Visual Golf Blog

August is great for golfers visiting the fairways but this month we’re also excited about more strong statistics supporting video online.

If you’re still deciding whether online video is the latest Internet craze or is 100% here to stay, take a look at the latest report from e-marketer (Video Content: A Premium Opportunity).

The report into online video shows a continued upward trajectory of online video viewing, plus shows how audience levels are rising and how the demographic range of the viewing population is expanding.

It all makes good reading for us here at Visual Golf.

Although video production within the golf industry is still in its infancy now is the time to grab the initiative and look into online video production for your golf resort, club or destination. After all what better way to show the quality of your fairways and facilities online than through the medium of video? And the stats show it is here to stay…

Tim Stansbury
Managing Director – Visual Golf
www.visual-golf.com

Filming always starts early and the Visual Golf team were well on the road by 5.45am. But wow what a beautiful sunrise and a great time to be out on the golf course!

After a quick set up it was out on the buggies to catch the fantastic morning sunlight and start filming the shots of Director of Golf Gareth Williams and Golf Academy Director Matt Woods.

I really enjoy filming days, you get to know your clients very well and there are always some very amusing takes, retakes and retakes again, which get us all going and in the mood for a good day out. Gareth and Matt turned in a very professional performance and our thanks go to them for making us feel very welcome, as well as holing a number of monster putts!

We covered a lot in the morning session including panoramic views of the golf course, tee shots, fairways and greens as well as a detailed review of the 11th – Gareth’s favourite hole.  We nearly caught a fish too! Well not us exactly… we just missed filming a catch in the river that runs through the grounds, but that’s what all fishermen say.

The afternoon was short but sweet, consisting of an interview with Christopher Strong, the GM at Donnington Grove, plus filming all the delights the hotel had to offer including the newly completed Summer House, the Manor Rooms of the hotel, the restaurant and bar area, the grand entrance and much much more. There was also a great moment late on when one of the proshop team was desperate to get his golf glove in the production… maybe next time.

We were wrapped up by 7pm, back on the road to London and back to the office the next day for editing to begin. Within 14 days the final production was live on the Donnington Grove and Visual Golf websites, ready to impress visiting golfing enthusiasts.

Well done to all involved.

Tim Stansbury
Managing Director – Visual Golf
www.visual-golf.com

From putting together a number of client presentations I have managed to gather some fascinating statistics about the use and future trends of online video. 

I thought that blog readers would be interested in some of the key findings that are relevant to our marketplace, especially when considering golf video production and golf video distribution.

The research group Forrester have produced some particularly interesting stats and that along with a few other predictions provide a strong case for the power of online video viewing:

• 71% of the online adult population will watch online video in 2009 – Forrester 2009
• The average online American spent nearly 189 minutes viewing Internet video in May 2009, a 49% increase vs May 2008 – Nielsen Online 2009
• The number of online videos viewed will double over the next five years – Forrester 2009
• More than two-thirds (67%) of advertising, marketing and media executives say that online video is the primary focus of their 2009 digital marketing campaigns – Marketingcharts.com 2009

From where we’re sitting these stats make pretty tasty reading.

As the golf industry continues to embrace online video, Visual Golf strongly recommends acting swiftly with regard to enjoying the benefits that online video can offer. If online video is not in your golf venue or destination marketing budgets for this year, put it in for 2010 and make sure that as web based platforms are developed they have the synchronicity required for online video in the near future.

Tim Stansbury
Managing Director – Visual Golf
www.visual-golf.com

Hello fellow golf industry professionals and golf enthusiasts. I am Tim Stansbury and this is the start of the Visual Golf Blog.

The date has finally arrived and after months of hard work Visual Golf has been formally launched to the golfing press and marketing professionals. The last few months have been a flurry of non-stop ideas, meetings and the occasional round or two at some lovely golf resorts and I want to thank all the people who have helped me make this vision a reality.  My colleagues at Visual Golf and my suppliers have been unstinting in their efforts and support and we are now up and running.

A bit of background about myself.

I graduated from the University of Wales (Cardiff) with a BA in Leisure and Recreation Management and took my love of the game of golf into the industry with seven years spent at a leading online golf travel company.   In addition to working on specific corporate client accounts, business and product development I was responsible for initiating and maintaining relationships with numerous top flight golf resorts, hotels, golf clubs, tourist boards and golf tour operators in some 25 destinations throughout Europe, Africa and the United States.

Over the last seven years not only has the golf industry changed beyond recognition but so has the way people make specific golfing choices. The Internet has accelerated the consumers direct purchasing decisions and this has speedily given rise to increased expectations when researching and purchasing on the web.  It is now the norm to expect golf resorts and golf clubs to offer high class websites containing stunning visual content and interesting, informative copy, as well as the ability to make bookings online. Increasingly the online expectations of purchasers have risen, demanding interactive functionality and improved visual content.

This is where Visual Golf arrives on the scene.

The company’s main goal is to provide video production and distribution services to the golf industry.  In this fast paced sector we provide golf venues and golf destinations with the ability to fulfil increased customer demand for an online visual experience, which is proven to generate enquiries, increase sales conversions and strengthen brand identity.  We tailor each golf video production to the marketing needs of the customer bearing in mind all the latest research on online viewing and purchasing methods. All of our clients will have a story that they want to tell and our cameramen and script writers will provide the content and a format that fits the bill, in addition to hands on project management of the production itself.

It’s been an exciting few months and along with my colleagues I look forward to more twists and turns. Watch this space for more news and views from in front and behind the camera.

Tim Stansbury
Managing Director – Visual Golf
www.visual-golf.com