This is one of those points in the CPG industry when you wish you didn't let your clients appoint that celeb to co-communicate a brand. It happens all too often a product launches around a star, then suddenly that star fades or implodes as is the case with Tiger Woods. From a PR standpoint, can Tiger Woods recover from his current debacle?
In my opinion, yes. He has gotten himself into a real PR nightmare but, I do think it will only end up helping him in the end as American consumers love to forgive and forget, we build them up just as fast as we tear them down.
There are his endorsements – they all seem to be sticking by him. I don’t think we will be seeing a Tiger Woods ad played on TV anytime soon but, in the next few months, they’ll come back. Currently, Woods has deals with Nike, Tag Heuer, Gillette, Accenture and Electronic Arts. Nike has the most money invested in Tiger - $30 million to be exact. Gillette, with a $15 million deal, may actually look at this as an opportunity – their image is all about “guy-guys” and to some people, Tiger is just being a guy. Gillette doesn’t have the same messaging as say, Axe Body Sprays (how about that for an endorsement?) but they are certainly more about the manly men so this may not phase their ad and pr people as much. But how will they handle backlash from the public? I guess only time will tell whether Tiger’s bad behavior will have an effect on men’s grooming products.
This current situation doesn’t affect the fact that he is an amazing athlete. As far as his future in the golf world, he will probably write a book, be diagnosed as a “sex addict”, have every major network after him for interviews, and, he will continue to be an incredible golfer. He seems to be a pretty private guy so I’m sure if he continues to play it cool and keep it private, it will blow over.
OR, he could divorce his wife, continue his bad-boy behavior, become the spokesperson for Jack Daniels and Trojan, and become the coolest golfer ever…Think about what that could do for the golf world…
Here are our thoughts on what lifestyle products would appeal to the NEW Tiger Woods consumer:
- Viagra
- Trojan Condoms
- Red Bull Beverage
- Listerine
But the real new starlet could be his wife as she comes out swinging, does anyone remember Hillary Clinton when she said she would stand by Bill and America loved her for it. Maybe this is what Elin Nordegren needs to get out from her husbands shadow and relaunch her modeling career or maybe make a guest appearance on BRAVO's Real Housewives.
