, for attending our academy. Many participants leave the PGA

Sports Academy with their confidence at a high level. This program also helps participants gain

social skills and build ever lasting friendships. Although the game of golf may be considered an

individual sport, it is so much more than that. The relationships that can be built around the game

of golf are so much more important and the things that you can accomplish and learn through the

game of golf are even better.

C. Place Strategies

a.) Currently, the PGA Sports Academy runs in one geographic region, New

England. While there is not one specific location for these programs, they are held at

various golf courses around New England. This strategy gives children the opportunity

to attend whichever one is closest to them in their area. We do not want children to not

attend just because there isn’t a program close to them so we try to make sure we have

every part of New England covered.


b.) Possible changes we can make in terms of our place strategy are to have set

locations that will be host courses for the program for each year. This would avoid

confusion and allow people to be assured that the PGA Sports Academy will be coming

to their location each year. The continuity assists us in bringing back campers to the

program year after year. We want to use the data from the past programs to see which

locations tend to be the most popular so we can decide where the most popular offerings

are and maybe offer them on more weeks throughout the summer. If some programs

have proven to be less desirable, we could consider moving those programs to

somewhere that would attract more interest in order to maximize our effectiveness. We

could also think about offering transportation for children especially if their parents work.

This way the children can get to the program even if it might not be walking distance

from their houses.

We think that this new strategy would be appropriate because it isn’t worth our

time or resources to offer a program in a location where there is no interest in the game of

golf. We must work to either build up the interest or relocate to a new course location. It

only makes sense to target a location where there is some interest in golf by the target

audience. This is why we want to take notes and make sure programs are being offered

where they will be well attended and where business will be maximized in a variety of

ways. Analysis of the program after the camp is just as important for the future success

and continuation of the PGA Sports Academy.

D. IMC Strategies

a.

i. Experiential: Another way the Sports Academy can increase participation is by

hosting a Demo Day. As discussed earlier, the event would be sponsored by Yoplait, and


be a family “ParTee”. Through the Demo Day, the hope would be kids enjoy it so much

that they would want to have their parents sign them up right then, which would

immediately increase participation and financial objectives. The idea for the Demo Day

would include life sized hamster balls where the children run then try to roll towards the

hole. It would incorporate a little bit of golf in order to demonstrate how the Sports

Academy works. It would also incorporate a little bit of competition to get the kids

excited and riled up. There would not only be the hamster ball activity, but putting

activities, a hole in one competition, and relay races. It would incorporate the whole

family and be a fun way to build the brand. In order to promote the Yoplait sponsorship,

we would serve Yoplait products and try to incorporate them into the event. The idea of

the Demo Day would hopefully stimulate demand of the Sports Academy for children to

get excited about and want to sign up on the spot.

ii. Personal Selling: What’s unique about the PGA Sports Academy is that while

it’s aimed towards children, personal selling also needs to be aimed toward parents and

adults who want to enroll and pay for their children to participate in the program, but also

appeal to the children so they want to join and play. The main objective for personal

selling is to gain understanding of the Sports Academy. Currently, only some golf

courses have incorporated the PGA Sports Academy into their activities, so it’s not a

widely known program. The golf courses that have the program advertise it on their

websites. To increase personal selling, Golf courses that have the program will heavily

advertise it to the people of the golf course to get the name around. The hope would be

parents would hear about it and want to sign their children up for the program, or people

would just refer friends with children to the Sports Academy. In addition, we would want


someone who leads the Sports Academy to go to schools and sell the program to the

children by making it seem fun and exciting and a great way for them to spend their

summer.

iii. Public Relations: For public relations, we plan to just send out press releases

about success stories at the PGA Sports Academy. We would want to emphasize the

attendance of the program, what the kids learned, and how they succeeded.

iv. Sales Promotions: The Family ParTee will be one of the biggest events the

academy puts on in order to gain exposure and interest. It is our hopes that if people show

up to the ParTee, they will want to sign up for the academy right on the spot. In order to

encourage this, we will advertise a free t-shirt for people who sign up at the demo day.

The first 10 people to sign up will also receive one free adult golf lesson at the course.

v. Advertising and Direct Marketing: Advertising for the PGA Sports Academy

has to attract children and parents of the specific communities they live. Our advertising

technique is simple with a low budget. We want to create buzz marketing and get the

word out about our programs. We want to give out flyers to children in elementary

schools and pediatricians offices to get the word out there. We would then also give

flyers to parents in neighborhoods about the program and invite them to check out the

website or Facebook page for more information.

vi. Sponsorships: The idea of two potential sponsorships came up when

discussing ideas for the Sports Academy. Currently, there are no sponsorships associated

with the PGA Sports Academy. Sponsorships can help grow a brand. They should be

mutually beneficial for both properties and be able to speak to the consumers and make

sense. When deciding a sponsorship for the PGA Sports Academy, the challenge was to


find a sponsor that would relate to and make sense for both parents and children, since

ultimately both groups are being targeted. Yoplait is a yogurt brand that prides itself in

being a family brand by marketing themselves to grandparents, parents, adults, and

children. At the PGA Sports Academy, one aspect of the day is lunch, fitness and

nutrition time. The Yoplait brand could be incorporated into these session and could

provide children snacks throughout the day of different yogurts or GoGurts, one of their

kid friendly brands. Through this, children would hopefully get excited by Yoplait and

ask their parents to buy it for them at home. A family wide Sports Academy day would

also be held, sponsored by Yoplait called “You Play with Yoplait” and would have

parents and children day with different activities related to the academy.

Another sponsorship that could be beneficial for The Sports Academy could be

Autism Speaks. Through research conducted and discussed, children with autism can

benefit from the game of golf and will be able to benefit from The PGA Sports Academy.

By having Autism Speaks as a sponsor, it would increase awareness on how golf can be

beneficial for children with autism and give them a sport they can excel at. They would

also have the chance to make friends and be an active environment and be able to carry

this skill with them through life. We think it would also provide great community

outreach and help build the Sports Academy brand and get a lot more involvement in the

program, considering the rising number of children on the autism scale today.

vii. Direct Marketing In terms of Direct Marketing we want to send sales

representatives to local school activities so that they can interact with children and

convince parents as to why they should enroll their children. We will also have our full

sales staff at the Demo Day walking around and getting new participants to sign up. The


idea is to hopefully put them on the spot and they will be having so much fun that they

will not want to say no.

viii. Email We will ask participants to refer friends and give them incentives to

do so. This will allow us to extend our network and advertise to new prospective families

by sending them an email to let them know about our offerings.

ix. Web-based When it comes to web base and social media marketing, The PGA

Sports Academy has no involvement in either of these fields. In today’s world, it is

almost essential to have these different platforms to build a brand and communicate with

customers and respond to their questions and needs. It would be our current goal to build

a full social media platform for the PGA Sports Academy to use. While it is

understandable that children who we are targeting are not yet at the age for social media,

many parents use social media as well. A common problem we found about the Sports

Academy was the lack of consistency of the overall program. If a golf course wants to

incorporate the Sports Academy as a summer camp at their course, the golf course

usually comes up with the pricing, when the camp is and how long it lasts for. A main

goal would be to make this consistent to strengthen to program and therefore the brand.

Once this is finalized, it will be that much easier to create these social media platforms.

We believe this is one of the most important things that will help The PGA Sports

Academy.

x. Social Media First a Facebook page should be set up. The Facebook page will

provide overall details of the academy, will feature various courses and locations that are

featuring The Sports Academy, and will provide overall details about the camp, photos of

players of the week, and be a general source of information. Aside from that, courses and


locations that implement The Sports Academy will be able to set up their own Facebook

page with details on their own location, and the main Facebook page will link customers

and people to those specific pages. Also on the list of social media sites to incorporate

would be Twitter and Instagram. These three platforms are “The Big Three” that many

companies have in order to communicate with consumers. They would feature similar

information as the Facebook page, but would just be another platform for people to stay

interacted with throughout the year. The use of hashtags on both Twitter and Instagram

would create buzz and get more people attracted to the program.

Finally, a universal website should be created for people to get onto easily and

access information about the program and what it’s all about. Currently, a website solely

for The Sports Academy does not exist. Information about it is under some hidden links

on the PGA website. If people wanted to access information about what it is, they would

have to find it on their local golf course’s website, if they have information about that at

all. By creating a website it could inform parents of all the benefits of signing their

children up for The Sports Academy and teach them what the program is all about.

Advertising and Direct Marketing: Advertising for the PGA Sports Academy

has to attract children and parents of the specific communities they live in. Our

advertising technique is simple with a low budget. We want to give out flyers to children

in elementary schools and have someone come in and talk about the program and why

they would love it. We would then also give flyers to parents in neighborhoods about the

program and invite them to check out the website or Facebook page for more

information.


Allocation of Money: The PGA Sports Academy does not have a budget for our

IMC Marketing campaign. We will be relying on the funding from our sponsors in order

to successfully run our promotional marketing as well as the Family ParTee demo day.

Schedule of Activities: The first thing we want to focus on is creating

consistency for The Sports Academy and create our website, Facebook, Twitter, and

Instagram page. This will allow us to have a platform for consumers to go to and

communicate with the brand and learn more information. After these are in place, we

would then ideally move to Personal selling and advertising to promote the academy gain

exposure, and lead parents to the website for information. At this point, we would then

invite parents and children to the ParTee Demo Day for children to get excited and for

parents to become more educated. This would ultimately set the program up and gain

new attendees for the camp.

E. Price Strategies

The pricing of the camp heavily depends on two factors. First being other competitor’s

prices and second being the price that would cover all cost depending on what golf course

it will be held at. As discussed previously, our main competitor would be Nike Golf

camp. Nike offers overnight, day, advanced, and international golf programs and each

program pricing differently. We see their prices range from 50 to 200 dollars more than

PGA depending on the location and golf course (Nike Golf Schools & Junior Camps

Highlights, 2015). PGA Sports Academy, however, provides only week long camps that

range from 75 to 250 dollars. This prices also takes into consideration the course style

and cost of maintenance. The PGA Sports Academy does not easily state prices and

programs that are running. PGA Sports Academy is easily comparable to its other

competitors based on pricing and has a differentiated offering compared to other golf


camps since they focus on other sports as well. The range of 75 to 250 dollars is fair and

reasonable in order to accommodate families financially while properly paying the

professional instructors and for the use of the facilities.

IX. Measurement:

Participant engagement & Customer Satisfaction: We plan to issue pre and post

testing surveys to see if customers brand awareness was raised after some of our IMC efforts.

Before, we will send out a survey to see if customers know anything about the PGA Sports

Academy. We will then do the same thing after and compare our results and see if the participant

engagement and customer satisfaction increased. We are hoping thanks to all our IMC efforts

and campaigns, people will have more knowledge of our program.

Social Media: Social Media will have a large part in measuring our success. Because

none of these channels currently exist for the PGA Sports Academy, we plan to track the

progress of how many people begin to interact with us once we set these platforms up. We will

keep track of likes, followers and comments. We are hoping to have many people like, follow,

and interact with our brand on social media.

Return on Investment: We will compare the current number of facilities that implement

the Sports Academy with the new facilities that may register their course to use it. We will then

also compare the current number of children in the programs at each location and how many new

children sign up after our IMC objectives. We are hoping to see an overall increase across the

whole program.

Sponsorship Objectives: In our surveys we will create a section asking “How did you

hear about this brand?” There will be options to check both Yoplait as well as Autism Speaks to

see how effective it was in leveraging our brand.


X. Conclusion:

A. As discussed in the paper, the PGA Sports Academy is continuing to concentrate on

children ages 5 to 17 as well as their parents in order to get them to participate in the program.

The positioning that we are focusing on is that the PGA Sports Academy is the perfect place for

kids to meet friends and have a blast during their summer vacations. It is important that we use

branding strategies such as the mascot, logo, and other interactive methods to create a stronger

brand equity for the PGA Sports Academy. There are many different facets of the Marketing Mix

being utilized. The combination of Direct Marketing, Advertising, Social Media, Experiential

Marketing, etc. creates an all-inclusive IMC campaign. The key to this is that they work together

to create the image of the PGA Sports Academy desired. The new elements such as the Kid’s

zone, the Mascot, and the Family ParTee are crucial to our success since we are using these to

really integrate the children into our marketing. This IMC campaign will allow the PGA Sports

Academy to continue to grow and be successful in the future.

B. The PGA Sports Academy can expect a greater interest from children especially within

the program. By grasping at their intrinsic motivations we are empowering them to make the

most out of their experiences with the program. The interactive and welcoming environment that

we are striving to create in our programs, on our website and social media, as well as during our

Demo Days will work to create the strong brand image that the PGA Sports Academy needs.

You have created the pathways to success by building the core foundation to a fantastic program

and we are here to spread the word! We hope that children and parents will see the “new and

improved” New England PGA Sports Academy and immediately want to enroll. With a clear,

concise message throughout all channels we are showing the world what the PGA Sports


Academy is all about. We wish you all the best in the future and hope that this Marketing

Strategy will be just what you needed to “keep the ball rolling” for your program!

APPENDIX A APPENDIX B

APPENDIX C


APPENDIX D

APPENDIX E


APPENDIX F


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