Today I received a direct mail from Golf Magazine. Golf Magazine is launching a co-branded card with Visa (MasterCard also offers co-branded credit cards). I started to think how we can use this idea in golf course marketing. In general, co-branded card work best for card issuers. This is because issuers actually save more money than they would by issuing their own credit card. We will have extra income from interchange fees. If the co-branded golf course card program will include discounted green fees, people will more likely to return to our golf course.
If this is still not enough, than think about this: we will get access such a powerful consumer insight database (in USA it is legal, in EU is prohibited since it violates privacy rights) that we could not get for such price. From this database we will know what, where and when they purchase. Based on these information we can come up with compelling promotion campaigns and adjust our pro-golf shop's assortment or even can initiate partnership with other companies (e.g. hotel, bank, insurance, car dealer and brand, jewelery, clothes&shoes, real estate etc). Yes, we should treat golf courses in the same way as other service providers.
Alpine Golf and KTC in Thailand launched co-branded card programme with Visa in 2007.