The Community’s Classic Golf Tournament returns this year with renewed momentum, attracting top talent, distinguished guests, and local leaders for a weekend of sport and solidarity. This premier event, known for its inclusive spirit and charitable impact, now carries a new title partner—Rocket. As the named sponsor, Rocket positions itself at the forefront of an initiative that does more than champion golf excellence; it strengthens neighborhood ties and advances civic pride.
By aligning with The Community’s Classic, Rocket seizes a unique branding opportunity—boosting visibility across diverse audiences while actively contributing to community development. It’s a sponsorship that goes beyond name placement. It reflects a strategic choice: to invest in people, place, and purpose, all through one of the season’s most anticipated events on the green.
Rocket Companies stands as a pioneer in the fintech and mortgage space. Known best for its flagship brand, Rocket Mortgage, the company transformed the home loan process by fully digitizing it—years before it became mainstream. In 2023, Rocket Mortgage held the position of America’s largest retail mortgage lender for the 12th consecutive year, originating $78 billion in home loans, according to Inside Mortgage Finance.
This commitment to innovation extends beyond products. Through advanced data science, AI integration, and an obsession with client experience, Rocket has reshaped the lending landscape. But behind the technology lies a deeper purpose that drives every decision.
Rocket’s mission statement reads: “To help Americans achieve the dream of home ownership and financial freedom.” That mission pushes the company to develop both cutting-edge tools and accessible financial solutions that serve families across all income brackets.
The philosophy goes beyond balance sheets and loan applications. Rocket champions initiatives designed to close the homeownership gap, increase financial literacy, and break down systemic barriers. Internally, this manifests through professional development opportunities, diversity-focused leadership pipelines, and inclusive workplace policies. Externally, it takes shape in every community Rocket touches.
Detroit is more than Rocket’s headquarters—it's part of the company’s identity. Since relocating its operations downtown in 2010, Rocket has invested over $2.2 billion into Detroit’s growth and renovation. Through the privately-funded Rocket Community Fund, teams have tackled homelessness, boosted digital access, and supported neighborhood-based entrepreneurship.
This foundation of community investment forms the backbone of Rocket’s sponsorship decisions. Naming the Community’s Classic isn’t just an act of branding—it’s a reflection of long-standing values. The company doesn’t support events to chase attention. It chooses platforms that align with its purpose and mirror its commitment to moving lives forward.
Live sports offer a branding ecosystem unmatched by other marketing channels. With televised tournaments, digital streaming, social media coverage, and on-site visibility, sponsorships in sports generate prolonged exposure across multiple platforms. In 2023, the global sports sponsorship market reached $66 billion according to Statista, and the U.S. captured a 37% share of that total—driven largely by legacy brands seeking to embed themselves into the culture and consciousness of fans.
Rocket Companies views sports not as a novelty marketing play, but as a strategic branding framework. By attaching its name to a memorable athletic experience, Rocket places itself in front of millions of viewers, attendees, and social followers. Every highlight reel, leaderboard mention, or tournament recap reinforces the Rocket name—often in moments of peak emotional engagement from fans. This branding continuity amplifies message retention and fosters greater brand recall.
Unlike short-lived ad impressions or transient digital placements, golf embodies enduring values that align directly with Rocket’s brand identity. Golf demands precision. So does mortgage financing. Golf requires discipline and patience. So does long-term financial planning. Golf builds trust—through fair play, etiquette, and consistency. These same principles shape Rocket’s relationship with its clients, team members, and community partners.
This brand-value alignment elevates sponsorship from a logo placement to a story being told. When audiences see Rocket’s name alongside a tournament of highly respected athletes, the connection is more than visual—it’s philosophical. This association builds authenticity and strengthens consumer trust, both during the event and long after the final putt drops.
Beyond reach, Rocket leverages sports sponsorship as a bridge into neighborhoods and communities. Hosting an event like The Community’s Classic invites local residents, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations to become part of the narrative. Sponsorship gives Rocket a platform—not just to be seen, but to act.
At the same time, national visibility scales the story beyond the host city. Media impressions cascade across markets. Golf analysts mention Rocket in association with sportsmanship, performance, and excellence. The narrative moves from the green to households, boardrooms, and digital feeds across the country.
What compels someone to remember a sponsor’s name long after the final score? It’s not just signage. It’s story, synergy, and purpose-infused visibility. Rocket steps beyond conventional marketing, tapping into the ethos of sports to build loyalty, community goodwill, and emotional connection.
The Community’s Classic began with a clear mission: elevate athletic excellence while spotlighting the strength, resilience, and diversity of Detroit's neighborhoods. A fusion of sportsmanship and social impact, the tournament functions not just as an elite golf event, but as a platform for advancing equity and amplifying local voices.
Each year, top-tier athletes tee off not only to compete, but to contribute—merging world-class performance with the pursuit of meaningful change. Rocket’s naming sponsorship serves as a reflection of its ongoing commitment to creating inclusive spaces in which talent is nurtured and communities are empowered.
The ripple effect from the Community’s Classic reaches far beyond the fairways. Revenue from the event directly funds neighborhood outreach programs that target underrepresented and economically challenged populations across Detroit. From golf clinics for youth in underserved areas to educational workshops hosted during the tournament weekend, the event activates every touchpoint in service of local impact.
The Community’s Classic doesn’t pack up once the trophies are handed out. Sponsorship funds flow into year-round initiatives anchored in Rocket’s philanthropic framework. Community gardens receive upgrades. After-school programs get new equipment. Youth scholarship funds grow. The tournament is only the beginning; the real work happens in between the swings.
Imagine a golf tournament where every stroke counts—not just on the leaderboard, but in real lives changed. The Community's Classic, backed by Rocket’s sponsorship, delivers precisely that kind of lasting value. When the last putt drops, Detroit’s communities are already winning.
When Rocket secured the naming rights for The Community’s Classic, it did more than attach a logo to a title—it embedded its brand into the core identity of a prominent regional event. Naming rights transform corporate sponsorship from simple support into a lasting imprint, positioning the brand at the center of conversations, media coverage, and community attention tied to the tournament.
Studies reinforce the impact. According to Nielsen Sports’ “Global Sponsorship Trends” report, 81% of fans can correctly recall naming sponsors of events they follow. That level of brand embedment outperforms short-term advertising formats and brings durable recognition. Since naming rights offer exclusive visibility, they shift brand positioning from peripheral to primary.
The rebranded moniker “The Community’s Classic presented by Rocket” places Rocket in a highly visible and repeated phrase across all event communications. Announcers say it. Journalists print it. Fans share it. Each time the tournament name is shown or spoken, Rocket’s brand gains mental shelf space.
Rather than sponsoring a portion of the event, Rocket’s identity is structurally woven into the event’s name. This tactic elevates brand association from passive exposure to cognitive dominance, ensuring Rocket’s presence is not only seen but remembered.
This 360-degree approach multiplies touchpoints. It creates a brand ecosystem where Rocket’s values, visuals, and voice intersect with the tournament’s ethos of community and excellence. The result? A clear, consistent, and compelling identity presence that deepens affinity and expands reach.
Rocket isn’t just putting its name on The Community’s Classic—it’s putting resources, people, and intention behind local impact. Tied to the tournament are multiple community-led initiatives aimed at fostering long-term benefits across Detroit’s neighborhoods. Through a series of partnerships with local nonprofit organizations, Rocket is funneling funds into housing stability programs, small business incubation, and digital access equity across underserved communities.
One example: in coordination with Detroit-based housing advocates, Rocket has committed direct funding toward initiatives that help residents gain access to affordable housing and legal assistance for home ownership. These efforts aren’t temporary boosts—they’re designed to create structural support systems that stay in place long after the last golfer tees off.
Rocket employees don’t just watch from the sidelines—they show up. Leading up to and during The Community’s Classic, teams of Rocket staffers are stepping into hands-on volunteer roles. In collaboration with local nonprofits like Life Remodeled and SAY Detroit, Rocket employees are working on neighborhood beautification projects, educational mentorship programs, and logistical support for community events around the tournament.
More than 500 volunteer hours have already been committed by Rocket staff in the months leading to the tournament. From repairing school playgrounds to organizing job-readiness workshops, the efforts are aligned with Rocket’s ‘For-More-Than-Profit’ philosophy—working not only for returns, but for resonance.
Rocket is fueling the pipeline of future talent through investments in youth sports. In partnership with The First Tee – Greater Detroit and Midnight Golf Program, Rocket is establishing scholarships, funding new equipment, and supporting coaching outreach to expand youth access to golf. The goal is clear: open the game—and its life skills—to kids who may never have stepped on a course before.
These programs are doing more than teaching swings and putting techniques—they're building confidence, teaching discipline, and opening doors.
Golf continues to evolve far beyond its country club image. At The Community’s Classic, the sport plays a pivotal role in uniting people across generations, backgrounds, and economic strata. The game's rhythmic pace creates space for dialogue, camaraderie, and collaboration. Whether it’s a high school athlete sharing a cart with a local entrepreneur, or a retiree mentoring a first-time player, each interaction contributes to a web of community relationships.
Unlike fast-paced sports that demand peak physicality, golf offers a slower tempo and lower barrier to participation for players of various ages and abilities. Community-focused tournaments like The Community’s Classic are designed with inclusivity at their core—incorporating clinics, youth programs, and family-friendly formats. With adaptive equipment and increasingly accessible course design, participation grows among individuals who previously saw golf as out of reach.
Events like The Community’s Classic do more than entertain—they catalyze connection. On the course, titles fall away. What’s left is shared focus, collective strategy, and accessible conversation. When a teenager plays alongside a civic leader, or a nonprofit director tees off with a CEO, those moments flatten hierarchy and foster mutual respect. The game becomes a neutral space, where economic and social walls give way to storytelling, laughter, and teamwork.
Rocket’s sponsorship of The Community’s Classic taps into this transformative potential. By choosing golf as a platform, Rocket aligns its brand with a sport that nurtures genuine human connection—through dialogue over drives, mentorship in motion, and a collective investment in community. These partnerships aren't transactional; they're human.
Rocket is activating a robust, integrated digital campaign to elevate The Community’s Classic well before the first tee-off. Social platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn feature high-quality visuals, teaser clips, and interactive polls that foster real-time engagement. Hashtags such as #CommunitysClassic and #RocketTeesUp unify the conversation and boost discoverability.
Paid media complements organic reach. Geo-targeted ads across search engines and programmatic display networks deliver tailored messaging to golf enthusiasts, Detroit locals, and Rocket brand followers. Influencer partners, including PGA-aligned personalities and community leaders with strong online presence, amplify content, attracting niche online audiences while driving traffic back to Rocket-owned platforms.
Rocket's content studio is producing a steady pulse of original media to build anticipation. Short-form behind-the-scenes videos show how the tournament comes together—from grounds prep to charity logistics. Human-centered storytelling remains central. Expect features on Rocket staff volunteering at the event, spotlights on Detroit-based vendors, and interviews with nonprofit partners receiving proceeds.
During the event, live-stream snippets, drone footage, and competitor clips surface across platforms in near real time. Ground teams document spontaneous moments—reactions, fan commentary, community interactions—which are adapted into short, shareable formats for wide reach. Every post carries a narrative angle, framing Rocket’s title sponsorship as a commitment beyond brand visibility.
In collaboration with regional and national media outlets, Rocket has secured coverage slots that highlight both the cause and the competition. Detroit-based television and radio broadcasters spotlight the event through early morning interviews, community calendars, and on-site reporting. Partnerships with sports publications and podcasts, both digital and print, extend reach into national golf and philanthropic circles.
Across the city, activation zones designed in partnership with local businesses keep the conversation going on the ground. Branded pop-ups at coffee shops, billboards along I-75, and street team engagements downtown help transform event awareness into community-wide excitement days before the tournament begins.
Even after the final putt, marketing efforts persist. Recap videos, impact statistics, and community testimonials flood digital channels. Post-event media recaps, shared via newsletters and Rocket’s media room, anchor the narrative around collective impact and year-round investment.
Rocket isn't just sponsoring The Community’s Classic—it’s mobilizing its people to become active representatives of the brand and its values. Internal culture doesn’t sit in isolation; it sits at the center of the company’s public presence. By encouraging employees to engage directly with the tournament, Rocket amplifies authenticity and strengthens community ties from the inside out.
Employees are invited to step out from behind their desks and into the field—literally. From volunteering at check-in stations to organizing hospitality logistics and even participating in networking events during tournament week, team members immerse themselves in service. When staff show up in Rocket gear and with Rocket values, attendees don’t just see a sponsor—they meet it, speak with it, and connect to it through every interaction.
Internally, the company builds on its core values—teamwork, service, and excellence—by designing staff-led activations around them. Teams organize donation drives connected to the tournament's charity partners. Others host panels and internal events that highlight community-driven innovation. These aren’t symbolic efforts—they’re operational examples of Rocket’s mission in motion.
Long before tee time, Rocket's internal channels light up. Company-wide emails, Slack communities, digital dashboards, and leadership shout-outs create momentum. These tools do more than share logistics—they fuel pride. When employees read about their colleagues leading event committees or mentoring youth golf participants, morale rises. That rise doesn't stay internal. It radiates out through conversations, social posts, and face-to-face moments on the course.
Want to see how culture becomes contagious? Watch a Rocket employee who spent months prepping for The Community’s Classic walk through the crowd and get recognized—not just by peers but by community members who now view them as part of something bigger.
Every marketing investment needs clear performance benchmarks. To measure the effectiveness of Rocket’s named sponsorship of The Community’s Classic, the metrics start with audience exposure and interaction. Digital and broadcast impressions, combined with total reach across platforms, offer concrete proof of the brand’s visibility.
During the event campaign window, Rocket will analyze:
These data points will feed into attribution models that isolate the impact of the sponsorship on key campaign goals—from top-of-funnel awareness to interest and intent. A spike in branded search terms, elevated website traffic during tournament timeframes, and social sentiment shifts will also be tracked.
Rocket’s sponsorship isn’t designed only to win impressions—it’s built to activate communities. That means measuring participation and outcomes across local touchpoints is non-negotiable.
Qualitative data will enrich the picture. Stories from volunteers, testimonials from beneficiaries, and feedback from civic stakeholders will all be collected as part of Rocket’s post-event audit.
Brand lift studies and post-event consumer surveys will capture how the Rocket name resonates after the tournament ends. Those insights—combined with long-span social listening and media analysis—will establish how The Community’s Classic influences Rocket’s cultural footprint in its key markets.
Have new audiences started to associate Rocket with community investment? Are inbound PR mentions shifting to include the brand in conversations about purpose-driven leadership? These are the signals that extend beyond the weekend and into Rocket’s growth strategy.
Sponsorship here is not a one-time brand placement. It’s a sustained dialogue with the communities that matter most—and every metric feeds back into strengthening that connection.
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