Tiger’s Fall from Grace Illustrates the Power of Personality Endorsements

Raymond Snoddy considers the marketing and PR lessons to be learned from the Tiger Woods story.

It’s going to be a close run thing whether the conquests of Tiger Woods eventually end up outnumbering his major golf championships.

With 13 conquests already publicly announced and counting, it will take only two more cocktail waitresses to step forward in search of a quick buck to tip the balance – allegedly. The impressive stamina of the man means good news for tabloid newspapers everywhere. Even the most financially-strapped publication should be able to afford its very own exclusive Tiger Woods kiss-and-tell story.

But what of the man himself and his remaining potential for commercial sponsors. Tiger has been dumped – but not by everyone.

Gillette produced a public relations masterpiece by attributing the fact that they would be limiting his role in their marketing campaigns in future by supporting “his desire for privacy.” Brilliant! Some would argue that P & G should have taken the opposite course and doubled the frequency of Tiger ads selling the subliminal message Look What A Tiger Woods Shave Can Do For A Man.

Consulting group Accenture had no hesitation in dumping him with the rather po-faced comment that betrayed their accountancy background by saying he was “no longer the right representative” because of the “circumstances” of the past two weeks. Had they forgotten the brilliance of their own advertising: “It’s what you do next that counts.” Even the picture of Tiger stuck deep in the rough with the copyline: “The road to high performance isn’t always paved” is not entirely irrelevant in current circumstances.

Tag Heuer is going to spend a few weeks assessing its future relationship with the golfer; AT&T has not changed its sponsorship; while Nike is standing by its man and has even said he will emerge from this “blip” a winner.

So, to dump or not to dump? That is the question.

There is no doubt that Tiger’s public approval ratings have plummeted by unprecedented percentages, at least in the puritanical United States. A USA Today/ Gallup poll gave him a “favourable” rating of 85 in 2005. It’s now at 33 per cent, even lower than the politicians.

Disapproval is one thing. Much more damaging is the fact that Tiger Woods has become a laughing stock around the world, the butt of endless jokes on television and the internet, doomed to be remembered for his sexual shenanigans rather than his outstanding golfing accomplishments.

The nickname “Tiger” was in retrospect a hostage to fortune, even though it is undeniably more memorable that his real name, Eldrick Tont Woods.

There is a positive side to the jokes – of sorts. Work by Nielsen IAB earlier this month found that Tiger jokes on television produced a much higher that average recall of the associated brand – 55 per cent against the late-night norm of around 39 per cent. In the case of Tiger sponsors though there was an 11 per cent negative shift, nearly double the average.

What is certain is that Woods and his advisers have given everyone the perfect case study of how not to handle a crisis. From the moment of the fire hydrant crash and the wife who only broke the car windows with a golf club to get her man out, to the present day it has been bungle after bungle. And hundreds of millions of dollars have been lost as a result, never mind a reputation.

First there was the lying denial which could not be sustained. Then there was grudging admission of “infidelity.” Can infidelity double up as a plural or would infidelities, or even multiple infidelities, have been better for the avoidance of misunderstanding?

Then all the previous errors were compounded to the level of imbecility by withdrawing from golf and public life instead of confronting the problem and then, dear God, asking for privacy when you have made $1 billion selling your squeaky clean public image.

The injunction in London was the cherry on the cake pushing Tiger into further disrepute if that is possible.

Honesty, however painful, really is always the best policy in crisis management. Have his advisers never heard of David Letterman who confessed on his own show to multiple sexual exploits with young members of his own staff? If anything Letterman’s behaviour was rather more questionable than random sessions with cocktail waitresses and models all over the world. Yet, as a result of being forced to face up to the issue because of a blackmail threat, Letterman and The Late Show rapidly emerged unscathed on the other side.

Tiger Woods will remain for most marketing departments a stark warning that personality endorsements can be a dangerous game to play. It’s not just as simple as getting rid of the errant personality. Every time I see an Accenture advertisement in future at Heathrow Airport whoever or whatever is featured I will always see Tiger Woods in the rough – and smile. The effect of powerful advertising lingers on!

So, before your company decides to invest millions of pounds worth of brand equity in a potential frail human being, spend a few thousands on a good private detective to ensure they are not secret members of the National Front or have an unacceptably large number of mistresses.

Better still, sponsor an event, a team, an institution, even a hospice – anything that won’t come back to bite you on the bum.