Marketing 101 – Added Value

I worked with a young band yesterday that are only learning the ropes of the music business but they have the concept of added value down pat. Like many other bands they were selling their new CD at the merch table. As an added value, any fan that bought the album at the merch table got a wrist band that allowed them to meet the band after the show and get their CD autographed. Though many bands these days do meet the fans after the show and sign autographs, by giving the fans a wristband they did something special that made the fan all the more special, like they had been given entry into an exclusive club. The show was sold out. Out of 550 people at the show, an amazing 197 albums were sold! Some fans, who already had the album, bought it again, just so they could get the wristband and meet the band. The cost if the wristband to the band? less than 25 cents.

Now, take that concept to your golf course. Is there an added value that you can add to the greens fee that doesn’t cost you much but might encourage golfers to return again and again? If you choose to make the value add a custom item from the pro shop, remember that you’ll have to change that item every few weeks so that returning players don’t get the same item over and over. Of course, if the value add was a gift certificate or a voucher for a free 15 minute lesson from a pro…I think that you can figure this out from here.