Women = The fastest growing segment in the golf industry.

Women are taking to the golf course in record numbers. And savvy marketers are following them there. As the PGA and the rest of the golf industry expand efforts to get more women stepping onto the tee, companies like KPMG and others are incorporating this trend into their overall approaches.

TREND QUICK STATS:

TREND GRAPHIC!!!

TREND INDICATOR:

The PGA launches a world-wide initiative to bring more women into the game.
SOURCE: Forbes.com

CLICK HERE TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE

Like their male counterparts, more and more top-level female executives are playing golf – both for professional and personal advancement. As more women postpone childbirth to pursue higher levels of education, it has followed that many more women are entering executive positions in corporations. Consequently, recent research shows these female executives understand that, historically, golf has always been the official game of business.

“Our research shows that there are millions of women who want to participate in golf, “says Sandy Cross, who oversees the PGA initiative for advancing women in golf, “but they don’t feel welcome. They haven’t been invited.”

TREND INDICATOR:

KMPG uses golf to address women’s leadership in business.
SOURCE: The Wall Street Journal

CLICK HERE TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE

When KPMG International decided to return to TV advertising after more than a decade, it was very telling that they did so with commercials to promote the inaugural KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit, a conference for women leaders held during the week of the golf tournament. Proceeds from the championship will be used to fund year-round programs to help develop future women leaders.

John Veihmeyer, global chairman of KPMG spoke at length about the organization’s deep efforts and programs to empower women and to address gender inequality issues facing women in the business world – ranging from the wage gap between men and women, diversity on corporate boards and the presence of women in C-suite posts in male-dominated fields like technology.

The TV commercials feature golf champions Phil Mickelson and Stacy Lewis. In the ad entitled “Glass Ceilings,” Ms. Lewis literally breaks a glass ceiling in a board room with a golf ball she has hit from the tee.

WATCH THE KPMG GLASS CEILINGS COMMERCIAL

WHY THIS TREND IS IMPORTANT:

When a global firm like KPMG recognizes the relevance and resonance of golf with women in business, it should serve as a confirmation to researchers and marketers – golf is truly gaining steam as a place to reach powerful and influential female consumers. This involvement with women’s golf is part of an all-encompassing strategy by KPMG which has included other efforts such as – created an advisory council for the women’s leadership summit, including leaders across business, sports and media such as Ms. Lewis; Vice Chair of KPMG’s advisory business, Lynne Doughtie; Nasdaq President Adena Friedman and General Dynamics CEO Phebe Novakovic. “It’s a great way to showcase what we’re doing to advance women in a very tangible way in sport, in golf specifically, but then use it to tell a broader story,” said Mr. Veihmeyer. KPMG says that almost 63% of its employees in the U.S. are women or racially diverse. A quarter of KPMG’s board members are women.

That’s a company, and a trend, that makes Brand X take notice.