Beyond the dogwoods and azaleas that encircle the Augusta National Golf Club, the city of Augusta, Georgia, is Americana with strip malls, fast food and Wal-Mart.
But the image of the private golf course grounds and club are tightly controlled and scripted. It’s power and exclusivity with a friendly smile and southern drawl.
The Masters is like church. Reverence and respect. Rules and regulations. History and decorum. In short, everything the Web isn’t.
You won’t find viral YouTube videos. There are no “You da man!” cheers. Heck, you won’t hear CBS commentators talk about fans (they are called patrons).
It’s as if one week out of the year, people act like they are in the first pew, wearing their Sunday best.
I was at the tournament on Friday, Saturday and Sunday last year, and saw first-hand how many major U.S. corporations used to operate: one-way communication to customers.
Of course, your business should not strive for this aging model, which still works in a game of tradition that prides itself on honor and history.
No, your business is probably busy listening to customers and evolving. It has to in order to please its fans (not patrons).
