A. O. Smith leverages sponsorship to create brand loyalty

BY MARY JO MARTIN
Editorial director

It’s not often that the worlds of golf and music come together, but Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish fame has orchestrated a perfect blend — the Monday After the Masters. Rucker launched the event 17 years ago as a way of raising money for education and junior golf in his home state of South Carolina.

From very humble beginnings as just a gathering of some of the band’s friends, the three-day golf and music extravaganza has raised a total of $4 million and now draws roughly 6,000 spectators each year.
Named quite literally because the Celebrity Pro-Am golf portion of the event takes place each spring on the Monday following the conclusion of The Masters, the MAM draws professional golfers, celebrities, musicians, sponsors and guests, fans and a host of volunteers to Myrtle Beach for what is literally one of the coolest events this author has ever had the good fortune to attend.

The sights and sounds are almost overwhelming. Celebrities graciously spent time talking with those who approached them for autographs and pictures. Many were easily recognizable, and stood out in the crowds thanks in part to their very distinctive golf attire — including former Chicago Bears Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jim McMahon, who along with his wife Nancy sported matching red and black flaming hot shorts, while the PGA’s John Daly and his girlfriend were clad in zebra print shorts. Thanks to the inspiration many seemed to have drawn from Daly’s affiliation with Loud­mouth Golf, there was no shortage throughout the course of loud, proud golf shirts, shorts and trousers.

A full slate of events

For the past two years, A. O. Smith has been a corporate sponsor of the MAM — in elite company with organizations such as Intel, Bosch, Michelob Ultra, Ben & Jerry’s, and Oshkosh.

“We got involved in the event because of our association with Tommy ‘Two Gloves’ Gainey,” explained A. O. Smith brand manager David Chisolm. “Tommy actually used to work at our McBee, S.C., plant, then won the Big Break show on TV, which served as a springboard for him to begin a pro golf career. We’re proud to sponsor him on the tour. Tommy’s agent Paul Graham got his start as the road manager for Hootie and the Blowfish before getting into sports marketing. Paul also serves every year as MAM tournament chairman. All of these connections work together to provide us with some great marketing opportunities. Paul approached us with the idea of becoming part of the MAM. It really made sense to us because we have operations in South Carolina, it’s a fundraising opportunity for that state’s youth, an opportunity to showcase our relationship with Tommy, and a great way to strengthen relationships with our customers and further build brand recognition.”

This year, A. O. Smith brought along a group of 40, including eight golfers. Travel arrangements were coordinated so everyone would arrive in Myrtle Beach on Saturday, which gave them a chance to spend some quality time together before the festivities began.

The MAM kicked off on Saturday night at the House of Blues as A. O. Smith hosted the Hootie and the Blowfish private concert for sponsors and their guests, along with the VIP Welcome Party, complete with everything branded A. O. Smith — signs, t-shirts, koozies etc. It was a great opportunity to build brand recognition not only with A. O. Smith’s guests, but also with everyone who attended.

“Our corporate objectives this year are to drive awareness, recognition and adoption of our innovative new high-efficiency product line,” Chisolm noted. “We are very excited about the changes taking place in the water heater market, so when planning for the MAM, we thought it fitting to invite customers who have shown the greatest interest and potential in focusing on these new products. It was important for us to reward them for their efforts. And because of the high-profile nature of the golf tournament, we wanted to make sure that the golfers we chose would be comfortable in that situation. As a corporate sponsor, in addition to our eight golfers, we were allotted a number of VIP passes so our regional sales managers were able to invite other wholesalers to come and be part of this great event.”

On Sunday, golfers took part in a practice round on the Dye Club at the Barefoot Resort, followed by Viewing Party for the final round of The Masters, a silent auction and a VIP party, all at the House of Blues. It was great fun as people within the A. O. Smith group took turns taking pictures of each other with the various celebrities mingling throughout the crowd. Ironically, one of the crowd favorites because of his genuine, friendly demeanor was professional wrestler Ric Flair, who spent his career strutting a rather egocentric, shall we say, image. Fans greeted Flair with his trademark “Woooo!” and he returned the favor, seeming to enjoy every minute of it.

On Monday, things shifted into high gear with sponsors and guests mingling in the clubhouse with all the pros and celebrities over breakfast, where this author heard one of the most classic lines ever uttered about marriage. After enduring some ribbing by others at our table for calling home to check in with his wife, former MLB player Mickey Tettleton remarked: “Oh, I still wear the pants in my family. My wife just tells me what color to put on.”

After breakfast, everyone made their way to the driving range for the national anthem duet sung by Rucker with Branford Marsalis on the saxophone. Television news anchor Craig Melvin — whose personality matched his neon polka dot silk pants — served as emcee for the long-drive competition, and the jokes, jabs and laughter were plentiful. Musician Josh Kelley — husband of actress Katherine Heigl and a former Division I golfer — won with a 274-yard drive.

The golf tournament was played in a best-ball format, with each team anchored by a pro and a celebrity (see box for a list of many who participated). The mood around the course was lighthearted, with food and beverage tents set up on various holes, and Melvin on a microphone on the tee box at #10. He spent time with each group as they made the turn, razzing some of the players, encouraging the musicians to sing a verse or two of their well-known hits, and getting the crowd involved in the fun.

A first-class event

A. O. Smith customer Doug Riley, vice president-sales for the Northern Division of Thos. Somerville, was understandably impressed by the experience. “Every facet of the event was first class,” he noted. “It was three days of great golf, great music, great business associates, and great food and drink. It was my first time at this event — but hopefully it’s not my last!”

Riley — who played with Tommy Gainey, country rapper Colt Ford, A. O. Smith regional sales manager John Bates, Columbia Pipe & Supply sales manager Jeff Kamholz and Dan Kelly, vice president-sales for the Southern Division of Thos. Somerville— described the day like this:

“Picture this — we started on hole #8, so #10 was really only our third hole. Well, the galleries around #10 were 4 and 5 people deep and the Golf Channel was at the Tee Box conducting and filming interviews with the celebrities and pros from each group during our 20-minute wait on the tee. I was first to hit in our group, and I have to say it was an amazing experience to tee off in front of a group like that with several hundred people and the Golf Channel watching. Not to mention, the last player in the group ahead to hit was PGA tour member Chris DiMarco, so here I was following him!

“I was fortunate to play with a wonderful group. We had great chemistry, and apparently a strong team since we were at the top of the leader board all day and only lost by one shot. I repeatedly saw Tommy Gainey and Colt Ford sincerely thanking the volunteers for helping.”

When asked what the best part of the event was for him, Riley was quick to point out that during the one-hour special that the Golf Channel aired on the MAM, they showed him making a long putt to keep his group at the top of the leader board. He also experienced a great moment on #18, which also had a large gallery around the green.

“I was the first to hit toward the green from 155 yards away in the fairway,” he described. “We could see the flag, but not the hole, so as my ball landed on the front of the green, it preceded to roll toward the hole, but out of sight to us. Just after the ball disappeared, we heard a collective ‘Oooohhh’ coming from the crowd. As we walked to the green to tap the short putt in for birdie, I asked how close the ball had been to going in and a guy held out his fingers to show less than 2 inches. That was a thrill.”

Kamholz, another member of Riley’s sixsome, was also duly impressed by the event — and A. O. Smith’s sponsorship of it — from start to finish.

“I do a lot of customer events with Columbia Pipe, and I know how much planning goes into it,” he remarked. “This was top shelf all the way around. There wasn’t a lot of down time from landing to checking in to the concerts, practice round, brunch, The Masters viewing party and tournament. Golfing with Tommy and Colt was a great experience, because they are both such outstanding golfers and a whole lot of fun. They were easy to talk with and kept things light and easy, so that we could relax when playing in front of these galleries that were all over the course. When you’ve got so many people watching you, it can be a bit unnerving, but once you got used to it, they were easier to block out. I actually enjoyed the pressure of the tournament event.

“And of course getting to meet so many celebrities was a lot of fun. I was impressed with how cordial and down-to-earth most of them were. With me being from Chicago, it was especially great getting to sit with Jim McMahon at The Masters viewing party. The event in its entirety is really incredible, and I have to thank A. O. Smith for their hospitality. They really thought of everything — even down to welcome gifts, snacks and beverages in our resort suite. It was first-class all the way.”

The event was teaming with volunteers — many of whom schedule their vacations around the MAM so they can come be part of it. It’s impossible to guess how many mini-vans and other large vehicles were brought in and driven by volunteers who made constant circles between the golf course, resort and House of Blues. There was never a wait for a ride, and no one had to worry about calling for cabs or trying to find parking.

And of course, there was music. Everyone was extremely impressed by the intimate evening of music provided by Hootie and the Blowfish for the Welcoming Party, but this author was absolutely blown away — as was everyone involved — by the All-Star Jam on Monday night.

The four members of Hootie and the Blowfish shared the House of Blues stage with a revolving cast of other musicians, many of whom then remained on stage to sing backup or play their instruments. Each of them had a chance to perform some of their biggest hits, which got the crowd on their feet singing along. Among those who took the stage were Branford Marsalis, Johnny Lee, Josh Kelley, Jack Ingram, Gary Valentine, Javier Colon, members of Sister Hazel, REM, Collective Soul and Union Station — and even John Daly with his guitar.

One of our own

The relationship between A. O. Smith and Tommy Gainey seems to be a win-win for all involved. As a former A. O. Smith plant employee who worked second shift wrapping insulation around water heaters, Gainey knows first hand the quality and care put into each product, and their continued sponsorship of him allows Gainey to pursue his dream in the world of professional golf while never forgetting his roots.
“It’s worked out well because Tommy’s one of our own and he understands who we are and what we provide as an organization,” explained Chisolm. “He’s such a genuine, approachable guy. It’s been very easy to leverage the partnership and we appreciate the way he interacts with our customers.”
According to A. O. Smith program manager Robin McLaughlin, participating in an elite event like this with a very limited number of sponsors is a very worthwhile investment.

“Sponsors and their guests don’t get ‘lost in the shuffle’ at the MAM,” she noted. “Being a corporate sponsor gives us pretty prominent placement and we get a lot of recognition throughout the event. The organizers make sure we get great exposure, all the way down to the swizzle sticks they put in people’s beverages. It’s a great opportunity to really showcase ourselves to customers.

“All the folks behind the scenes at the MAM have been doing this a long time and they’ve got it down a science now. They really pull out all the stops for the sponsors and make it very easy for us. They literally take care of all the details, so we get a lot of bang for our buck and impact for our customers. From the minute you step foot in Myrtle Beach, you feel like you’re getting VIP treatment. And the crowds are small enough that you can really rub elbows with all the pros and celebrities, as well as spend some quality time with your customers. Everyone from our group is still talking about how we knocked their socks off and that they will cherish this as a memory of a lifetime. And many already want to know how they can play again next year.”

Chisolm added, “Events like this are a great opportunity for us — not only with our existing customers but to build brand recognition among the public. There are so many positive things that have come out of our partnership with Tommy Gainey, Paul Graham and the MAM. It’s all about driving business objectives and putting on events like this to tie it all together. It’s fun and a great event, but at end of the day, it’s really about creating an impact to the bottom line.”

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