Nationwide Tour introduces new marketing initiatives

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Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. -- The PGA TOUR's Nationwide Tour will officially launch a new marketing campaign on Thursday designed to focus on the Tour's ever-growing impact on the PGA TOUR.

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The new campaign will feature a new tagline, "PGA TOUR Driven", reflecting the Nationwide Tour's role as the official proving ground of the PGA TOUR and be a central element in all communications and advertising. The campaign will feature new creative materials for national and tournament market use on television and print, radio, outdoor, online, radio and onsite applications.

Nationwide Tour staff and members of the PGA TOUR's Brand Development department collaborated with the TOUR's advertising agency, GSD&M's Idea City of Austin, TX, to conduct comprehensive research, develop the strategic approach and, ultimately, the execution and fulfillment of the campaign's creative elements.

"Given the evolution of the Nationwide Tour over the last several years and its growing impact on the PGA TOUR, the time was right to engage in a comprehensive review of our position in the marketplace," said Nationwide Tour President Bill Calfee. "It was a thorough process that included research among fans and a cross-section of constituents. The research findings formed the basis of the new positioning, tagline and advertising campaign. We think this new direction will elevate the public's understanding and appreciation for the Nationwide Tour, the quality of its players and the Tour's connection to the PGA TOUR."

"As the initial research unfolded, it became apparent that golf fans did not have a firm grasp on the impact and connection the Nationwide Tour has on the PGA TOUR," said Duff Stewart, President and COO of GSD&M's Idea City. "When they didn't realize that two-thirds of the PGA TOUR membership played on the Nationwide Tour and alumni had won more than 200 TOUR events, that was the revealing moment. It was clear we needed to further communicate this connection."

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"In addition to highlighting the Nationwide Tour's impact on the PGA TOUR, 'The 25' program, which was initiated last year, will receive continued focus," said Kent Simon, Vice President, Brand Marketing. "The season-long quest to earn one of the 25 TOUR cards each year is another tangible and direct connection to the PGA TOUR."

The new national television spots will debut on Thursday on GOLF CHANNEL's first-round coverage of the PGA TOUR's Sony Open in Hawaii. The spots will air throughout 2008 on select GOLF CHANNEL, CBS and NBC telecasts of the PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour.

The new advertising materials will feature players who won on the Nationwide Tour in the early 1990s such as Jim Furyk and David Toms. They will be complemented by other players with recent ties to the Tour who have enjoyed early success on the PGA TOUR, including reigning Masters champion Zach Johnson, 2007 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Brandt Snedeker and popular winner Boo Weekley.