United States Golf Association (USGA)

When the United States Golf Association (USGA) approached us, they were looking to expand their presence in Asia and raise the profile of their two main championships: the U.S. Women’s Open and the U.S. Amateur Championship. This initiative was driven by a series of victories by Asian players at the U.S. Women’s Open, starting with Se Ri Pak in 1998. Despite these successes, the USGA remained relatively unknown in Asian markets due to the absence of events and a minimal footprint in the region. The organization faced the challenge of translating the growing number of Asian champions into brand growth and increased media coverage in Asia. Additionally, the USGA aimed to position the U.S. Women’s Open as the most prestigious female golf event globally and elevate the U.S. Amateur Championship to a similar status.

Global marketing requires local expertise

Our proposed solution was to provide a comprehensive communications and digital marketing service tailored to the USGA’s goals. We would seek to generate media coverage from top publications throughout Asia and increased the annual attendance of key golf and sports publications at USGA events. We proposed creating digital content localized to each market both culturally and linguistically while maintaining original branding and messaging while navigating the complexities of political issues and conflicting values between the markets. All services proposed were tailored to meet the USGA’s specific goals, with the aim of leveraging our connections to drive coverage in top sports publications and broadening the base of coverage to include general sports and lifestyle media.

To implement our strategy, we produced bespoke press releases in multiple languages and established connections with both private and state-owned media. Leveraging our extensive contacts within the region, we increased media attendance at keystone events. Additionally, we facilitated meetings between the USGA’s senior leadership team and industry leaders, arranging interviews with key publications, including Bloomberg in Asia. Our offline marketing events, such as Trophy Tours for Asian winners in their home countries, engaged influential media, including hard-to-reach state-owned outlets. We also created tournament-owned digital content across all platforms, broadening the tournament’s reach. These solutions included local-language social media accounts and original content in 繁體中文, Japanese, Korean, and Thai. We also managed controversial stories about players with local solutions, ensuring that messaging upheld the USGA’s values while maintaining opportunities in the 繁體中文 market. Our approach bridged the gap between Western media and Asian customs, helping the USGA navigate complex cultural landscapes while maintaining opportunities in the 繁體中文 market

As a result of our comprehensive efforts, the U.S. Women’s Open has become the most significant women’s major to the Asian audience. Earned coverage has increased annually by approximately 20%, reaching over 5 billion PR impressions in 2023. Our digital marketing efforts have led to millions of impressions for USGA-owned platforms and partners like the LPGA, with 13 million digital impressions across Asian markets. This transformation has significantly enhanced the visibility and prestige of the USGA’s championships in the global golf community, particularly in Asia.

Do you have a project?

Let's work together

Let's Talk