In an era where brands chase fleeting TikTok trends and algorithm changes, the Masters Tournament stands as a 90-year testament to the enduring power of legacy. While other events have fallen victim to the “Coachella-ization” of experience, constantly reinventing themselves to stay relevant, Augusta National Golf Club has maintained its mystique and cultural significance by doing precisely the opposite.
As another Masters Tournament concludes, I find myself reflecting not just on the golf, but on what makes this event so singularly iconic in our increasingly noisy world. The green jackets, pimento cheese sandwiches, azaleas in bloom, and that hauntingly beautiful theme music all contribute to something far greater than a sporting event—they form a masterclass in legacy branding.
For businesses struggling to find their footing in today’s chaotic marketplace, the Masters offers profound lessons that transcend golf. Let’s explore six principles that have kept the Masters coveted and respected for nearly a century, and how you can apply them to your own brand.
1. Storytelling Is Your Greatest Competitive Advantage
The Masters is a living narrative that unfolds across generations. Every tradition has a story, and these stories are consciously preserved and celebrated.
Consider the Green Jacket ceremony. First awarded in 1949, the jacket can only leave Augusta National for one year with the champion before returning to the clubhouse forever. The visual of last year’s champion helping the new winner into the jacket creates a powerful symbolic passing of the torch that connects each tournament to all those that came before.
Or take the Champions Dinner, established by Ben Hogan in 1952. Each year’s defending champion selects the menu, often reflecting their heritage or personal favorites. This has created memorable moments like when Scottie Scheffler served cheeseburgers, Tiger Woods offered California-style fajitas, or when international players introduce their native cuisines to American golf legends. Through this simple tradition, cultural exchange and personal storytelling become embedded in the Masters experience.
Your Brand Application:
What stories lie at the heart of your brand? Have you identified the moments, innovations, or people that make your history unique? These stories, when properly told, create emotional connections that no competitor can replicate.
Too many businesses hide their origin stories in dusty “About Us” pages while focusing all their marketing energy on product features or limited-time promotions. Legacy brands understand that their history isn’t just background information, it’s a strategic asset that should be prominently woven throughout the customer experience.
Ask yourself… If your brand disappeared tomorrow, what stories would your customers miss? Those are the narratives you should be actively preserving and sharing.
2. The Power of Not Being for Everyone
The Masters is unapologetically exclusive. Tickets (or “patron badges” as they’re called at Augusta) are nearly impossible to obtain, often passed down through generations or distributed through a highly competitive lottery system. Membership at Augusta National remains by invitation only. Even television broadcasters must adhere to strict terminology guidelines, referring to the “patrons” rather than “fans” and the “second cut” rather than “rough.”
This exclusivity hasn’t diminished interest in the Masters, it has amplified it. By not trying to appeal to everyone, the tournament has created a sense of rarified distinction that makes people value the experience more deeply.
Your Brand Application:
Many businesses fall into the trap of trying to appeal to everyone, ultimately diluting what makes them special. The pressure to expand market share often leads to compromising the very qualities that attracted your core audience in the first place.
Your target audience isn’t “everyone with a credit card.” The more precisely you can define who your brand is for (and by extension, who it’s not for), the more deeply you’ll connect with those who truly align with your values.
Consider how luxury brands like Hermès have maintained their desirability not by making their products more accessible, but by embracing exclusivity. Their Birkin bags aren’t available to everyone who can afford them—there’s a waiting list, a relationship-building process, and an element of curation that enhances their desirability rather than limiting their success.
What aspects of your brand could benefit from strategic exclusivity? Where might “less is more” actually strengthen your market position?
3. Setting Boundaries Creates Mystique
Perhaps the most famous (or infamous) Masters rule is the prohibition of mobile phones on the grounds. While this might seem archaic in our hyper-connected age, it has created something increasingly rare: a space where people are fully present, engaged in the moment rather than documenting it.
Other strict rules include no running on the grounds, no laying on the grass, and a code of conduct that emphasizes decorum and respect. Broadcasters must follow precise language guidelines, and even the camera angles permitted for television coverage are carefully controlled.
These boundaries haven’t driven people away, they’ve made the Masters more coveted. There’s something powerful about an organization that knows exactly what it stands for and doesn’t compromise those values for convenience or popular opinion.
Your Brand Application:
In a business landscape where “the customer is always right” has become dogma, setting clear boundaries feels increasingly radical. Yet the most respected brands understand that not all customer demands should be accommodated.
Apple under Steve Jobs was famous for saying “no” to features and products that didn’t align with their vision, even when customers and market research suggested otherwise. Southwest Airlines has maintained a simple business model (no assigned seats, no baggage fees) despite industry pressure to unbundle and complicate their offering.
What boundaries could you establish that would actually enhance respect for your brand? What requests or trends should you politely decline because they don’t align with your core identity?
Sometimes the most powerful statement a brand can make is “this is not who we are“—and sticking to it.
4. Innovation and Tradition Can Coexist
While steadfastly traditional in many respects, the Masters has intelligently adapted to modern times. Their social media presence is exceptional, providing exclusive, curated content that complements rather than replaces the in-person experience. The official Masters app allows remote followers to experience aspects of the tournament, and they’ve embraced YouTube for sharing highlight clips and special features.
The genius of the Masters’ approach to technology is that they’ve created a digital experience that enhances their brand without compromising their core values. No phones are allowed on the grounds, but their social media team shares perfect moments throughout the day. The television broadcast maintains limited commercial interruption, preserving the tournament’s dignified atmosphere while still generating revenue.
Your Brand Application:
Too many businesses approach innovation as an either/or proposition—either disrupt everything or risk becoming irrelevant. The Masters shows that selective, strategic innovation that aligns with your core values can strengthen rather than dilute your brand identity.
Luxury watchmaker Patek Philippe has embraced modern manufacturing techniques and materials while maintaining traditional craftsmanship where it matters most. Vinyl record sales continue to grow in the streaming era because they offer something distinctly physical and ritualistic that digital formats can’t replace.
What aspects of your business should evolve with the times, and what elements should remain timeless? The key is understanding the difference between your core identity (which should be preserved) and the mechanisms through which you deliver that identity (which can adapt).
5. Strategic Pricing Creates Perception
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Masters is its concession pricing. A pimento cheese sandwich still costs just $1.50—the same price it’s been for decades. Beer is $5, and an imported beer is $6. These prices are a fraction of what other major sporting events charge.
Augusta National could easily charge $15 for that sandwich—people would pay it. But by keeping certain elements affordable, they create goodwill that enhances the overall perception of the Masters as an event that prioritizes tradition and experience over profit maximization.
Interestingly, this contrasts with their merchandise, which is only available during tournament week at the official shop. This controlled scarcity makes Masters merchandise highly coveted, with items often appearing on secondary markets at substantial markups.
Your Brand Application:
Pricing strategy is far more than setting margins. It’s a powerful psychological tool that communicates your brand’s values and priorities.
Premium brands like In-N-Out Burger have maintained accessible pricing on their core products while building a cult-like following. Their business model focuses on doing a few things exceptionally well rather than extracting maximum value from each transaction. This creates tremendous goodwill and loyalty that pays dividends through frequency and word-of-mouth.
Conversely, luxury brands like Louis Vuitton have famously destroyed unsold inventory rather than discount it, understanding that perceived value is their most important asset.
Where in your business model could strategic pricing—either accessible or premium—create disproportionate value perception? What offerings might become more desirable through controlled scarcity rather than perpetual availability?
6. Anchoring to Seasonal Significance
For golf enthusiasts and casual fans alike, the Masters marks the arrival of spring. Those blooming azaleas, the perfectly manicured course, and that distinctive theme music signal a new beginning. In multi-climate regions, the Masters coincides with local golf courses opening for the season.
This seasonal anchoring gives the tournament a significance beyond the sporting event itself, it becomes a cultural milestone that people anticipate each year. The Masters isn’t just competing against other golf tournaments; it has positioned itself as an annual tradition that marks the passage of time.
Your Brand Application:
The most powerful brands don’t just sell products or services, they become meaningful markers in people’s lives. They associate themselves with moments, transitions, or emotional states that transcend their category.
Consider how Coca-Cola has become synonymous with Christmas through decades of consistent holiday campaigns. Or how certain songs immediately evoke summer regardless of when you hear them. These temporal associations create anticipation and nostalgia that pure product marketing cannot achieve.
What rhythms or cycles exist in your customers’ lives that your brand could become meaningfully connected to? How might you position your offerings as markers of time or transition rather than mere consumption choices?
Building Your Brand’s Legacy
The Masters Tournament teaches us that true brand legacy isn’t built through constant reinvention but through thoughtful preservation of what matters most. In a business world obsessed with disruption and pivoting, there’s profound wisdom in knowing exactly what to keep.
As you consider your own brand strategy, ask yourself:
- What stories from your history could become more central to your marketing narrative?
- How might strategic exclusivity strengthen rather than limit your appeal?
- What boundaries could you set that would enhance respect for your brand?
- Which elements of your offering should evolve with technology, and which should remain deliberately traditional?
- Where could strategic pricing—either accessible or premium—create disproportionate value perception?
- What seasonal or emotional moments could your brand become meaningfully associated with?
The most enduring brands aren’t built on fleeting trends or algorithm changes. They’re built on consistent, authentic expressions of values that resonate across generations. In a world of constant disruption, perhaps the most revolutionary strategy is knowing exactly what to preserve.
What aspects of your brand’s legacy are you actively cultivating? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
xx,
Camille
P.S. I’m dropping a podcast on Art of the Brand interviewing Hally Leadbetter—co-host of Morning with the Masters, host of On the Tee with Golf Digest, and founder of Better Content Co. Follow my YouTube for when it drops!