iGolf – a new way to play
- ClientEngland Golf
- Services RenderedProduct Strategy, Digital Development, Brand Development, Integrated Marketing Communications
With the introduction of the World Handicap System™ in golf came the possibility, for the very first time in the centuries’ old tradition of the game, for non-club members to obtain and maintain a Handicap Index®.
One of the most forward-thinking national governing bodies in the sport, England Golf, recognised the huge opportunity that came with this change, to unite non-members in the game like never before. Enhancing their experience in golf and putting them on a pathway towards a lifelong love of the sport and, perhaps, even a golf club membership in the future.
Helping to create the platform for this community of non-members to be engaged was a challenge 54 relished.
30m+ campaign reach
iGolf was born by envisioning a more inclusive landscape for all lovers of the sport, banishing the stigma of non-membership and establishing golf as a sport that can be enjoyed by any player, of any background or ability.
As well as a new brand architecture, logo and hundreds of corresponding assets, 54 worked with England Golf to develop the iGolf community platform, offering subscription at £46 per year, bringing handicapping and a suite of additional benefits to subscribers. This included integration with the MyEG App, allowing these players to view their scoring record and keep track of their playing progress over time.
With the iGolf digital infrastructure in place, the final step was taking this to England’s golfing community with an impactful and wide-reaching integrated campaign. 54 pinpointed Digital Marketing, Advertising, Social and Earned Media channels for activation, alongside tailored collaborations targeting the non-club member, amateur golfer audience.
"54 has played an important role in achieving success for iGolf delivering effective marketing strategies that have helped us reach our target audience, ensuring that our subscriber base continues to see impressive growth year on year. The team has a very impressive skillset across a broad range of marketing disciplines, and this provides us with an invaluable partner to support us in meeting our targets and goals."
72,000+ registrations to iGolf since launch in July 2021
10,000+ golfers encouraged to become club members
54’s marketing team helped England Golf to reach its target of 25,000 subscribers in year one. Equally impressive results followed with successive years of campaign activity, taking the total number of current iGolf subscribers to 46,000+ to date, resulting in a significant amount of new revenue generated for reinvestment back into the game by England Golf.
As expected in the development of iGolf, it now serves as a crucial new step on the player pathway of golf, encouraging non-members to play more regularly and take steps to becoming members of the future. To date, 10,000+ iGolf subscribers have graduated to golf club membership, with over 800K scores submitted via the MyEG for handicap purposes.
