GCSAA TV: About Us

GCSAA TV: About Us
The Partnership
GCSAA TV is the result of a partnership between the Golf Course Superintendents Association of
America (GCSAA) and EPIC Creative. GCSAA TV brings you professionally produced video content
designed to educate, enlighten and entertain. In addition to extensive daily coverage, GCSAA TV
takes viewers behind the scenes at major golf tournaments, spotlights the latest university research,
offers first-hand tips from the industry’s environmental leaders, goes inside some of the nation’s most
innovative golf operations and offers special features on your professional association, its history and
the work it does each day for its members.
Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
Since 1926, GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage
golf courses in the United States and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kansas, the
association provides education, information and representation to more than 21,000 members in more
than 72 countries. GCSAA’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the
enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org.
EPIC Creative: High Quality Production by People Who “Get It”
EPIC Creative, the only communications and video production company that has specialized in golf
course maintenance marketing and education for 20 years, produces GCSAA TV. Through EPIC’s
proprietary Superintendents’ Video Workshop training series and Superintendents’ VideoMagazine
(SVM) and dozens of ongoing video projects for industry suppliers, EPIC works with hundreds of
superintendents every year. GCSAA TV was born out of EPIC’s desire to deliver SVM stories online,
bringing fresh, new, high-quality video content to more viewers more frequently than ever before.
High-definition (HD) broadcast equipment and turf-savvy production crews assure the utmost
professional production levels for viewing quality. GCSAA TV Sponsors know that they will always be
represented in the most professional manner possible. In addition, EPIC boasts the largest golf course
maintenance video and photo library in the world. They can “talk turf” to get the stories that matter to
superintendents and represent suppliers in the most meaningful way possible. Visit EPIC at www.epicwi.com.
By joining forces, GCSAA and EPIC Creative now bring you even more experience,
industry leading contacts and innovative ideas than any other golf course
maintenance video website.
GCSAA TV Home Page
Top Banner
Sponsored Video
Skyscraper
Scorecard Banner
Scorecard Banner
How is Viewership Driven?
GCSAA TV Aggressively Promoted
GCSAA constantly drives traffic to GCSAA TV through a wide variety of print and electronic
communications, calling superintendents’ attention to fresh new content as it becomes live.
• Full page ads in Golf Course Management (GCM) magazine promoting GCSAA TV and
featuring logos of Sponsors–every month!
• Feature editorials in GCM invite viewers to view the unique content video version of the story on GCSAA TV–every month!
• Live link to the latest GCSAA TV video story in GCM NewsWeekly–every week!
• Link on GCSAA home page inviting all visitors–every day!
• GCSAA This Week member newsletter promotions–every week!
• Press releases announce new Sponsor stories in GCM and GCM NewsWeekly–as they
come on board.
• Daily email to 48,000 during Golf Industry Show promoting same day show coverage.
New Content Added Every Week
Golf course superintendents throughout the world visit the site every week to see new footage of
other golf facilities, hear from their peers, catch up on the latest research, see new products and be
entertained by fun and popular short features like “What’s in Your Cart?” and “Tee It Up.” And they
like using video to share information with their managers.
Michael Rowe, Golf Course Superintendent, Sandridge Golf Course,Vero Beach, FL:
“Reading something is informative, but if you have a video to show your pro or Director of Golf that ‘this
is what other people in the industry are doing, and this is where I’d like to go,’ then it’s proactive for the
club. I think it’s great.”
Bruce Burger, CGCS, The Quarry, San Antonio, TX:
“I think it’s good to show to the owners, greens chairmen and the golf pro. Anytime you can educate
these folks about the maintenance side of the business, you’re better off.”
Viewership Reports
GCSAA TV had more than 11,000 video views by visitors from 73 countries in less than three
months! Since Day One of the launch, viewership data has been compiled and can be provided to
Sponsors upon request.
Embedded Videos
Available on the site is the ability for users to “embed” a GCSAA TV player into their own web pages,
broadcasting GCSAA TV content to their users, similar to YouTube. This creates more opportunities
for content to be viewed across the Internet and drive traffic to the GCSAA TV site. All views on
these embedded players are tracked.
How Can I Feature My Company?
Choose from a variety of Sponsorship and advertising opportunities to showcase your company and
products. All opportunities are available à la carte or in various value-added combination packages.
Five-Minute Feature Stories
Case studies, research, events coverage, new technology, how-to stories and testimonials provide valuable
information to educate your target audience. No existing video? EPIC will shoot and edit custom video
just for you, at no additional charge.* See your video on the GCSAA TV home page with “mouse over”
descriptors. Keywords are pre-entered into the site’s search engine, making it easy to find your message any time.
*Travel expense may apply, shared with others whenever possible.
:15 or :30 Ad Spots
“TV commercials” can be produced from existing video footage, photos, graphics and logos.You supply the
source materials––we’ll work with you to develop scripts and edit spots with professional voiceover, music
and graphics.Your spots will rotate as attachments to stories and be accessible through links.
Trade Show Booth Coverage
During GIS and other trade shows, a professional camera crew can come to your booth and interview a
company representative(s) to explain what you’re featuring in your booth (including product close-ups),
creating a “virtual tour” of your booth that will live online long after the show is over.
Post Your Existing Video
Sponsor-supplied videos can be posted with descriptors, then be linked from the Sponsor tabs and channels
and linked through keyword search.
Mechanics’ Bay
A forum for posting your operator and technician training videos. A custom landing page can be designed
and created for your company, with menus and links to your training videos.
Banner Ads
Three positions available: Top Banner, Skyscraper Banner, and Scorecard (size and position consistent
throughout the site). The Top Banner and Scorecard Banner can be flash files, but the Skyscraper Banner is
required to be static to avoid competing with adjacent video.Your supplied ads appear on the home page
and supporting pages in continuous rotation with other banner ads throughout the site. No existing banner
ads? EPIC can create them for you using your images for a nominal fee.
Available in Sponsorship Packages only
Corporate Profile Page
Your company can have a page of its own on the GCSAA website, designed from copy and images you
provide. Links to it are included in several areas of the GCSAA TV site, depending on the other content you
post, as well as links to your own site or any page on it.
Available in Sponsorship Packages only
2009 Rates
Sponsorship Package Value Adds
Logo in Print Ads
Logo in Electronic Promotions
Corporate Profile Page, with link
Skyscraper Ad, in rotation
Top Banner Ad, in rotation
Scorecard Ad, in rotation
GCM NewsWeekly – New Content Mention
GCSAA This Week – New Content Mention
Sponsored Video – Premier Position Affiliate
Sponsorship
$10,000
Yes
Yes
Yes
Network
Sponsorship
$20,000
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Premium
Sponsorship
$35,000
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Special Callout
Yes Special Callout
Yes
Sponsorship Opportunities
If your annual investment in GCSAA TV meets or exceeds the levels listed in the chart above, you qualify for
the indicated value adds to your Sponsorship Package. These options cannot be purchased separately and are
available only to our Sponsors. Additional opportunities include:
$5,000 Five-minute feature story (travel expenses may apply, shared with others whenever possible)
$3,000 :15 or :30 Ad spot
$1,000 Post existing video
$2,000 Trade show booth video coverage, 2-minutes
$5,000 Custom page on “Mechanics’ Bay” channel where you may post up to 20 operator and/or mechanic training videos (or approximately 5 hours of edited content)
$1,000
Corporate profile page, with link
$1,000/mo. Skyscraper ad, in rotation
$1,000/mo. Top banner ad, in rotation
$750/mo. Scorecard ad, in rotation
Ask us about Sponsorship Opportunities for recurring feature segments
Other Value Add Opportunities
Sponsorship package purchase may also qualify for value adds outside of GCSAA TV, including small fractional
ads in GCM, access to mailing lists and market research feedback (300 guaranteed responses).
Annual Term
Term begins at contract date and runs through December 31, 2009. Materials will be posted throughout the
term, according to the schedule you determine is best for you. At the end of the year, if you renew your
Sponsorship, all materials will remain live, in addition to new content you post for the next year. If you choose
to not renew your Sponsorship, your materials will be removed from GCSAA TV at the end of your term.
Video Parameters and Specifications
Once you select the Sponsorship Package or advertising opportunity that’s right for you, you’ll work
directly with EPIC Creative production specialists to evaluate your objectives and develop your story
and advertising messages. Together, we’ll develop a strategy and timetable that best suits your needs.
Rest assured that the utmost professional quality is put into every component we create for you.
5-Minute Feature Story
:15 or :30 Ad Spot
Half-day shooting: interviews and We can place Sponsor’s existing
supporting B-roll footage
:15 or :30 spots or edit a new
one from existing materials at no
EPIC selects interview clips and charge
writes script
Sponsor provides footage,
Sponsor makes changes and
photos, graphic images, direction
approves script
EPIC provides script writing,
Story edited with appropriate
voiceover, editing, music, logo,
voiceover, B-roll, music
simple graphics as needed, but
not shooting**
Sponsor can view story on FTP
**Exception: If we are already shooting a
site and make one round of
Sponsor story and can get footage for the
spot in the same half-day time frame
changes
Trade Show Booth Story
Available at GIS and other turf
shows where production crews
are already scheduled
Half- to one-hour shooting
of your prepared 2-minute
statement, plus shots in the
booth and editing with voiceover,
if needed
*For Sponsors who desire more extensive videos beyond the scope described, EPIC can provide production quotes.
Specifications for Sponsor-Provided Videos
Existing video materials should be provided in the highest quality video format possible. Preferred formats,
in order: HD Broadcast such as XDCam, then digital broadcast DVCam, Digi-Beta, or BetaCam SP. EPIC
uses advanced compression technology to provide maximum quality and optimal download speed.
Send video materials to:
EPIC Creative
Attn: Andy Burbach
3014 E. Progress Drive
West Bend, WI 53095
T 262.338.3700 x51
Video stories and ad spots are typically completed within 30 days of shooting or within 30 days of receipt
of source footage. Posted upon approval.
Banner Ad and Corporate Profile Parameters and Specifications
Banner Ads
Top Banners
Scorecards
Skyscraper ads
468 x 60 pixels
200 x 300 pixels
160 x 600 pixels
Provided as static or Flashanimated files, no more than
100K in size
Provided as static or Flashanimated files, no more than
100K in size
Provided as static files (no
animation, to prevent competing
with adjacent video), no more
than 100K in size
File type .swf, .jpg, .gif
File type .swf, .jpg, .gif
File type .jpg, .gif
If you need banner ads created, EPIC can provide design and programming for a nominal fee.
Corporate Profiles
For your Corporate Profile page, you provide up to three images (72 dpi PDF) and up to 300 words of
copy (or less, depending on the number of images), along with logos (300 dpi PDF), and Web links.
Send artwork files for banner ads, logos, and Corporate Profile pages to:
EPIC Creative
Attn: Timmothy Merath
3014 E. Progress Drive
West Bend, WI 53095
T 262.338.3700 x11
banners@epicwi.com
Ready-to-post materials will be posted within one week of receipt. Flash animations to be built by EPIC
from provided materials are typically completed within two weeks. Posted upon approval.