Is Golf Tournament Sponsorship an Effective Form of Advertising?

golf tournaments have become a very popular way for charity to raise money. Probably the number one reason why most companies support a tournament is an affinity for the cause. But in addition to supporting a worthy cause, golf tournament sponsorship represents an opportunity for effective advertising. This article contains some anecdotal evidence to support this theory.

At a golf tournament a while ago, I happened to be on the same foursome and share a cart with one of that tournaments major sponsors. This fellow was a marketing manager for a car dealership. His rather enviable job description included playing in tournaments that the company sponsored, which through the summer months amounted to about two or three a week. Of course, he had some other responsibilities like making sure the cars from the dealership were displayed properly and the gift bags his company sponsored got to every golfer. So it was a long day for him, showing up well before the tournament started and leaving long after the last after dinner speech was made. But even so, he still got to golf as major part of his job. He had a hard time garnering any sympathy from our group.

As we talked throughout the day, I learned that his job of playing golf had not come about by accident. A few years earlier, he had done some extensive research and analysis of the companys advertising budgets, their media exposure and the cost effectiveness of the various types of promotion they were undertaking at the time. This analysis resulted in the very conscious and deliberate decision to drop their media advertising and focus their budget on event sponsorship.

In other words, they found that the caps and shirts they gave away at each golf tournament, the cars they had on display at hole-in-one and other contest holes, their logo on the program and on signs located around the golf tournament, and their name on the sponsor list in the paper and on the tournament website, and so on, resulted in more exposure and more people showing up at the dealership when shopping for a car, than the ads they used to run in the paper and on radio and television.

He would not divulge any numbers, but I can imagine what a major car dealership in a city of over a million would spend on advertising in a year. It would be millions of dollars. To divert this budget to sponsorships was a major decision. Given the money involved, I believe him when he talked about the homework they did before making the decision and the research they did on an ongoing basis to monitor the effectiveness of their expenditure.

He believed the strategy of sponsoring golf tournaments and other events was effective for a number of reasons. They appeared to be more a part of the community if they were associated with local causes and organizations. This elevated the perception of trust in the minds of consumers. The prizes and gifts they gave away, like caps and shirts, displayed their company logo to far more people for far longer, with that positive association, than any form of media advertising. And they could target their audience very carefully and specifically.

So when a charity calls asking your company for sponsorship of its golf tournament, think about supporting the cause, but also think about the win-win that can be accomplished by strategic placement of some of your promotion budget into golf tournament sponsorship.

Ron Strand is a part-time Instructor at the Centre for Communication Studies at Mount Royal college and the President of Strateo Consulting Inc. - a strategic marketing and communications consulting firm.

Learn How To Do Yoga Online For Free

Karmic Yoga-Correction Agents

Throughout the ages there have been men and women who have labored to better the world. Some of them worked through communities and institutions while some of them worked at what some people call the grass roots level, to raise a group of people wanted to help provide for the needs of the society at a deeper, more personal level, than most governments. These groups were often met with a great deal of resistance, but as more people joined them and they gained more power, they also gained enough prestige to become part of the larger system. This was both a blessing and a curse.

Today, due to the speed of communication, we can see the fruit of their success faster. As they become part of the system they get more power, but the amount of compromising necessary to remain at the table and keep that power also increases. After they have compromised too much they become the system instead of agents of correction. They begin to make a few cosmetic changes here and there and to pass out the Band-Aids, but they really dont make the foundational changes needed to stop people from getting wounded.

their success has ultimately become their failure. They have ended up selling their souls to do good and bending their values so far they dont exist anymore. Finally they end up being the oppressors and suppressors they thought they were fighting. This is an example of how ones success externally can contribute to ones demise internally. The Shaolin discuss this in their wisdom literature. They say that some people only use their energy and light of awareness to fight against darkness and evil externally. While their awareness is being applied on the outside the evil they are fighting finds a place of welcome on the inside. They are then turned into what they are fighting against.

The Shaolin say that is more important to use the light of awareness on the inside to purify and strengthen oneself so one can work to fight evil from a place of wholeness, completeness, and goodness. To create a better society it is important to know who one is and to cultivate ones sense of self, honor, and dignity. One can work from a place of strength and power then, creating new ways to bring about social change. If one is moved by anger or by fear it can seem that she is doing great work while she is destroying the very principles inside herself that she wants the world to embrace. But if she struggles from a place of certitude and love, she will bring the principles she embraces to the world and be an example for following generations.

If you want to be a social change agent as part of your Karmic Yoga, cultivate love of self and neighbor. Treat yourself kindly. Truly love yourself and your neighbor--even those who oppose you. Love combined with just action will lead you to life. This life will replace the drudgery of fighting unbeatable odds, or the tiredness from maintaining a sense of righteous anger throughout the years and transform your work to one of joy. Your work will become part of the great spiral dance that weaves together and takes apart corrupt thoughts, concepts, and social systems, and recreates them in the image of love. You will be the very essence--the creative process of life, and your legacy of justice, which is applied love, will endure forever.

Dr. John W. Gilmore is the founder and spiritual Leader of the Cyber Circle of creation Spirituality, which is an online service dedicated to deep ecumenism, mystical union with the Divine, and a progressive voice for societal transformation. He is a spiritual Director, Martial Arts instructor, a writer and a certified reiki Master teacher, Massage Therapist, a Reflexologist. For more commentaries like this one explore this e-zine or our Free Journal of practical Spirituality at http://www.dswellness.com . You can also find a link to our cyber service, The Circle there.

Video Total Yoga

Rediscovering Radio with Satellite

It's been many generations now since radio was born. A crackling signal carrying serial dramas and comedies, news, and live concerts entered the living rooms of families across the globe in the early days. Later, the enjoyment of music and talk could be enjoyed on portable transistor and car radios as people went about their business or at least until the weather or distance eliminated the signal.

Over the years however, radio started to fade as an entertainment medium as crystal clear digital music offered front row type listening for music lovers with portable CD, DVD, and MP3 players for their home and travels; no commercials to interrupt the enjoyment and no fading signal. As the tastes of listeners expanded, a dozen or so receivable stations could no longer deliver the diversity of programming that was desired. For some, the regulations of the FCC also quelled some of the "edgier" entertainment that they craved.

Although the uninterrupted, superior audio quality of pre-recorded music has drawn many away from radio listening, the depth of the entertainment experience can be lacking. Switching to a news or weather broadcast for updates, taking in an in depth discussion on a topic of interest, or enjoying a good laugh with a favorite show simply isn't part of the experience. Discovering new artists or favorite genres is also less likely unless a friend shares something new.

More recently however, listeners who desire better quality audio and uninterrupted entertainment no longer have to forgo the broader entertainment experience offered by radio. With the emergence of satellite radio, new life has been breathed into the old medium.

Because satellite radio is broadcast by communications satellite, the reach of the signal is not limited by station power; the channel can be heard virtually anywhere. As a result, listeners in their car can travel across the continent and continue listening to the same station uninterrupted.

satellite radio also offers higher sound quality than traditional radio broadcasts. Static, fading, and signal breakup are virtually eliminated. In addition, with many commercial free stations and programming, listeners are often left to enjoy their chosen entertainment interruption free.

For many listeners, satellite radio also provides entertainment that is unavailable through any other medium. Free from many of the regulations that limit traditional radio broadcasts and having a diversity of programming that encompasses almost every genre imaginable, there is generally something for everyone on satellite radio. As a result, listeners are able to completely immerse themselves in a preferred genre or to easily discover new favorites.

For many listeners who have experienced satellite radio, the enhanced features make the small monthly fee for the service well worth it. Certainly it offers a broader and potentially higher quality entertainment experience than its predecessor which makes it worthy of a look by those who haven't yet experienced this newer version of radio.

Christine Peppler believes that consumers should not have to possess a technology degree to be able to choose home electronics and entertainment devices. Take advantage of the wealth of simple to understand, useful information and shopping available on her website at http://www.homemedias.info

Learnyogaonline

Adding A Game Console To Your Home Theater System

And you thought a home theater system was just for movies ? For any family, especially the younger members of the family, a game console is just as important as all the regular components of a home theater system. This article will discuss the latest game consoles available and why you should, and can, integrate a game console into you home theater setup.

There are three major players in the game console market. These are : the Sony Playstation series, the microsoft Xbox series and the nintendo game cube and Wii consoles.

The latest Playstation console is the PS3 or Playstation 3. As the name suggests, it is the third version of the brand and is a considerable advance on it's predecessors. The PS3 uses the IBM designed cell processor to render video at astonishing speed. This means the PS3 is ideal when hooked up to a high definition display system. The PS3 also has the capacity to produce high definition sound. It supports 7.1 digital audio, including Dolby TrueHD, so having surround sound speakers is a must. The PS3 uses the Blu ray technology to store and read data. This means the system can also act as a dvd player for ordinary dvd movies and Blu Ray movies.

The Xbox 360 is the latest console from microsoft. It is their high definition gaming console. The console uses the IBM PowerPC chip. It has three processing units which increases it's computational speed and allows the system to put high definition video onto an HDTV. In terms of sound, it supports 5.1 Dolby digital so you can get brilliant full surround sound when playing a games. The Xbox 360 has a HD dvd player that can be used as a dvd layer for standard dvd movies and HD dvd generation movies.

The nintendo Game cube and latest release, the Wii are another option for a game console. The Wii 's most original feature is the wireless controller. It can be used as a pointing device and can detect motion and rotation in three dimensions. This means that you can perform the real life actions and they will be relayed to the screen character that you may be playing. In terms of graphic resolution, the Wii can input 480p. The PS3 and Xbox 360 can produce up to 1080p so this is a significant difference. It supports Dolby pro-logic II sound.

The PS3 and Xbox 360 have the widest variety of games but more emphasis is being placed on nintendo Wii games, as it proves to be a popular console with consumers. The Xbox 360 was released first, followed by the Wii and finally the PS3. This is reflected in current sales, where the 360 leads, followed by the Wii and then the PS3.

A game console can perform a dual role if the cost of setting up a home theater system and game console is prohibitive. Rather than buy a dvd player you can use the console to play DVDs. In some cases, the PS3 for example, the blu ray player was rated as better than some standalone players by some industry magazines.

A game console is another facet of entertainment that your home theater system can provide. You will get best results if you hook the consoles up to a high definition display as they are designed for this purpose.

Aerocs Yoga Or Pilates Instructors Looking For Cles

Super Mantra Gayatri and Yajnas Mutually Aid Each Other

Yajna and Gayatri are inseparably bound to one another. The following verses eulogize the great import of Yajna and Yajna Purusha:
He who is worshipped via Yajnas, who is Yajna incarnate and Yajna manifest is none other than Lord Vishnu and I bow down to him.

Yajna satiates innumerable desires of humanity and also bestows them with heaven and salvation (Moksha). Those who renounce Yajnas are derided a great deal in Vedic scriptures:
Yajna help us in atoning for many sins and thus with a sacred mind we can attain the abode of Almighty God.
HAAREETI

Taking cognizance of this great aspect of Yajnas our country India was known encourage them in a big way. Via Yajnas people got their desires fulfilled in their own way. Balivaishwa Yajnas are known to help people achieve a happy householders way of life faith in God, spirituality and mental purity. Vaajpeya Yajnas helped awaken the latent soul forces and intellectual/ethical consciousness of world humanity. Rajasuya Yajnas were executed so as to solve political and governance problems. Gayatri Yajnas are said to be a symbol of all these.

Great scholars accept the auspiciousness of Agnihotra performed with the help of apt Gayatri Mantra chanting on all occasions.
GAYATRI SAMHITAA/70

Yajna is the supreme most action of this world. Those who do not perform Yajnas lose their divine aura. Although it is true that nothing is greater than Agnihotra rites yet Gayatri reigns supreme amongst all Agnihotra methods.
.GAUTAM 5/7/12

In the Yajna Yaag Samhita we are advised to commence every auspicious program with a Gayatri Yajna. In the Gaargeeya Samhita it is said: Who ever worships Primordial Divine Energy Gayatrivia Yajnas isactually worshipping Almighty God via the medium of gods/goddesses. Meaning, worshipping and performing Yajnas of the Vedic Mother Gayatri amounts to worshipping all gods/goddesses.

Gayatri Yajnas executed with the aim of fulfilling material desires too bears fruit immediately. Any individual who worships Gayatri for fulfilling any desire will actually witness it being fulfilled. And at the time of death he/she attains Gods supreme abode.

It was only after deeply realizing the great import of Gayatri Yajnas that they were encouraged and lauded worldwide. Whenever Yajnas were ignored dire circumstances were faced both individually and socially. Hence it is imperative that Gayatri Yajnas be performed again with a sound scientific basis. The tradition of Agnihotra must recommence in every household the world over. There was a time when this did happen in ancient India and hence it was a period of heavenly comforts and inner bliss too. Why is the world today so full of strife and stress? It is because we have ignored Yajnas at our own peril.

In laymans parlance Yajna is synonymous with charity, congregationalism and worship of Almighty God. The deeper meaning is contribution towards divine endeavors in a congregational manner. This is that meritorious deed which helps an animal-man to pole vault into a human god. Human glory is definitely rooted in this generous attitude of service to the world in a selfless manner. Just as the ore of gold sheds its dirt when exposed to fire so as to shine brightly so too when mankind imbibes the philosophy of Yajnas they climb the peak of greatness and thus march towards divinity.

Vedas are nothing but the Speech of Almighty God. Shruti is the process of hearing and conveying this timeless Divine wisdom. When this hear and say was penned it was called Chanda (also poetic meter). Further when it is transformed into the divine power of Shabda Brahman and Naad Brahman it is called a Mantra. Vedic Richas are called Shriti and Chandas are called Mantras. They ooze with potent divine mysterious powers of knowledge and science. Amongst all Vedas it is said that at first Riga Veda manifested. The very first Mantra of riga Veda is AGNI MEEDAY PUROHITAM. In this Richa God is called Agni or fire and with the grace of the fire of that Purohit everything can be attained which man so desires.

Since Almighty God is omnipresent He is in the absolute sense without name and form (Niraakaar). God can be experienced only as Sat-Chit-Anand or Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. If we wish to see God at work it can be done via ones causal body as good will, subtle body as great thinking and gross body as wholesome actions. Or else by looking upon this world as a cosmic form of the Divine Lord one can contribute like a cog in the wheel to render the world advanced and progressive via selfless service, spiritual practices and Karma Yoga. And yet for the purpose of worship if an image is required other than fire none can depict Gods divine form. The very first Mantra of Riga Veda accepts Gods image for meditation and devotional purposes in the form of fire. Thus it says God is Divine fire. Other synonymous terms include Brahman Tejas, Latent Light, Divine Light, Sacred Light etc.

Research scholars in the field of primordial worship methods in Indian Religious Culture have called it fire worship. Aryans dwelling in Iran called themselves Parsis and yet their mode of worship is predominantly fire based. Their worship homes are called fire Temples. In India the Jwalamukhi Temple situated in the state of Punjab is very famous wherein fire is worshipped. Eternally lit fires in the form of pyres were reinstated in the Ashramas or hermitages of great Rishis of yore. Within Vedic rituals devotees are commanded to light 5 eternal fires and regularly perform Yajnas in it. In mythological times although the 5 Yajnas were associated with ones daily worship duties but along with it food disbursement and other such activities were too attached to them.

What exactly is Agnihotra? It is using fire as an image of God and worshipping him. Agnihotra is performed during all wholesome endeavors, festivals and special auspicious rites/rituals. The festival of color called Holi is an annual congregational Yajna. In Sanskrit language Holi means the new food grains grown in a new harvest. Holi is fire sacrifice carried out using these new grains as sacred offering to the fire. It is a festival of joy and is observed as a congregational Yajna. Alas today that great tradition of Holi has taken a highly distorted appearance. People merely burn wooden sticks and erroneously satisfy them selves calling it Holi. And yet before this fire sacrifice a tradition that includes a worship rite and after the fire sacrifice the holy ashes are devotionally applied to the forehead which goes on to show that it is nothing but a meritorious tradition of the congregational annual Yajna. Indias festival of lights called Deepavali involves reinstating of God of fire. In other small big festivals a symbolic fire sacrifice called Havan is generally performed. Women of India remove flame from their stoves and offer little ghee, cloves, sweet meats and other food items to it. After this they circumambulate this fire pouring a little water alongside. Thus they perform a symbolic Agnihotra rite.

There exist 16 Sanskars or rites right from Punswan to Antyeshti wherein Havan has to be performed imperatively. In fact 2 of these rites predominate with Havan. Vows taken with fire as witness only are given due recognition and the bride and groom circumambulate it 4 or 7 times for the marriage rite to be recognized as completed. It is said that the Yajna fire binds the souls of the bride and groom inseparably akin to welding of 2 iron bars. A Hindus body is cremated after death in a Yajna fire called Chitaa. This in its pure form is called Antyeshti rite. Ghee and other materials are added to the fire and hence in a very gross manner it can be called Agnihotra. The Vaanaprashtha Sanskar is said to be completed only if Yajna rites are performed. The Yajnopaveet or thread ceremony rite is named after Yajna. Via sacred Yajna ritual a sacred thread is worn across the chest and is called Upanayan. The same holds true for other Sanskaras. Agnihotra is imperative for these too. In other religions too flame lamps, candles, incense, lanterns etc are lit and hence over here too fire is reinstated during their worship programs.

Even during spiritual practices Havan is most required. All the Paaths (reading scriptures etc), Mantra chanting and other rituals maybe either Vedic or Tantra based yet performing Havan in one form or the other is most required. Even in Gayatri devotional practices Havan is a must. Barring certain situations where the 10th portion cannot be offered as Ahuti to the Havan yet a 100th portion of it has to be performed without fail. Gayatri is our mother and Yajna is our father. When these 2 unite man is reborn spiritually and is called Dwija (twice born). Dwijas include Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. Dwija means to be born twice. Just as it is mans righteous duty to serve his biological parents who gave him/her birth so too it is the spiritual duty of a devotee to serve his/her spiritual mother Gayatri and spiritual father Yajna on a regular basis.

At every step in religious literature Yajnas are eulogized. Vedas predominate with information on Yajnas simply because Yajna is that science which bestows both material and spiritual bliss on world creatures. The Almighty Lord can always be appeased via Yajnas. Hence it is said (Bhagwad Geeta 3/10/11):
Brahmaji created Yajnas also when he created human beings. Human beings were told that via Yajnas they will progress in life and that it was a sure means to fulfill all their desires. Humans were asked to nurture demigods via Yajnas and in turn they would help human advancement. Thus when both performed their duties aptly both attained all round prosperity. Demigods nourished via Yajnas would in turn help human beings prosper by leaps and bounds.

There are so many sacred texts which vouchsafe the deep import of Yajnas. In ancient times gigantic Yajnas were executed for both material and spiritual gains. Demigods, demons, Rishis, kings and ordinary householders too performed many Yajnas. Demons always set about destroying Yajnas being performed by sages and saintly people because they were sure that the latter would prosper both materially and spiritually and this the demons could not tolerate. In the same way Yajnas of demons too were destroyed because otherwise they would attain more demonic powers to harass innocent laymen. In the epic Ramayana there is a description of a very large scale Yajna being performed by demons or Asuras which was finally destroyed by the saintly Hanumanji. This had to be done because assuming the Yajna succeeded demons would have become invincible.

King Dashrath performed the Putreshti Yajna and thus fathered 4 sons. King Nriga entered heaven by performing Yajnas and thus dethroned its King Indra. King Ashwapati performed a Yajna and thus fathered a son. King Indra of heaven attained all that he possessed via Yajnas. Lord Rama too had performed the Ashwamedha Yajna. Shri Krishna advised the Pandavas to perform the Rajasuya Yajna wherein the Lord himself welcomed guests and looked after their requirements. Havan Yajnas are carried out for atonements of sins, minimizing effects of a dire destiny, fulfilling a lack, overcoming diseases, attaining auspiciousness, appeasing demigods, attaining a good harvest, downpour of nectar like rains, overcoming air pollution etc and doubtlessly Yajnas aid in the success of these endeavors.

Yajna is a very important science. The fuel used from various trees to light the Yajna fire is imbued with special qualities. For which disease which herb is used? All this has a strong scientific basis. When certain materials are united the resultant admixture possesses a special quality which when exposed to fire rises up in the atmosphere so as to detoxify and de-pollute it. Further when Vedic Mantras are chanted simultaneously the influence on the atmosphere is that much more potently positive. Thus not only is air pollution taken care of but that individuals nearby Yajnas benefit health wise both physically and mentally. How do we describe demigods? They are nothing but various subtle powers at work in the deep cave of subtle nature or Prakriti. What is the meaning of appeasing demigods? The answer is it is the establishment of a good wholesome rapport with these subtle forces of nature. This goal can be easily fulfilled via performing of Yajnas.

AUTHOR: Shriram Sharma Acharya: founder of the International Gayatri Family: was a great Yogi: seer and incarnation of God who wrote volumes of scientific literature mainly on spiritual subjects for world welfare and peace. For more scientific e-books visit: http://www.shriramsharma.com/ (GOOGLE PR 4) and http://www.awgp.org/ (Google 5) KEYWORDS: kundalini Yoga Gayatri e-books biography Guru world peace mind psyche god nerve subtle consciousness soul divine trance endocrine glands ESP Chakras plexus meditation concentration intellect prophecy thought thinking Cheiro Nostradamus Aurobindo bliss brain Vedas solar sun energy sacred pure sense organs Prana Avatar Upanishad light cell hypothalamus pituitary transformation futurist prediction serpent power life human ethics integrity character vagus Tantra Mooladhar atom neutron proton DESCRIPTION: Free e-books on Future Scientific religion: Gayatri Science & kundalini Yoga correlated to Neurosciences-ESP, Endocrinology for peace.

Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Sacramento California