#854: PGA TOUR's Zach Carlson on creating an amazing fan experience

#854: PGA TOUR's Zach Carlson on creating an amazing fan experience

From The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström® | What CMOs Need to Know About Marketing Technology, AI & CX by The Agile Brand

May 4, 2026 · 22 min · Season 8 · Episode 854

About this episode

Zach Carlson discusses how PGA TOUR enhances the fan experience using real-time data and personalized engagement strategies.

In an era dominated by high-definition home entertainment and endless digital distractions, what does it take to convince a fan that a live, in-person experience is not just worth their time and money, but is something they can't afford to miss? Agility requires not just having a plan, but building a system to listen and respond to your audience in real time. It’s about turning feedback from a retrospective report into an in-the-moment action plan. Following the recent Qualtrics X4 Summit in Seattle, we're going to talk about what it takes to engineer a world-class fan experience. We'll explore how a legacy brand moves beyond the traditional event model to create personalized, memorable moments, and how they use real-time data not just to measure satisfaction, but to proactively shape the fan journey from the moment someone buys a ticket to long after they've left the course.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Zach Carlson, Director of Fan Engagement at PGA TOUR. About Zach Carlson As a Director of Fan Engagement - Decision Sciences at PGA TOUR, I leverage my consumer research expertise and project management skills to gather feedback and insights from various…

People in this episode

Host: Greg Kihlström

Guest: Zach Carlson

Topics covered

  • fan experience
  • real-time data
  • event marketing
  • customer engagement
  • personalization

Keywords

  • fan engagement
  • live events
  • customer feedback
  • data-driven marketing
  • PGA TOUR

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: PGA TOUR, Qualtrics

More episodes of The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström® | What CMOs Need to Know About Marketing Technology, AI & CX

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström® | What CMOs Need to Know About Marketing Technology, AI & CX podcast page.