Callaway Partners with LinkedIn for Social Networking Campaign for Golfers

Integrated media and technology program pulls from a golfer's LinkedIn network to create the ultimate foursome

(CARLSBAD, Calif.) - Callaway Golf Company launched a social media networking campaign in partnership with LinkedIn. The application, which lives on www.CallawayHitTheLinks.com, introduces a modern approach to the long-held tradition of networking on the golf course. Within the app, golfers designate an ultimate foursome using their LinkedIn network of professional contacts, and submit the group for a chance to win a golf "business" trip that includes a custom club fitting at Callaway's California headquarters and a round of golf.

"We are disrupting the traditional influence models in golf because golfers' expectations about how they experience brands has changed dramatically," said Harry Arnett, SVP, Callaway Golf. "This partnership and concept are exciting because no other company has used LinkedIn's API in this way before, and we're using it to connect passionate golfers. It furthers our commitment to being the most transparent, most connecting, most engaged brand in golf."

The experience begins with users logging into the application via LinkedIn Connect, which then generates a recommended foursome through an innovative use of LinkedIn's API (application programming interface). The three connection types created from the API within the foursome are:
• The Company Insider: Someone within the user's company. The API seeks out a golfer first, but if one isn't available, then the person with the most appropriate title is selected.
• The Business Contact: Someone in the user's network and industry that the user has the most connections in common with.
• The Golfer: To find the passionate golfer in the user's network, the API references attributes such as interests and group membership. The person with the highest number of connections in common will be selected.

Participants can also "mulligan" out the recommended connections and handpick their foursome by browsing their professional network. The first 1,000 participants will receive a dozen Callaway HEX Chrome+ balls, the Company's newly released, fastest Tour-level golf ball.

Terry Dry, President of Fanscape, Callaway Golf's social media agency, said "LinkedIn is the perfect partner to create this experience. In addition to having our target demo LinkedIn users are already talking about golf, they're creating golf groups and listing golf as an expertise to attract connections. In fact, Callaway is the most popular golf brand on the network and will be the first sporting goods brand to do anything of this scale on the platform. It's a natural extension that provides value to all partners."

For Callaway, the Hit the Links campaign follows an innovative "Tweet to Unleash" introduction of its RAZR Fit Xtreme driver earlier in the season. This Twitter-based product introduction used real-time social conversation to unlock product content, breaking ranks with traditional product announcements and marking a first for the golf industry. Additionally, the Company's "Holiday Hit the Pin" sweepstakes on Pinterest was the first time a golf manufacturer had meaningfully connected with golfers on that medium, in this case by encouraging them to create a board with their dream bag of Callaway clubs.

The Callaway campaign with LinkedIn, called "Hit the Links," runs until May 24 at www.callawayhitthelinks.com.

Contact: AmericanGolferBlog@gmail.com