6:30 pm, February 1, 2012
MOTOR dealers in the UK now have a great opportunity to drive sales through affordable golf sponsorship – thanks to a change in the sport’s rules.
Restrictions on prizes for holes-in-one at amateur events were lifted at the start of the year. Previously, prizes for holing a tee shot in amateur golf were subject to the same restrictions as other competitions, with prizes limited to a value of £500 unless the golfer was prepared to forego their amateur status.
But now, the restrictions on prizes have been lifted, opening up a whole new sphere of marketing and promotional opportunities for the motor trade which can now put up cars as hole-in-one prizes and insure against the win, minimising the marketing spend.
This amendment brings the UK in the line with the US, where dealers have sponsored hole-in-one prizes at golf days regularly as part of ongoing marketing campaigns by manufacturers. One manufacturer saw 25,000 test drives as a result of a national campaign delivered locally through dealerships.
The process is simple and cost-effective, with the dealer insuring against the achievement of a hole-in-one for a relatively small fee determined by the number of players involved.
‘The insurer takes the risk’
Brian Luckhurst, managing director of golf insurance specialist WorldWide Hole ‘N One, said: ‘As a dealer, you simply insure against a golfer achieving the hole-in-one with a specialist such as WorldWide Hole ‘N One and the insurer takes the risk while you, the organisers and competitors simply enjoy the day and the extra frisson of excitement.
‘If the prize is won, what a PR opportunity that is for the both dealership and manufacturer.’
Check out the WorldWide Hole ‘N One site for more details.
