The World Golf League will spend close to $2 million on direct response television spots aimed at signing up recreational golfers to its local and regional tournaments.
The campaign includes a 30-minute infomercial, which will air on ESPN1 and ESPN2 in key markets. In addition, 30-second, two-minute and four-minute versions are slated to appear nationally on The Golf Channel.
The long-form spots began airing last month, and will run through August, according to Michael Pagnano, the World Golf League’s president and CEO. The shorter spots will debut in early June and run through July. The commercials will tout a toll-free response number (888-331-6272) as well as a Web site (www.worldgolf league.com).
The league recently separated its marketing efforts into three distinct channels: Direct consumer marketing, which includes the television spots; wholesale marketing, which targets corporate incentive program managers; and sponsorship marketing, which generates corporate backers for the tournaments. Pagnano expects to spend $500,000 on the latter two channels in 2003.
He estimates that 2003’s revenues will reach $8.8 million, nearly four times what the Altamonte, FL-based company generated in 2002. During the campaign’s first year, the DM channel is expected to generate 22% of the league’s gross revenue and pay for itself.
If all goes well, the World Golf League is slated to double its DRTV spend to $4 million for a February to March 2004 campaign.
Separately, in May, the league signed a $1 million stock deal with media broker Marketshare Recovery, which gives it access to $1 million in print and Internet marketing opportunities.
Network
