Situation:
After an extensive $10 million renovation and redesign, the former Bayshore Golf Course was primed for a rebirth. But with a poor reputation after years of neglect and a significantly higher price tag, the course would still be a hard sell to area golfers, regardless of its elevated status.
Strategy:
The old version of this course was long gone, so the Bayshore name should go with it. An entirely new brand needed to be created to accompany this new course, which would now be known as Miami Beach Golf Club. While everything about the course was state-of-the-art, the brand would revel in the rich history of the early days of golf on Miami Beach. And the branding and marketing needed to create more than just a passing interest in a new golf course. It had to establish new habits within the target groups.
This was done by:
• Positioning the golf course as a premier resort facility and re-establishing Miami Beach as a viable, desirable golf destination.
• Marketing the golf course and all its potential to the domestic and international travel industry, Miami Beach hotels, corporate decision makers, charities and local residents at large.
• Initiating an aggressive, multi-pronged pre-opening sales campaign designed to obtain advance rounds from hotels, promote the sale of memberships to Miami Beach residents and increase daily fee play.
• Creating a sense of anticipation and pent-up demand in the local golfing community regarding the opening of the new facility.
Messaging:
There’s an all-new, world-class golf course on Miami Beach. A course surrounded by a tropical climate, beautiful palm trees, emerald water, white sand, exceptional hotels, popular clubs, excellent shopping and much more. A course that returns Miami Beach to the ranks of elite golfing destinations and invokes images and memories of the roaring heyday of The Beach, when Bayshore was first built – while maintaining all the modern-day amenities and luxuries. A course that offers golfers of all skill levels an unforgettable – and distinctly Miami Beach – experience.
Results:
The course has become one of the preeminent golf destinations in South Florida, exceeding expectations, and commanding some of the highest rates in the regions. And the merchandising program has been immensely successful and profitable.
“We are extremely pleased with the whole branding effort for Miami Beach Golf Club,” says Miami Beach Golf Club Managing Director Alberto Pozzi. “The imagery that was created and the branding that went into it drove home the point that this was not just a minor makeover, but rather a reinvention of this facility. The marketing materials were excellent. I think they communicate to the end user an image or view of this first-class facility in a way that’s retro, yet at the same time, current.” “The logo itself is extremely attractive, versatile,” adds Pozzi. “It lends itself very, very well to merchandising. And we’ve done very well.”
