We are often asked, “What kind of advertising do you do?”
Which for most people, advertising is the only recognizable part of the marketing process.
However, marketing is so much more.
Rockhold & Associates, Inc prides itself on being a full service marketing firm which covers all aspect of the marketing mix.
In Business School, Marketing 101 will tell you that marketing is comprised of the 4 P’s.
We make sure that you are utilizing these areas to the fullest through our initial onsite consultation. By starting with these 4 P’s we can get a general idea of where your business is at.
We will look into all of the Products that you are offering. Truly examining your product offering to make sure that you are offering the right products for your demographic.
Second, we look at the Place. This involves digging into your potential customers, demographics, income level, and lifestyle to be able to craft an your products to the area.
Next we look at the Pricing of all services and products that are in play. Incorrect pricing is one of the biggest downfalls of small to mid sized businesses. It is amazing how finding the ‘sweet spot’ on this can really increase profitability for your courses.
And finally we cover your Promotional mix. We dig into every area that you use to try to connect to new and existing golfers. We sift through the recalled attempts that were successful and those that were not. Then we build a marketing strategy that can get you in front of the people that you are wanting as your customers.
However, for golf courses, we dive even deeper.
Golf courses are not only offering a product mix (Clubs, balls, hats, etc.), they also offer multiple services.(Playing golf, taking lessons, using the range, weddings, events)
Marketing business services add even more marketing consideration.
The additional areas are:
- Process
- Physical Environment
- Productivity or Efficiency
- People or Staffing
The Process is the expected customer flow that the golf course is looking to provide. This includes everything from online tee times to the follow up email that is sent after the round. We look at the course experience & customer touch points to define the best possible process to create a profitable experience for the course.Signage and smooth cart paths can make the process less stressful for new players.
We also look into the Physical Environment of the facilities themselves. Cleanliness is the biggest factors of follow-up play and positive word of mouth for women. Great course conditions on the greens & tees can offset some small imperfections in-between.
We look at Productivity and Efficiency in the pace of play, speed of service, and smoothness of the process above to make sure that the customer feels that they are not wasting their time throughout their visit. A 35 minute wait on a hole, 25 minute wait at the turn for a hot dog, or a poorly trained outside staff can add to the disappointment of experience. By solidifying these areas of the process, you can make sure that the golfer is leaving with the feeling that they were important.
Lastly, we look at the People that you have on staff. We dig into their training, attitudes, and goals to find out how we can help enhance the process with your staff. These are the people that are the front lines of your business. It is important to make sure that you are utilizing their talents to make sure that they are happy and you are achieving maximum value for your customers.
I recall a phone call 15 years ago, when I was an assistant golf professional at a high-end golf club. I answered to a member asking me “Do you know how much a 10 foot 2×4 is at Home Depot?” I said that I didn’t but if they could hold on for a second I could find out. I put the call on hold, called Home Depot and asked their staff the 2×4 question. I picked up the phone and told the member what the price was and that there was a sale that weekend. In that 5 minute interaction, we made an evangelist for our pro shop. I ask all of my staff to do something extraordinary when ever they can. It will pay off in the long run.
As you can clearly tell, our marketing group offers you so much more than just advertising. We help you with the entire process to create a better experience that will not only increase play and profitability but make every golfer that walks in the door a fan.
Then we tell everyone about it. The good thing is…so will your customers.
If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment down below or email me at jason@rockholdandassociates.com