Park Jae-hyuk is a seasoned journalist who has provided comprehensive coverage of South Korea's corporate dynamics, economic policies, industry challenges and the global positioning of Korean companies. Based on the articles he has written since joining The Korea Times in 2016, his investigative approach has helped readers understand corporate governance, economic trends and business strategies shaping South Korea’s economy.
SMEs emerge as new sponsors of female golfers
Ryu So-yeon raises the trophy after winning the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in this June 25 photo. The logo of Mediheal, Ryu’s main sponsor, stands out on the golfer’s cap and shirt. / AFP-Yonhap
By Park Jae-hyuk
This is the third in a series on Korean companies sponsoring female golfers. ─ ED.
By Park Jae-hyuk
When Yang Hee-young went two years without a sponsor after winning the 2013 LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship, the company that gave her a helping hand was not a conglomerate or a finance company.
At the 2015 Evian Championship, on her cap was the logo of PNS, a medium-sized window and door maker not familiar to most people.
Yang and PNS signed a sponsorship deal at the event venue, the day before the tournament.
“I was so excited about the deal,” Yang said at that time. “I’ve had to play my rounds without a main sponsor over the past two years, so I consoled myself, trying to focus only on my game.”
PNS CEO Nam In-seok spoke highly of Yang’s ability to achieve good results in the face of adversity. “Her adventurous spirit accords with the image of our company, so we decided to sponsor her,” the CEO was quoted as saying.
Although Yang placed fourth at the 2016 Rio Games, she captured the trophy at this year’s Honda LPGA Thailand.
PNS has become one of the representative sponsors for female golfers as it also sponsors other female Korean golfers like Jeong Seul-gi, Kwak Bo-mi, Kim So-yi and Kim Kyu-ly.
Promising continuous support for the stars and new players, the company said it expects the female golfers to demonstrate their improved abilities for their fans.
Like PNS, a growing number of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have begun to carry out golf marketing, which has long been regarded as the exclusive domain of large firms and finance companies.
The SMEs sponsoring golfers include medium-sized builder Munyoung, golf simulation operator SG Golf, domestic whisky producer Golden Blue and golfwear makers such as Castelbajac and JDX Multisports.
They chose golf as a useful marketing tool to promote their companies.
Among the various SMEs, cosmetics companies have especially concentrated on golf marketing.
L&P Cosmetics, which is well-known for its facial masks under the Mediheal brand, began to sponsor the world’s top female golfer Ryu So-yeon, who won the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship and the ANA Inspiration this year.
The firm also sponsors the KLPGA Tour’s Kim Na-ri, Choi He-yong, Lee Da-yeon and Kim Ji-eun, as well as Chinese golfer Zhang Weiwei.
“We will improve our brand awareness in the U.S., European and Chinese markets through sports marketing,” an L&P Cosmetics official said. “Also, we will set up the image of premium products as a leading brand in the facial masks market.”
Tonymoly, another Korean cosmetics brand, has also sponsored female golfers since 2013. It has sponsored KLPGA Tour golfers including Lee Jeong-eun and Yoo Seung-yeon.
Industry officials said sponsoring golfers allows cosmetics companies to promote their brands to customers in the United States and European countries at relatively low costs.