Recently, I read an article in AdvertisingAge on how Tiger Woods is getting back the majority of his sponsors back, and I think that it was ridiculous in the first place that he lost them. I understand that he is supposed to be considered a role model because hes this great golf player, but what I don't understand is how him wearing Nike has anything to do with him being a good, faithful husband?
For those of you living under a rock, I'll give you a short summary of what has been happening in Tiger Woods' life. On Thanksgiving this past year, he was involved in a single car accident, which we later found out was caused due from an argument he had with his wife. Tiger reportedly cheated on his wife (Elin Nordegren) with a ridiculous number of women throughout their marriage. Once word got out that this happened a whole lot of Tiger Woods' endorsement deals were dropped, and until recently, some were just reinstated. Last month Tiger publicly apologized for his transgressions on a televised news conference, and said he was going to take a break from his sport of golf.
I basically blame the tabloids for this whole, ridiculous debacle. If we didn't have the media crazy soicety we live in today, I would think that regular people wouldn't get so involed in these celebrities personal lives. They are around for a purpose, whether its acting, singing, or playing a sport. I think we should just let them live. This situation about these big named companies thinking that we would discontinue with buying their products because someone who endorsed for them was unfaithful got me thinking ... What if your dentist cheated on his wife would you stop going to him? I think not. Simply because the decisions he made doesn't reflect on his ability to clean my teeth.
I understand that Tiger Woods is considered to be a role model because he is an incredible golfer, so obviously companies like Nike and Gatorade would see dollar signs in him, but since when does his personal life reflect in his ability to play golf? I do not understand why Nike (or any other company) would even consider pulling out in their contract with him, because no matter how you look at him, he is still the best golfer around.
http://nobosh.com/sr/video-chat-is-where-its-at-but-how-do-brands-fit-in/326842/
Erin, I particularly like the comment you made regarding a dentist. If any other type of professional sabotaged his/her marriage, no one would care, unless of course they were directly involved or had a more informal/personal relationship with the individual. There is a theory in celebritydom that everything blows over. For instance, think of all the celebrity f-ups that have simply lost attention due to the passage of time or the f-up of another, similar-statused celebrity. The Pam-Tommy sex tape was replaced by the Paris Hilton video. Michael Vick's cruelty to animals has been replaced by Ben Rothesburger's cruelty to women (lower on the scumbag scale than Tiger, at least Tiger's gave consent [that we know of]), Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinski were replaced by Elliot Spitzer and his brothel.
ReplyDeleteI remember how upset I was when Michael Phelps lost his sponsor because he smoked a jay. Like seriously? He's pretty much a college student. Even Obama was on the record saying that he did drugs when he was younger and that he did, in fact, "inhale".
It'll all blow over soon enough, but it just sucks that celebrities are expected to be super-human and when they fail (and they always do because we're all human) the world turns on them rather harshly.
I want to preface this by saying that I think what Tiger did is deplorable, but it shouldn't have any hampering on his career as a golfer. Unfortunately, in the position he's in, his personal life is on a pedestal and it's going to happen, whether we as the audience or he as the subject want it. This said, I think it's stupid, and I don't use that word often, to reinstate an endorsement deal once it's been lost. It's economically a nosedive of a move.
ReplyDeleteYou don't see DoubleMint gum racing to give Chris Brown his spot back and I think that's a wise decision. Economically, trying to rebuild what has been lost for the brand just seems like trying to break even instead of just cutting losses and moving forward.
Again, I'm speaking economically here.
Steve raises several good points and I agree with most of them. My question is: would you rather spend your time repairing an image or creating a new one? I feel like just creating a new one would be more beneficial for anyone, whether it's DoubleMint or Nike.
Tiger Woods is supposed to represent the company. When bad feelings are associated with the endorser, these feelings can be then thought about the brand. Since people associate tiger woods with nike, this can have effect on the company itself which is risky. Some of these situations may just pass by but some don't.I agree his personal life shouldn't effect anything but in reality it does. He is in the public eye constantly so if he wants to continue a successful career, he needs to be careful of what he does. You mentioned no one would care about a dentist, that is true...because it doesn't change how he performs his work but Tiger Woods is a completely different situation. He is supposed to represent a company and create positive feelings. Just like Chris Brown losing his sponsorship with DoubleMint. If he didn't do stupid things then he wouldn't have lost it. I agree with both companies decisions. Doublemint was smart to drop chris brown because he was supposed to attract that audience but now no one likes him.
ReplyDeleteNow that Tiger's personal life has been all over the news and everywhere you look it has infact started to effect his golf game. Maybe concentrating on his life and trying to be a "good" person is too much for him to handle while being able to focus on his game. I completely understand why Nike and other companies would drop Tiger from their name. They do not want him representing their company because he now does not represent what their companies brand means. He is no longer a trust worth role model who is praised upon, but just another lying cheating person who has used their fame to their advantage. He should have consequences to learn that just because he is famous and an amazing golfer, this doesn't mean he can be a scum bag. Tiger hasn't been doing too hot lately, can he handle the pressure? We will see but so far he has proved he can't.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much I can say about this Tiger Woods scandal! I wish it would just go away but somehow it keeps coming back. I agree with you Erin. His marriage has nothing to do with his sponsors. The fact that he plays golf and is a professional player has nothing to do with his marriage. If Tiger truly had a sex addiction or not, that is his personal business and should not affect his professional life. Unfortunately it does and we can thank the media for it. They always blow everything up more than it should. The more they concentrate on hollywood infidelity, the more we hear about cheating husbands and I don't think any of us care unless we base our lives on celebrity gossip. His fans of the amazing golf he plays don't care about his marriage, they simply want to see him play!
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