RBS has a long-standing association with golf in the UK and USA, both at elite level through the USGA, as a former Patron of The Open, and through global ambassador Jack Nicklaus, as well as at a community level through partnerships with The First Tee and clubgolf programmes. Synergy’s role includes providing strategic counsel on the global use of assets and PR support for sponsorship activation in the UK market.

For the 2010 Open Championship, Synergy managed a PR programme that included use of contractual assets such as Open tickets and access to the iconic Claret Jug Trophy. In addition, Synergy provided press office support on-course, liaising with host broadcasters and other attending media, as well as promoting the brand new RBS photographic exhibition, ‘Celebrating 150 Years of The Open’ to mark this prestigious anniversary.

18-time Major winner and global golf icon Jack Nicklaus is a long-standing RBS ambassador and supports clubgolf – a grassroots golf initiative, run by Scottish Golf, which aims to introduce every child in Scotland to golf by the age of nine. In June 2011, Jack travelled to the UK to meet a host of the young people involved in clubgolf at Gleneagles. Synergy managed the press interest around Jack during this time, working with the media to maximise the awareness of RBS’s role supporting community golf, creating press coverage in National and Regional UK press.

Synergy also generated unique video content with Jack Nicklaus to further promote the initiative in addition to running sponsored supplements with the Scottish Sun and Daily Telegraph focussing on the ‘Future of Golf’.