How Charles Schwab Used Data to Discover Golf Fans Love Muscle Cars

When Charles Schwab became the title sponsor of the golf tournament formerly and colloquially known as The Colonial in 2019, the brand wanted to activate differently around the tournament to engage more than just golf fans. As a marquee stop along the PGA Tour calendar, the Colonial Country Club has been a fan favorite among locals within the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, and Charles Schwab sought to give the tournament winner a marquee trophy, in addition to the traditional prize of a plaid jacket. “Even before rebranding the tournament as the Charles Schwab Challenge, we wanted to challenge the status quo of what we wanted it to be,” said Mason Reed, Charles Schwab’s svp of retail activation and corporate marketing. To do that, Charles Schwab turned to creative agency Episode Four. Schwab has worked with the shop to produce the Challenger’s digital content series, the SchwabGolf.com website, the on-site tournament signage and the Champion’s Prize since the financial services company began title sponsorship of the event two years ago. Using data to reimagine the Charles Schwab Challenge's prize While analyzing data on the interests of golf fans and the greater region of the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, the Episode Four team uncovered one deep interest in particular: muscle cars. The timing of Charles Schwab's first year as the tournament's title sponsor couldn’t have worked out better. It happened to be the 73rd anniversary of the tournament, and 1973 was when Charles Schwab was founded. Playing on that theme, the marketing team worked together to create a prize fit for the occasion: a one-of-a-kind custom 1973 Dodge Challenger dubbed “The Schwab Challenger.” The brand even invited players with matchbox miniatures of the car. The 2019 prize was a customized Challenger. Reed said the team chose the car for the Champion's Prize not only because of its model year, but because it "embodied our challenger brand spirit—challenging the status quo in our industry on behalf of investors." In its first year, the '73 Challenger prize was a smashing success, and 2019 winner Kevin Na gifted his new ride to his longtime caddie, Kenny Harms, who happened to be a natural car enthusiast. A new car for 2021 This year's trends signaled a particular appetite for trucks in Texas, with most dealerships selling more trucks than cars. “We are in Texas, after all, so we truly wanted to go big,” said Teddy Lynn, founding partner of Episode Four. “This year is the 75th anniversary of the tournament, the longest running tournament on the PGA Tour dating back to 1946. We wanted to create a trophy inspired by that year.” Jason Kokrak, the winner of the 2021 Charles Schwab Challenge, was able to head home with the ‘46 Power Wagon in tow. That's what led the team to bring its newest creation to life: a fully customized 1946 Schwab Power Wagon. To conceptualize and create such a unique concept, Episode Four and Charles Schwab turned to Winslow Bent of Legacy Classic Trucks early in the process. Based just outside of Jackson Hole, Wyo., the company specializes in the restoration and custom creation of rare vehicles. The project began in earnest during mid-2020 and spanned for nine months; Legacy Classic Trucks set aside other projects to focus on the Power Wagon, knowing the stakes and value of the project. Promoting the truck Once the truck was finished, it was time to show it off on center stage. Keeping Texas' affinity for country music in mind, the team commissioned artist Travis Denning to write and record a song about the vehicle, dubbed “Grew Up With a Truck.” "We had a very short window to turn this around after the truck was finished, as we had to finish faster than normal with the tournament approaching," Lynn said about the performance video, which was shot on location at the work site of Legacy Classic Trucks. "We were able to hold a concert shoot within a few weeks upon completion of the vehicle.” The music video prominently features the ‘46 Schwab Power Wagon, as well as country personality Bobby Bones. Bones, who is known for winning Dancing with the Stars and his involvement in American Idol, hosts a country radio show and podcast that is a regional favorite. The Charles Schwab team worked with Bones and Denning to debut the song. “Our end goal of Travis’s involvement was that we wanted to have country music credibility, as well as golf and truck credibility,” said Lynn. Why More and More Brands Are Catering to Country Music Fans