With a growing emphasis on recovery, flexibility, and durability in professional sports-medicine, an advertising partnership of this magnitude is a great way for Massage Envy to spread their message to the golf fan, a market that may not have knowledge of it. The PGA Tour, or Professional Golfers Association, is the pinnacle of the sport.
Professional golfers, along with many other pro athletes, are turning to massage as a part of their wellness routine. Notable golfer Rickie Fowler has been quoted multiple times about the benefits of massage to his game. Fowler, who tied for fifth in last week’s U.S. Open, is among the most popular players on tour. Having such a prominent player as a spokesperson for receiving massage services, could be a huge boon for this partnership. While he’s never specifically endorsed Massage Envy, his stated preference for therapeutic treatments could produce an ideal face of the new campaign for both parties.
Massage therapy has permeated professional sports in other respects as well. Many pro teams have massage therapists on staff, right along with doctors, chiropractors, and physical therapists. The PGA Tour has begun to provide massage therapy for players and caddies. At the recent U.S. Open in Erin Hills, WI, a 119-member wellness staff was recruited and hired, including massage therapists, physical therapists, chiropractors, and more (Read full article). Another article, piggybacking on a point made by Jeff Poplarski in Ziehm’s article above, stated that in the wellness tent, caddies were given preference even over the significantly more famous golfers.
The four-year deal agreed to by the PGA Tour and Massage Envy is the first of its kind for a professional sports league. While teams have, in the past, have run sponsorships with massage establishments and wellness centers, no evidence could be found of a league-wide agreement such as this. As massage therapists, we know that our industry is growing, and, as of this week, it’s made a huge leap.
Read Erik Matuszewki’s story in Forbes about the partnership here.