Why should we focus on attracting families and particularly females to the game?
Women
The gatekeepers to the family
“The word INFLUENCE may sound soft, but make no mistake, it’s important. It means that when a woman and her spouse make a purchase jointly, as with a new car or home, the woman is the primary influencer.
If she doesn’t approve of something, her husband (or her kids) probably won’t get it. It works the other way around, too—if a woman wants something, she’ll often find a way to persuade her husband or other family members to get it. This combination of purchasing power and influence is the reason women dominate the consumer economy.”
Bridget Brennan | Author, “Why she Buys” (ibid)
Grocery purchases
Healthcare purchases
Personal computer purchases
New car purchases
“Our world is changing. Women now have more influence than at any other time in our history, and these shifting demographics are having a profound effect on our culture, our society, and the economy. Their increasing power as an emerging market represents an industry-changing opportunity.”
(ibid)
“By their own report, a majority of women feel that those companies speaking to them don’t understand their needs and their desires. Great opportunities exist for golf facilities that are willing to listen to the needs of these consumers, tailor communications to them, and create opportunities specifically for them.”
(ibid)
Managerial Positions
Women now represent half of the workforce and are gaining responsibility in senior leadership positions – Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
College Graduates
Women now represent the majority of graduates receiving bachelor’s degrees – Source – National Association of Colleges & Employers
Household Income
In dual-earning couples, women contributed an average of 44% of family income. Source – Time Magazine
“Based on consumer feedback, we found that clubs’ ‘stuffiness’ and overbearing rules were barriers to some visiting. Having strict rules on attire meant families and the like were going elsewhere for lunches, drinks and dinner. Our new dress code has allowed a family to come and enjoy the facilities without having to worry about what they wear.”
Underpinning
Leading industry research highlighting the value of the female consumer
In the VISION 2020 questioner we asked golf course owners and managers what market they see the greatest potential in, the response was an overwhelming 73% in favour of the female market.
Why should we focus on attracting families and particularly females to the game?
Why do young people play sports & what are they looking for? Does golf tick all the boxes? This Infographic below is taken from an excellent recent research by Syngenta on Youth Participation.
So how do we take all this theory and put it into practice in attracting more females and families to our golf facilities?
The research also highlighted the huge opportunities around female and youth participation and the importance of access to affordable coaching for new players.
''By attracting families to the facilities a lot of new players will be entering the game. Three generations of players can be attracted by the social structure of the family. Junior, female and senior participation will increase. Customer research clearly shows the opportunities to retain current customers and attract (potential) customers to the facility ”
The current golf facility business model does clearly not fulfil the woman desires. This creates barriers for woman to engage in the game of golf which is a huge missed change for the industry. By finding these barriers and ad women’s value, the golf facility can become a place to be for women.
Women are social animals, they have a strong focus on the personal connection while communicating. They see building relationships as a strong point of success. (text and image on the right sourced from Golf 2.0)
Lets understand the core values of women
It is easy to recognise that consumers purchase what they value, as some say, we speak with our wallets. Selling a product or service rests on the ability to understand the customer’s needs and values, while presenting them with the product or service that BEST ALIGNS WITH THESE VALUE.
The current landscape of the golf industry has created barriers for women who want to participate in the game. These barriers are created by misaligning the facility experience and program with what women actually value. While these barriers exist, making the right adjustments can turn those barriers into opportunities.
By aligning your facility with what women value, you will have the opportunity to leverage these opportunities for success. These changes will not negatively impact your male customers and in most cases will provide benefits for them as well.
Potential Female Golfers – What would encourage you to give golf a try?
The results clearly highlights women’s preference to play with friends and family, an important factor for clubs to understand. Among existing golfers, 67% said they prefer to play with family and friends. Among the non-golfing females, 47% said they would be encouraged to give golf a try if more of their friends and family participated. Feedback from the research, as well as anecdotal evidence, suggests the social aspect to golf is important to women.
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Up to 59% of existing female golfers said they sometimes feel intimidated by other club members and staff. Inviting new female customers to a sample session may be counterproductive if they are not made welcome in the club house. Interestingly, nearly half of all women golfers (48%) said their children play golf (compared to 37% of men), indicating a potentially important role for females in the nurturing of young players.
So how do we take all this theory and put it into practice in attracting more young golfers to our golf facilities?
In order to successfully market golf as a fun and enjoyable game to the younger generations we need to first understand their current perception of the game. Below an excellent info graphic from Syngenta.
Source: Syngenta – The Opportunity to Grow Golf: Youth Participation (2014)
So what can golf do to attract new young players into the sport? Specifically, what can clubs and courses do to develop a future pipeline of players while maintaining their existing core customers?
Source: Syngenta – The Opportunity to Grow Golf: Youth Participation (2014)
''Ability Tees – If we remove the ‘Gender’ out of the teeing system not only will golfers have more fun they will move around the course quicker and have more time to spend in the bar. The sexual orientation of tee markers is not only antiquated it is preventing courses from increasing revenues. If a senior male or beginning child or woman wishes to play from the forward tee box then let them, but at present the senior gent or beginning gent will not because the machismo effect kicks in and they refuse to play off the ‘Ladies tees’.
What?
What examples can I learn from and what can I do to make my facility more family, female and youth friendly?