I find the 40th Porsche European Open (1-4 June) interesting because the news broke in the Guardian last week that Porsche’s sponsorship had become doubtful. This may have arisen because Paul Casey and Martin Kaymer were banned from European Open (see DP World Tour vs. LIV Golf battle).
The absence of these tour players from the 40th Porsche European Open is interesting because Casey is an ambassador for Porsche and Kaymer is one of Germany’s most high-profile golfers.
Henrik Stenson had to resign from the Porsche European Open too.
40th Porsche European Open & 75th birthday for Porsche AG
The Porsche European Open – on Porsche Nord Course – is important for Porsche this year because it is also celebrating its 75th anniversary. In the area next to the golf course, Porsche World will also provide the festive setting for the brand’s 75 anniversary.
That’s for sure now the title holder Kalle Samooja (Finland) will try to defend his title. Nick Bachem, Marcel Siem, Max Kieffer, and Yannick Paul will participate too.
This is what we will see & get
- A dream car will be on offer on the 17th hole for a dream shot over the water hazard. Anyone acing the Par 3 can look forward to a Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo in Mamba Green Metallic.
- Only the player topping the leaderboard at the end of each day’s play earns the right to drive the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S.
- The already famous Ferris wheel right behind the 18th green and the biggest ever Public Village is primarily the opportunity to enjoy a real-life Porsche experience.
- Tournament guests can once again hope to win the official hole-in-one car as the famous Porsche Public Hole-in-One is a part of the Porsche World – one of the event’s top spots in the Public Village. The prize is a Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo.
- A part of the Porsche experience for the fans is also the chance to drive a Porsche – at least that is virtually or in a model in the Gaming Area containing professional simulators and a slot car track.
- Porsche Owners‘ Garden with its spacious terrace and an exceptional view of proceedings. Porsche owners receive one of the limited places in one of the time slots after presenting their car key when checking into Porsche Parking.
- Porsche customers from Germany will themselves wield their clubs for a 9-hole tournament at the neighboring Süd Course on Saturday, 3 June, and will also enjoy other exclusive moments like a private guided tour around the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg.
- The victorious teams at the 2020 and 2022 Porsche Golf Cup World Finals and other Porsche Golf Circle members also have the opportunity to tee off side by side with a top player in the Pro-Am tournament on Wednesday, 31 May.
Fan behavior changes and shifts
It is very good to hear that the organizers understood, tour players have a high potential to establish connections with fans than golf clubs or brands in general.
The increased trust in tour players aligns with the growth seen by micro and nano influencers. Nano-influencers have got less than 10,000 followers, while micro-influencers have got between 10-50,000 followers.
What is not clear to me at the moment is which OTT platform will be used for broadcasting. Did you know Warner Bros Discovery has decided to shut down its GolfTV OTT streaming platform in 2022? It covered the tournaments of the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.
I am convinced that avid golf fans expect to be able to stream their favorite golf tournaments including the Porsche European Open. It is in the interest of every golf sponsor to get a better and faster return on their investment.
The future of golf tournaments such as the Porsche European Open depends on its fans. Hence, the organizers must follow closely these people changing behavior. Can we attract a sufficient size of digital audience??
We must broaden our appeal amongst digitally-savvy, younger audiences!!
If I were the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour or LIV Golf, I would create owned digital platforms that allow their content to be discovered by non-core golf tournament views by utilizing data analytics to create stronger fan links.
