Like many things in life, some just do it better than others, and final event of the PGA TOUR’s Florida Swing is a testament to working hard and smart to make this event a cut above. The vibe is terrific and the organizers are preparing for massive weekend crowds at the Valspar Championship.
The term quantum marketing means using data to gain a deeper understanding of consumers with the objective of creating highly targeted, personalized experiences that help drive business.
The Most Colorful PGA TOUR Tournament in the World
Valspar’s color of the year is ENCORE, described by the brand as “an atmospheric blue at home anywhere, and the rich color will have you coming back again and again.”
While I don’t see myself using it on the walls of my home, it might make for a vibrant trim around staircases and certain other areas, but I’ll leave that to the interior decorator.
Fan engagement is something I am far more versed in, and this event has it all.
From a sports perspective, 19 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings are here for those who love watching great shot making. After all that’s why you come to a golf tournament, right?
Championship Golf for All
The field that local organizers attracted is a feat in itself. This week’s prize purse of $8.7 million dollars is roughly a third of last week’s Players Championship and less than half of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, one of eight PGA TOUR’s designated “Signature Events” on the calendar, featuring an extra year’s exception and a few hundred more FedEx Cup points than this one will provide the winner.
Still, players come get their reps on a golf course that is widely considered a great tune up for The Masters in two weeks. World number 3 Xander Schauffele is first to point to how the closing three holes, known as the Snake Pit, makes this a much more difficult golf course than others.
Plenty to See and Do
There’s plenty for fans to do while walking the course including kid’s activities, and sponsored giveaways adjacent to the ample food and beverage offerings selling a wide variety of choices. You will also find multiple pop ups featuring adult beverages along your way.
While taking in the sights and sounds, I happened to meet USAF Colonel Robert Magee, a Tampa area native, and commander of the 6th Mission Support group at nearby MacDill Air Force Base.
So, when you think of logistics such as security, transportation, facilities, communications, fuel and all those things you would need run a military operation, that’s his wheelhouse. A first-time attendee, in support of Folds of Honor Friday, Magee found himself very impressed by the build out deployed here at Innisbrook Resort and the Copperhead Golf Course.
Some 22,000 enlisted and civilian personnel are deployed at the nearby military base, so it’s brilliant engagement on the part of Tournament Director Tracy West and her team to care for that sector of her community.
INSERT HOT SAUCE
Wandering through the fan expo, I came also upon a large Louisiana Hot Sauce display and Natalie Wiley, their Experiential Marketing Manager. She and her crew had a busy first quarter of 2025 engaging Valspar Championship fans sandwiched in between doing similar amplification at the Super Bowl in New Orleans and the soon to be held NCAA Women’s Final Four here in Tampa, and many other community-based activities such as festivals and concerts.
The Original Louisiana Sauce has been around since 1928, and if my math is correct, they are less than three years away from needing to revise their tag line, “Over 90 Years and Still Hot.” Wiley says they have no intention of changing their recipe though and are on site to break through the clutter and make her brand top of mind for golf fans who are seeking a little kick to their favorite dishes.
A Community Focus
Corporate Social Responsibility has also long been an important ingredient to the PGA TOUR’s recipe for success.
One example is how insurance company AmeriLife and this event are teaming up in the fight against hunger.
All attendees are being encouraged to bring canned goods and shelf-stable food items during Sunday’s final round where they will be collected and donated to Feeding Tampa Bay. Fans who do so will have the opportunity to enter to win prizes including Delta Air Lines Travel vouchers or a pin flag signed by the winner of last year’s Valspar Championship winner Peter Malnati who did not make the cut for weekend play.
This is their third year of collaborating according to Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Rondé Barber who serves as tournament General Co-Chair
“Many of us from the Valspar Championship visited Feeding Tampa Bay’s new headquarters building last summer and saw firsthand their amazing operation. We fully endorse their mission.”
Connecting with Consumers
Just two weeks ago, the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Mastercard, presenting sponsor of the API, told me their quantum marketing approach has led to a seismic shift in focus and distribution of funding.
When the 11th largest company in the world tells you that 70% percent of their dollars are focused on experiences, with only 30% on traditional advertising, that says a lot.
The essence of fan activation, something I teach in my Sports Business Models class at Full Sail University, is when brands spend resources on sampling, contests and guest, viewer and fan experiences in favor of televised commercials and banner ads on web sites.
