BOSTON, April 2, 2015 — As the 2015 Masters kicks off professional golf’s championship season next week, Putnam Investments today officially announced the next phase of its sports marketing campaign, featuring Professional Golf Association (PGA) Tour golfers Keegan Bradley, Jon Curran and Brendan Steele. Curran and Steele, new members of Putnam’s Performance in Motion affinity marketing program, will join Bradley, who has been working with the firm since 2011.
“Keegan, Jon and Brendan are a triumvirate of extremely talented young golfers who have committed themselves to attaining excellence in their chosen field of play and are constantly striving for peak performance against the best in the world each and every day,” said Putnam Investments President and Chief Executive Officer Robert L. Reynolds. “The Putnam team is proud to partner with these fine professionals and wish them tremendous success throughout the 2015 PGA season.”
Putnam will be introducing several new digital advertisements during the Masters that feature Bradley, Curran and Steele playing on some of the nation’s greatest golf venues, noted Mark McKenna, Head of Global Marketing at Putnam Investments. The campaign is part of Putnam’s broader Performance in Motion sports marketing strategy, focused on partnering with athletes and teams whose characteristics and values closely align with those of the firm.
The new Putnam golf advertisements can be viewed on the firm’s Performance in Motion web site at https://www.putnam.com/performanceinmotion.
Partnering with PGA Tour Golfers Keegan Bradley, Jon Curran and Brendan Steele
The three PGA professionals will participate in Putnam’s advertising, social media efforts and overall support of brand development opportunities globally. In addition, the golfers will wear Putnam-branded competitive clothing and also participate in year-round events and activities attended by Putnam clients.
Putnam’s sponsorship helps support Bradley, Steele and Curran as they prepare for competition at the sport’s highest levels, including the PGA Tour.
Keegan Bradley — Five-time tournament winner, including 2011 PGA Championship victor
A native of Hopkinton, Massachusetts and alumnus of St. John’s University, the 28-year-old Bradley rocketed to fame with his sudden-death win in the 2011 Byron Nelson Championship, followed later that season by his dramatic, come-from-behind triumph at the Professional bGolfers’ Association Championship, one of the four major championships in men’s professional golf. His victory made Bradley one of only three professionals in golf history to win a championship in his first-ever appearance in a PGA major.
Jon Curran — Currently ranked 76th by Fed Ex in his PGA Tour rookie season
Curran, 28, was Keegan Bradley’s high school teammate in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. In between high school and the PGA, Curran starred in golf at Vanderbilt University, turning professional after college. The leading money winner on the National Golf Association (NGA) Pro Golf Tour in 2013, Curran is now regularly active on the PGA Tour.
Brendan Steele — Top 100 world ranking; currently 28th in Fed Ex standings
Steele, 32, whose first PGA Tour win came at the Valero Texas Open in 2011, also won the 2011 Franklin Templeton Shootout, a team event in which he was partnered with Keegan Bradley. The Idyllwild, California native and University of California-Riverside alumnus played in last year’s PGA Championship, his fifth appearance in one of the Tour’s iconic championship events.
Putnam Investments: Performance in Motion
The partnerships with PGA Tour golfers Keegan Bradley, Jon Curran and Brendan Steele are part of Putnam’s Performance in Motion sports marketing strategy that aligns the firm’s brand with sports that appeal to its advisor, institutional and investor audiences. Performance in Motion supports those partnerships through connections with the athletes who best personify Putnam’s emphasis on results. Putnam’s other Performance in Motion marketing partners include Olympic gold medal-winning skier Ted Ligety, the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding, the New England Revolution soccer team and the four-time Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots. For more information, visit www.putnam.com/performanceinmotion.