Tiger’s Transgressions

Ah yesss…this week saw yet another male celebrity apologizing for ‘transgressions’…and not one transgression mind you but according to some reports, as many as four transgressions! I will reserve my private thoughts on this breach of marital trust by professional  golfer Tiger Woods and instead focus on the branding and PR implications of his missteps.

As the world’s highest paid professional athlete and one with an almost impeccable background, Tiger Woods in undoubtedly one of the most marketable athletes. Not as young and immature as Michael Phelps and not at all as reckless or stupid as Michael Vick, his image has netted him some of the largest endorsement deals ever signed by an athlete. Nike, General Motors, Gillette and American Express are only a few of the large companies behind the Tiger Woods brand. So how, if at all, will Tiger’s dalliances affect his sponsorship deals? If I had to bet I would say that they won’t. Thus far, all of Tiger’s corporate sponsors have stood behind him and will probably continue to do so.

The fact of the matter is that these sponsors stand the chance of making alot more money with Tiger in the long run than if they drop him right now. Let’s face it, the U.S. is a country that is still enamored by former President Bill Clinton, once the most powerful person in the world and an admitted adulterer. It’s a simple equation, the more money and power a public figure possesses, the less likely they are to take a serious hit from marital infidelities. Kobe Bryant endured similar scrutiny following his 2004 (much more serious) scandal but has since then rebounded nicely and I have no doubt that Tiger Woods won’t do the same.

What remains to be seen is how Woods intends to deal with this truly private situation which has unfortunately exploded onto the public radar. So far he has only made statements via his personal website, which I had no problem with before all the sordid details began emerging. However, with more negative information being uncovered each day, I think it would be smart of him to address the allegations publicly. Woods has probably lost the respect of alot of avid female golf fans (and males no doubt) and it would probably be wise of him to do some damage control.

For me, this incident raises another issue as well. Are celebrities good spokesmen for large corporate companies? We’re all human after all and none of us are perfect wives, husbands, fathers, mothers, etc. So why should we be surprised when one of our supposed ‘idols’ falters? The errant spokesperson has always been a concern of large corporations but I kind of think that the exposure the company can potentially receive will always outweigh the perceived effects of a spokesperson’s transgressions.

Just my two cents on the topic du jour….we’ll see how Tiger fares this week.

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