The blog’s been dormant for quite a while now; a combination of work, vacation, and countless distractions have kept me from the regular updates I aimed for in starting BSM’s online presence, but with any luck, in the coming weeks and months, regular service will resume and the blog’s activity will grow in kind…
In the meantime, here’s a quick write-up that should have been posted a month ago. The following was written on the morning of December 12th, 2009, in a lounge in Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport, en route to Montréal for the holidays. The subject matter may seem a bit out of date, but the key arguments and concepts remain as relevant today as they were on that morning – whether the article stands the test of time, however, depends largely on how accurate it is predicting Tiger’s future as a brand…
The fall of the Tiger Brand??December 12, 2009
The blog has taken a bit of a break in recent weeks, an unfortunate byproduct of the busy holiday season, and the increasing awareness and interest surrounding ambush marketing as 2010 fast approaches.
Nevertheless, in light of the current predicament Tiger Woods finds himself in, the media furor and speculation that currently envelopes his personal life, and the announcement that he will be stepping away from the sport which made him s billionaire, the future if the Tiger brand is s more than worthy topic with which to return.
As with all celebrity and athlete endorsements, the potential for negative press attention, scandal, and notoriety, are ever-present dangers for Tiger's commercial interests, and those of his sponsors. However, even with this threat in mind, few would have imagined the depths to which this story would delve, and the magnitude and multitude of allegations that would emerge following Tiger's car accident. How these events, and Woods' seeming admission of guilt through his press releases in recent weeks, will impact his brand and effect future earning potential, is a question which will surround the brand for possibly years to come.
Despite these concerns, however, there remains some cause for optimism for Woods and his commercial partners, overshadowed as it is by the negativity currently following the Woods name. Ultimately, in analyzing the future of the Tiger brand, and considering the impact Woods' transgressions may have, it should always be highlighted what makes up the core of Tiger's brand, and what he as an athlete and an endorser represent to the buying public. Although Tiger's relationship with his father has long been a key element of his brand image, and his own family life has become an increasingly used and focused-upon element of his character, his brand value is nevertheless based on his ability as a golfer, his steely determination and dominance, and his transferability between markets, demographics, and psychographics. Unlike other athlete brands that place great emphasis and derive considerable value from their family-life, such as David Beckham or Wayne Gretzky, Woods relies on his sporting prowess, and almost supernatural ability as a competitors to differentiate himself from other athlete brands, traits which must be re-emphasized and developed for Tiger to return to his marketing peak.
Interestingly, Woods' main sponsors have thus far remained relatively tight lipped, likely awaiting a more opportune moment to decode upon longer-term strategies, and how best to proceed with their partnerships with the athlete. Assuming each brand included morality clauses in their endorsement contracts, the companies will have the option to terminate the sponsorship should they feel it best to distance their brand from Woods. Others will face the challenge of returning Tiger to a saleable and marketable asset, which likely will rely heavily on his eventual return to golf, and a return to tournament winning and dominating form. When that will happen, and indeed if that will happen, remains to be seen.
Finally, it seems worth noting that with everything going on in the world - wars throughout the middle east, swine flu spreading across the globe, global warming talks coming to a head - the most significant and followed news story of the past two weeks has been that of Tiger Woods' personal life. Few athletes in history could command such hysteria and mass-interest, and even fewer golfers. Let there be no doubt of the impact Tiger has had on golf and the sporting world, and of the media and commercial interest that follows him. While his brand may be under threat currently, and his personal life in tatters, that we as fans and consumers care enough to follow such stories only serves to underline the potential value that remains in the Tiger Woods brand. How that value is leveraged, remains to be seen
