It remains the million dollar question…can you sell women's athletes just as athletes with good stories, or do you need the sex appeal to make them interesting to the casual sports fan. The LPGA is again trying to play that balance as it comes to the New York area next weekend, pulling in the business community, the athleticism and just enough sizzle to try and lure interest from brands looking for the best possible ROI, and priming the New York golf market before the men's US Open rolls into Bethpage Black in a few weeks. So how do you balance both side. Darren Rovell's blog post on Australian golfer Anna Rawson has her manager taking the sex sells over ability approach , with the thought being her mainstream appeal will explode when she plays well enough to win, and if she doesn’t win she will still have enough casual interest to continue to draw the big dollar. On the non-golf push, a great piece the Daily Press Friday went into detail on the LPGA's use of social media to attract fans and identify with a larger fan base. The answer is a good mix of all three, with the unknown being what that critical mass will be to a sponsor. Male or female, personality, accessability and now the ability to integrate multiple platforms with a management team are a part of the play for brand success for league or athlete. Having the charisma and the winning edge is also key, but at the end of the day to have the ultimate package you need to win. Most people in their daily lives can find friends or colleagues that have pieces of the combination, but the ability to have all is what brand marketers and fans both want. In a challenged economy that balance is critical as a sport like golf, now falls under the category of discretionary spend after being “essential” when times were better for brands. So can you sell women's sports golf based just on athletic abilit. In this economy the real answer is you can’t really sell ANY sport based just on athletic ability. You need to have almost all of the package to be a good buy, and the LPGA is trying to create the best package with all those pieces for the marketplace.
