DALLAS, TX: Topgolf Entertainment Group, which creates local hubs complete with restaurants, driving ranges and other activities, has named IPG’s Mediahub its new media agency of record following an internal review that began late last year and wrapped up this month. Prior to the review, Topgolf split its media investment between two smaller media agencies, which the brand declined to name. With this new and expansive partnership, Mediahub will take on all of Topgolf’s paid media duties.

The announcement comes following a series of leadership changes at the brand, including its CMO, COO and CPO. With expansion underway and a $2 billion merger in 2020 with sports equipment manufacturer Callaway, the company is eager to target consumers on a more granular level.

New leaders at the helm

Before joining Topgolf, the brand’s new CMO Geoff Cottrill was head of marketing at Coca-Cola North America and led strategy across marketing, sports and entertainment properties for all Coca-Cola brands. He also served as general manager and CMO for Converse, as well as worked in marketing leadership roles at Starbucks and Procter & Gamble.

When Cottrill came onboard, he traveled across the country and visited different Topgolf venues, he told Adweek. “We decided it was time to consolidate our messaging, to get clear on our messaging and better connect through media,” he said.

Not unlike car dealerships or franchised restaurants, Topgolf must connect with consumers on a local level and find a way to connect with very different segments to relay the same message. It comes down to “not making the mistake of thinking that it’s a big, giant scaled national campaign. It’s got to be tailored to the market, because the market is different. Greenville, South Carolina is different from Orlando, Florida,” said Cottrill.

Scaling with a nimble partner

While Topgolf needed a partner it could scale with, it didn’t select Mediahub because of its size or status as a holding company subsidiary. Cottrill appreciated Mediahub’s small and nimble approach to campaigns and the agency’s focus on injecting creative into media.

Mediahub, which prides itself on working with what it calls “challenger brands,” is a good fit for Topgolf because the company is changing the golf business, said the CMO. The brand is changing the game by broadening its appeal to more diverse demographics and calling attention to more interesting brand sponsorships and apparel in the fashion space.

Mediahub is known for its boundary-pushing campaigns. It worked with Netflix to advertise shows like Black Mirror and Altered Carbon, and won Adweek’s Media Plan of the Year award in 2018.

“Topgolf is a true innovator in modern golf entertainment, and we’re excited to partner with them for this next phase of growth,” a representative from Mediahub wrote in an email to Adweek.

“We’re an off-course version of a game that’s been around for hundreds of years. So challenging and understanding our role in the game and how we’re bringing new players to the game is really exciting,” said Cottrill.