There is something special about the US Masters which gets underway at Augusta later today. It’s the only major Golf tournament that is always played at the same venue and with that familiarity of surroundings for TV viewers, comes a sense of comfort. It’s a bit like Christmas, coming once a year and enjoyable as a marker of times inevitable progress.
Unlike Christmas though it is one of the rare sporting events where sponsorship is subtle rather than overt.
It’s not quite a clean venue in the way that the Olympics are but there is very limited sponsorship on view and yet each of the three global corporate partners are believed to pay over $6 Million a year to be there but not necessarily seen.
IBM provides data analytics and technology around fan engagement that if it charged the service to an event would likely take that much money out rather than putting it in. Yet it is the biggest opportunity the brand has to highlight how it has changed from a big but old fashioned manufacturer of boxes with computing power to the force in analytics that it has become today.
We are not bludgeoned with the brand but when we check the app to see how Lowry and McIlroy are getting on subliminally we are taking in that IBM are there and if we were controlling big budgets on data and information they would be on our agenda.
Mercedes-Benz cars will be on display at Augusta for those fortunate enough to be there. The brand has existing relationships in golf and uses 2014 winner Adam Scott as a brand ambassador. When the opportunity to replace Exxon Mobil as one of the three global partners the brand jumped at the chance.
AT&T is the third major brand to have the exclusive rights of access. They struck lucky last year with a personal endorsement of winner Jordan Spieth and for them the exclusivity of being in such limited company at the top table of the event that attracts so many of the world’s business leaders is worth the expensive price of admission.
Rolex and UPS complete the limited roster of brands to be associated with the event. They are there as international partners.
There are no plans to expand the number of partners, and with this being about as far from a revolving door event as sports sponsorship gets it is unlikely in the short term that there will be many new brands coming to the fore.
Instead it is left to those who have deals with individual golfers to do what they can on the margins, much as KPMG have done with this infographic on their own long term sponsored Phil Mickelson. It helps when he has such a great record at the Masters…
