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10 Ways To Bring The Excitement Of The X-Games To The PGA Tour

John Raser — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 03:16:53 +0000

Let’s face it – golf is boring. The excitement Tiger Woods brought to the game in 1997 has dissipated. It’s time we open the sport up to fans and usher in a new and diverse audience. The NASCAR model doesn’t work for all sports. It works for golf. In a sport driven by individuals, it’s critical for the governing bodies within the sport to recognize this and highlight the personalities and characters within the game. We all know plenty about Tiger and Phil, however there’s a plethora of other incredibly talented, engaging and endearing athletes out there that no one knows about.

Golfers are independent contractors. We don’t have teams or owners or upper management to answer to and appease. It’s the fans we need to worry about. Therefore, we should be embracing the viral web and using it to grow the sport. With the emergence of interactive new media channels like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and UStream, we have the ability to showcase the sport like never before. Now fans can reach out and practically touch their favorite players and players can control their own brand and message while giving fans an inside look at their lives. But, that’s old news. How can these platforms be used to elevate the sport to new levels of excitement? How can the PGA and LPGA Tours capture an X-Games level of excitement? How can the PGA of America and the R&A (Royal and Ancient) take a cue from NASCAR and create *real* fan loyalty? I’ve outlined a few key ways:

Photo by Jessica Hill/AP

1. Implement a new cell phone friendly policy – Earlier this year officials at The Wyndham Championship did away with the traditional no cell phone policy and allowed spectators to use their mobile devices in designated areas. “If we’re trying to attract more people to our tournaments, we have to tear down the barrier to those who can’t be out of touch with their families or business world for four to eight hours or longer,” said tournament director Mark Brazil.” Although they have their immediate audience in mind, potential new audiences are being ignored. If the PGA Tour’s tournament advisory council took this idea a step further and allowed cell phones and other mobile devices across the entire golf course, content could be shared and spread virally across the world. Fan-generated pictures, videos and first-hand commentary would do wonders for the game.

2. Mic players and caddies – This idea has been toyed with on and off for years. The simple truth is this; some players and caddies just don’t want the world to hear their every word. So what. Highlight the ones who do. Showcase the characters and personalities within the sport. Let viewers hear the banter that goes on between the ropes. Most fans would be intrigued to hear just how little “golf talk” is actually going on. Moreover, fans would get to hear some great annecdotes, jokes and gamesmanship, not to mention learn how players calculate the variables associated with each shot.

3. Live stats and graphics on screen during coverage – Several casual fans (who admittedly don’t know much about golf) have told me how helpful and engaging it would be to see live numbers and graphics on screen “explaining” to them what the heck is going on. Viewers who don’t necessarily know the difference between a sand wedge and a pitching wedge or the difference between a high cut and a low draw could see what players are mulling over. Superimposing ProTracer graphics illustrating the flight and trajectory of the ball would be cool to show more frequently, as well. If we can educate the television audience they will develop a better understanding of the game and be more apt to tune in regularly.

4. Showcase one “stadium hole” at every event – There’s a reason the Waste Management Phoenix Open draws some of the biggest crowds on tour. It’s not a major or a marquee event in terms of the strength of the field, but it does have one major attraction: the famous #16 stadium hole. Creating a party atmosphere on one hole at every event would attract a younger demographic of college kids and young professionals. Furthermore, it gives each tournament an automatic selling point and marketing tool at each tour stop. Brands will also be more enticed to purchase corporate tent space if there’s a spectacle to behold. If patrons can post up and let the action come to them, there’s a greater likelihood they’ll show up.

Photo by Caryn Levy/PGA TOUR

5. Organize social networking events at each tour stop – Tweetups are a great way for like-minded fans to meet and interact at tournaments. Many networking events would require virtually no planning either. An impromptu social hour for tournament attendees can be set up with a single tweet. Taking it a step further, tournament organizers could get creative and host unique events like fashion shows, concerts or wine tastings. Each tour stop offers a new and different scene to explore and utilize. Many golf enthusiasts are business men and women who would greatly appreciate a chance to meet and connect with others in their local area and/or industry. Individual players could even use social media outlets to organize their own meet and greets with their specific fans. NASCAR understands that their fans develop a sense of loyalty to individual drivers. They get the importance of making each driver accessible to their individual fan base. The golf world should follow suit.

6. More matchplay tournaments – Most recreational and competitive golfers can agree that matchplay is not only more exciting to watch, but also more exciting to play. Bottom line. The drama that builds in a matchplay format is second to none. The PGA and LPGA Tours should recognize and capitalize on this simple truth. It’s as if everyone knows it but them! Not only would this boost tv ratings, but spectators can follow and root for their favorite player in a setting that feels more like a fast-paced prize fight and less like a four day marathon.

7. Fresh meat in the booth – If golf is going to be more exciting, then the people getting the message across need to be more exciting. It’s time to bring in a new crop of young, fresh and witty color commentators calling the action. George Lopez is nowhere near a golf expert, but listening to him in the booth at the LPGA NW Arkansas Championship was much more entertaining then putting up with Tom Abbot and Judy Rankin’s monotonous banter. Networks should be actively seeking out emerging, vibrant and captivating talent like Shane Bacon, Ryan Ballengee, Stephanie Wei and Patricia Hannigan to reinvigorate the sport. Golf is in dire need of fresh perspectives and youthful exuberance. For many, it’s not so much the golf that makes golf unwatchable, it’s the people *talking* golf that makes golf unwatchable. The next Gary McCord and David Feherty are out there just waiting to be discovered.

8. Highlight one player each week on the telecast – A great way to feature individual players and create fan loyalty is to select one player each week to follow around. “Featured groups” are typically the same guys simply reshuffled into different pairings week in and week out. Young, up-and-coming players and journeymen are generally left out of the mix. It would be entertaining for viewers to not only see a different featured player compete each week on the telecast, but also watch them going about their daily routine throughout the week. The audience would get to experience the ins and outs of life on tour from a different player’s perspective each week. Viewers would get some insight as to the habits and personality of each player going about their business. Cameras could follow them from the airport, to the hotel, out to dinner with their caddy, grinding on the putting green, working with their instructor(s), doing drills on the range, hanging out in the locker room, making appearances, attending a baseball game, having a beer with the guys, you name it. This would also aid in mixing up the coverage each week, thus keeping things fresh for viewers, thus keeping them interested, engaged and wanting more.

9. Live streaming music on every hole – This alone would make golf tournaments more enjoyable for spectators and players alike. Practically every golfer I know listens to music while they’re practicing or playing. So why not incorporate it into actual tournament play? Traditionalists would argue that golf is a game of quiet focus and solitude, however, I think most players would actually embrace this idea. Talk about changing the culture and vibe at golf tournaments! This would undoubtedly attract a younger and broader crowd.

10. Behind the scenes access driven by new media – It would be great to see networks utilizing platforms like UStream to conduct live interviews with players and deliver behind the scenes footage in real time. The live chat feature on UStream would allow fans to ask players questions directly. The live broadcasting feature allows for any spontaneous activity to be captured and shared virally on the spot. YouTube could be used to generate pre-tournament hype with viral videos featuring different players. Twitter could be used for giveaways and photo sharing. There are an infinite number of possibilities. The platforms are in place. Now it’s up to the organizers and players to create unique content. The internet is here to stay and golf is a global sport. Just imagine how many new fans we can bring to the sport if we harness the power of the web!

What are some other ways the PGA and LPGA Tours can capture the excitement of the X-Games? Let me know in the comments below.

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I was on FOX News for WeReward!

John Raser — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:31:27 +0000

I recently downloaded a new iPhone app called WeReward. It was developed by IZEA, a powerhouse social media marketing company located here in Orlando, FL. Think of WeReward as a blanket over all location-based services like Foursquare. They actually pay you to “check-in” and take a picture at over 15 million businesses, restaurants, bars, and golf courses nationwide. Moreover, you can tie it into your Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare accounts so that you still recieve the benefits of mayorships, etc.

Thanks to Ted Murphy for including me in the spot.

If you’re looking to monetize your social media efforts, take a look at IZEA’s other platforms: Social Spark, Sponsored Tweets, & Sponzai

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Lane Kiffin Goes From Dick to Trojan – Students Riot at Tennessee

John Raser — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:56:48 +0000

As an Alabama fan, there are two teams I absolutely despise in college football: Auburn and Tennessee. I have hated Lane Kiffin for his attitude, and blatant disrespect for his fellow coaches, colleagues, and others since he first got to Tennessee. He has done nothing but talk trash, burn bridges, and create enemies. In fact, I was actually looking forward to him running the Volunteer program into the ground. So, it gives me great pleasure to announce that he has brought down Knoxville, Tennessee in a completely unexpected way. Like a thief in the dark of night, he stole the hearts of the Tennessee faithful by accepted the head coaching job at USC – thus, ignited a ticking time bomb: a die-hard SEC fanbase. Fans, students, and athletes took to the streets, surrounding the football complex, in an absolute frenzie. Fortunately, the backlash and rioting that broke out tonight in Knoxville was played out live on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook for our entertainment. Go Tennessee Rioteers!

Renaldo Woolridge (@Swiperboy) is a sophomore forward on the University of Tennessee basketball team. You may recognize his name from his break out performance in last weekend’s upset of No. 1 Kansas. In that game he replaced dismissed forward Tyler Smith and shot 4-of-6 from three and had a season high 14 pts. Earlier in the night I heard from my college buddy, Will Taylor (@weezie20), that Woolridge was tweeting a play-by-play account of the riot scene in Knoxville from his dorm room balcony. His twitter follower count shot up from about 1,500 when I started watching to 2,768 currently. He provided value! Here are some of the highlights:

Students Chasing Lane Kiffin’s Car:

Students Burning Mattress at Riot:

Students Chanting and Vandalizing Statue:

Fan Burning Tennessee/Lane Kiffin Shirts:

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I’m over this rain like I’m over baseball highlights on ESPN

John Raser — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:47:01 +0000

A seemingly meaningless facebook status update brought on some pretty funny banter. At least I got a kick out of it! Weigh in and chip in below! lol.

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Twitterview with World Series Champ Chase Utley

John Raser — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:52:34 +0000

I am extremely excited to announce that I will be conducting a live “twitterview” with Philadelphia Phillies‘ star 2nd baseman and 2008 World Series Champion, Chase Utley at 3:00pm EST on Monday June 1, 2009. We will be discussing how and why athletes are utilizing social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook. You can follow Chase on Twitter @chase_utley.

Topics will include marketing, branding, the power of social media and obviously some baseball talk. I will be picking Chase’s brain about the how athletes benefit from embracing their fans and the world through social media. Chase is a complete rockstar in Major League Baseball and carries himself with a style and flair that I appreciate and admire. He understands image and branding unlike many professional athletes. This should be an awesome twitterview!

Get involved! Chime in!

Feel free to direct any pertinent questions you’d like me to ask Chase to @johnraser (both @replies and DM’s are fine) or simply comment below. You can also chime in live through tweetchat.com. Room: #utleychat

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Using Twitter as a Twool – What Twitter Has Done For Me

John Raser — Thu, 28 May 2009 02:27:58 +0000

Many of my closest friends STILL do not get all the hype surrounding Twitter. Yes, tweets can be viewed as glorified Facebook status updates, yet that is really over-simplifying things. Twitter is about engaging, interacting, connecting, networking, branding, and thinking big-picture. I have been on Twitter for 4 months now and have seen the power of this social media outlet first-hand. Allow me to give you a rundown of what Twitter has done for me, personally and professionally. (This is somewhat of a chronological timeline)

To be the best you have to learn from the best; and Ted Murphy personifies success through the power of Twitter and Social Media. I learned through observing Ted and how he conducts himself on Twitter… He’s HIMSELF! He is a leader and people want to follow leaders. His companies, IZEA, SocialSpark, and CloudShout are successful, in large part because of the leader he has branded himself to be. Ted has taught me a lot about maximizing the power of the internet and letting business come to you – by being you!

Calvin Lee was one of the first tweeple to teach me that content is king! I watched his follower count go through the roof literally overnight. I consider Calvin a design, marketing, and branding guru. He knows how to balance casual, engaging conversation with business plugs and is one helluva helpful guy. When you are helpful to others on Twitter, you reap the rewards professionally. His company, Mayhem Studios, is growing and flourishing because of the way he effectively utilizes Twitter.

Joanna Lord was one of the first people I began engaging with when I first got on Twitter. I found her to be incredibly sweet, helpful, and patient with me as I learned “the lingo” and etiquette – which she (and others) guided me through. She was the first who taught me how to ReTweet, amongst other things. She has assisted me in building my online presence and introduced me to Seth Jenks. (read on)

I inquired about how I too could get a professionally done Twitter background and she highly recommended I contact Seth Jenks. Seth is an incredibly talented designer with loads of SEO expertise and marketing know-how. Before we began designing my Twitter background, we set out to effectively brand myself. This is when I was introduced to Adam Smith.

Adam Smith is an award-winning web designer introduced to me by Seth Jenks. He is also the President and Creative Director of a Advent Creative, an Online Business Development Company which specializes in Web Design, SEO, video, and CMS. After several conference calls, brainstorming, and strategizing, I was extremely impressed with Seth, Adam, and everyone associated with Advent Creative. We developed a comprehensive marketing and branding strategy all through initially meeting Joanna Lord.

From day one we worked hand-in-hand developing my personal brand and style. The guys at Advent Creative truly brought my vision to life with both my personal blog, designed by @atsmith and my twitter background, designed by @sethjenks. Their patience, and professionalism was mind-blowing from the beginning. Every request I made was effectively executed and I felt very “listened to”. Obviously, their work speaks for itself.

I initially met Mike Rausch through our love of golf (@clevelandgolf), however we have become both close friends and business associates. He voluntarily offered to design my “follow me on Twitter @johnraser” logo which I will use for stickers, T-shirts, as well as graphics on my Staff Bag and Tour clothing. He has really helped me tie my brand together for maximum exposure and continuity.

John Grover found me on Twitter and was the first person to recognize the tremendous financial opportunity Blu Frog Energy can provide; especially in these tough economic times. Blu Frog Energy is one of my main sponsors, but I am also a member and have been making significant weekly supplemental income to go towards my upcoming tournament fees and travel expenses. We are now business associates – never having met face-to-face.

I could list about 10 more people who have had a dramatic impact on my professional life all because of Twitter. It goes far beyond “socializing”. I could not be more appreciative to these individuals for their unselfish contributions to my own personal success. Had it not been for Twitter, I never would have met these people.

Think of how YOU can use Twitter to build your business, brand, cause, reputation, …whatever. This is only the beginning! Maximize the power of Social Media!

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