Add wholesale insurance broker and underwriting manager Burns & Wilcox to the list of companies sinking a hole in one with B2B sports sponsorships.
As Crain’s Detroit Business reports, the Farmington Hills, MI-based firm first began investing in sports sponsorships in 2016. This weekend, as PGA golfer Webb Simpson won The Players Championship, he was proudly wearing the Burns & Wilcox logo on his polo shirt. And, as a bonus, Jimmy Walker, who tied for second place in the tournament, is also sponsored by the company.
“It’s brand awareness for the right audience, which pays attention to golf,” Alan Jay Kaufman, chairman, president and CEO of H.W. Kaufman Group and Burns & Wilcox, told Crain’s.” It’s the audience that makes decisions for insurance. That’s very important to us. People always like doing business with a winner, a champion.”
The PGA sponsorship not only provides brand awareness but networking opportunities for clients. The company hosted a corporate hospitality tent at the tournament, and held a meet and greet with Simpson and Walker for clients and employees.
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People also apparently like working for a company that backs a winner: Kaufman said that job applications spike when Burns & Wilcox’s sponsored golfers win as well.
The company reportedly plans to expand its sports marketing initiatives, but isn’t ready to reveal plans, Crain’s reports. Burns & Wilcox also has a sponsorship deal with the Detroit Red Wings; the company logo is on display on the ice at the Little Caesars Arena.
Many B2B companies are looking at PGA sponsorships to raise their brand profiles and engage clients. Audit and tax advisory firm Grant Thornton recently debuted a TV spot featuring pro golfer Rickie Fowler as part of its ongoing “Status Go” initiative. And, Sentry Insurance is building brand with corporate policy buyers with PGA sponsorship package that includes commercials and sponsorship of the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.
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