Sorry seems to be the hardest word
“When will it end”?
That question must have been asked scores of times over the last week by Tiger Woods, his management, family, friends and brand sponsors.
Tiger has clearly been advised to follow many of the classic steps in crisis management, including owning up to any misdemeanours – however he still has not actually stated what he is specifically owning up to.
According to the Daily Mail, on 3rd December, IMG, his management team went into ‘panic mode’ over the harm to his multi-million-dollar brand persona.
Tiger’s management team is reported to be in talks with a string of corporate sponsors, including Nike, Buick, watch firm Tag Heuer and phone company AT&T, all who last year alone reportedly accounted for the mass of his £66million earnings.
Despite contrary statements earlier this week from Gillette – the razor brand which sponsors Tiger for an estimated £12million a year, it is now reported that the company may quietly remove him from campaigns.
JasonMaloni, Vice President and head of the Sports and Entertainment subpractice based in Washington DC said:
“Tiger is probably losing money already, and Gillette is his biggest problem. No firm that sells razors wants to be associated with someone who has scratches all over his face.”
“Tiger needs to be concerned because some endorsement contracts contain a “morals clause” that gives the sponsor the right to cancel or change the terms of the engagement. He needs his wife to come out and support him publicly. Until she does, the speculation and the damage to his reputation will continue.”
In a bizarre twist to the unraveling story, the TMZ site reported that it obtained a contract from AshleyMadison.com, a notorious adultery website with 3.5 million members. The offer was sent to Tiger offering $5 million for “advertisement, endorsement, sale and promotion” of their site.
The general public always has – and always will be fascinated by what really goes on behind the curtains of other people’s lives. More so if the curtains just happen to belong to a celebrity or leader. For example it is often reported that some European electors expect their politicians to have the occasional ‘fling’. However in Tiger’s case, his image has been carefully cultured to be ‘clean-cut’.
Perhaps in today’s age of more broadly accepted indiscretions, in the long term, with a combination of carefully chosen interviews, family statements and getting back to what he does best – playing golf, Tiger will emerge from all this a different person, slightly less admired by some, but still acknowledged by many as a sporting genius.
Perception is everything in branding. Some may actually warm to the idea of an outwardly ’squeak-clean’ celebrity, being shown to be humanly flawed and naive as the rest of us, and so who has character. That in turn could make some brands come across as more human and realistic rather than superficial and coroporate. Especially if the celebrity is seen to struggle between doing the right thing or the wrong thing – and who- like all great movie plots comes out winning for good.
For others reading all about Tiger’s personal life, all the accusations and allegations may lead them to the wonder about many issues including:
- The premium paid for a product that is paying high fees to celebrities. (An important factor to keep in mind during today’s tough economic times).
- The calibre of celebrities chosen by brands to represent commercial interests.
- The underlining messages that celebrities send to the young and impressionable.
- The integrity of the brands who invest in such personalities.
Judging by the accounts on the web and in the press for now it is beginning to appear that, if some industry commentators are correct, for some sponsors such Gillette, the current adverse publicity may all prove to be a shave too close for comfort.
Earlier this week, Tiger’s official website published the following:
“I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.”
“Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means. For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives. The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious. Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect.”
“But no matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I realize there are some who don’t share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one’s own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn’t have to mean public confessions.”
“Whatever regrets I have about letting my family down have been shared with and felt by us alone. I have given this a lot of reflection and thought and I believe that there is a point at which I must stick to that principle even though it’s difficult.”
“I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology.”
www.brandforensics.co.uk
Friday, December 4th, 2009 at 9:13 amand is filed under Brand expert, Branding, Gillette brand, Tiger Woods brand, celebrities, retail brands. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
