Michelleraponi / Pixabay
A detailed overview of the importance of altruistic sponsorship in the golf industry
- Altruistic Golf Apparel Company addresses gender and social inequalities in their sport.
- Partnership with some of the biggest stars in the world including Canelo Alvarez and Christina Kim
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has arguably changed not only the way we live, but also the social and economic issues that we are prioritizing.
“The largest Turkish equity analyst in the world” An interview with Mesut Ellialtioglu
Data from the Institute of International Finance found that net foreign inflows into emerging market portfolios accelerated to nearly three times what it was in May last month. With inflows into emerging markets picking up, ValueWalk decided to create a profile of an emerging market fund manager: Mesut Ellialtioglu, Investment Officer Turkey, Talas Turkey Value Fund at Read More
This has probably also expanded to the world of competitive sports, which has undergone significant changes. Today, team members and fans alike seem to emphasize traditional industry standards to a much lesser extent, and are more likely to begin to ask external questions about the relative activism, altruism, and brand support that certain athletes advocate.
In general, sports companies have been affiliated with nonprofits and charities that sponsor the sponsorship of athletes for decades. While such altruism has always been welcomed in sports, it rarely addressed the real problems and disparities that existed within the sports industry. A seemingly adequate value orientation is now an essential element of a sufficient marketing strategy for global sports sponsorship; Fans want to know exactly what certain actors or brands are doing to recognize certain social problems and to tackle them selflessly. These can range from very large-scale environmental issues – such as sustainability – to internal indicators of prejudice in the industry such as gender inequality.
Oahu Golf Apparel (OGA)– a well-known golf apparel company, has personally taken a leadership role in tackling the persistent gender inequalities in its industry. In a male dominated field where the vast majority of sponsors remain for male athletes, the Hawaii-based brand is taking massive steps to correct the mistakes of their field and provide female athletes with appropriate golf apparel and sponsorship.
Christina Kim affiliation
The major brand includes a variety of golf stars, including Christina Kim, an American professional golfer currently participating in both the Ladies European Tour (LET) and The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour.
” I was lucky enough to be there when she was here in Hawaii … I went up to her and just told her what I was about. We were immediately drawn to each other. She jumped on board and has been an ambassador ever since .”- Tim Hazelgrove, Founder and CEO of Oahu Golf Apparel, on meeting Christina Kim.
Hazelgrove takes a holistic approach that addresses a wide variety of field-related inequalities and ensures that certain elements of gender inequality within the golf industry are addressed through a variety of sponsorships that provide sportswear to both sexes equally.
For example, the company has shed light on the fact that people of a certain body weight face severe discrimination in the golf industry. This is because most golf apparel items are posted in a maximum size of 2XL. Anyone who needs a size between 3-6 XL will undoubtedly struggle to find good quality equipment and wherever they do they usually have to buy that equipment at a much higher price.
Oahu has also addressed this problem. Contrary to the usual policy of the market giants such as Nike, Under Armor and Matte Gray, OGA has decided to offer golf clothing that goes up to size 7XL with an additional premium. Regardless of height, the brand believes that no one should be punished for their weight.
Encouraging children to participate
The altruistic brand Initiatives aim to enable all young and adolescent children to play golf in a fruitful way without having to meet any social or economic requirements. As a result, they can pursue a professional career within the sport if they so choose, without breaking the bank to purchase equipment.
This is an important initiative as the benefits of competitive sports for children are well documented. Corresponding Stanford Child Health, participation in competitive sport from a young age can significantly improve a child’s ability to “learn physical and social skills”.
Tim Hazelgrove agrees, and says that he believes golf, in particular, can greatly help children of all backgrounds as it can create an international culture of inclusion that can: promote children’s social skills, help them make lifelong friendships and to convey noble values to them.
One last shot
OGA’s altruistic attempts to solve some of the key social problems mentioned above have not gone unnoticed. As briefly mentioned above, consumers are increasingly choosing to value advanced commercial initiatives, which is arguably reflected in the deep growth the company has seen since its inception in 2016.
Updated on July 13th, 2021, 4:24 am