The Tiger Woods storm doesn?t seem to be abating, with a new twist to the ?tail? being added virtually on a daily basis. What has gained special attention recently, however, is the effect that this storm has had on the Tiger brand. Today, a few of his biggest endorsers have severed ties with Tiger, while the rest are adopting a wait and watch attitude, gauging how all of this plays out, and whether the wounds are skin-deep or whether the brand is scarred for life. All advertisements featuring Tiger have been pulled, the EA Tiger Woods video game is not set for release any time soon, and from the looks of it, the damage seems to be irreparable.
Ironically, Tiger defines branding not only in golf, but in all sports. He is the first billionaire athlete who painstakingly created his legacy as much for his off-field class, as for his on-field greatness. That his personal life has become fodder for the tabloids would naturally have an adverse impact on his branding, but what one seems to forget is that he is endorsing brands because of his performances on the course. While this does not condone his behaviour in any way, it should put into perspective how his off-field demeanour (until now) was merely a bonus to what his overall brand entailed. While it is understandable how brands may not blow their trumpets about Tiger today, but cutting him off prior even to any official idea about the extent of his ?egressions? seems premature at best. However, this is typically how celebrity and athlete branding plays itself out in the West.
The best parallel one can draw for Tiger would be Kobe Bryant, who rebounded from a rape allegation to again become a global superstar. By flying under the radar, and remodelling his image gradually, Kope?s renaissance is now complete. Nothing succeeds like success, and once Tiger does begin to regain his form, which was noticeably missing in 2009, his will once again be a story for the ages, as he fights adversity and the odds, to emerge as the outstanding athlete across sports. He may never be able to endorse wholesome brands, but endorsers will come, and in droves.
What the Tiger episode does highlight is just how stupendous Tendulkar?s brand and career has been. A consummate professional who has never faced a real slump in performance to the point of anxiety, his one criticism is almost laughable: that he scores big runs in losing causes. As a sponsor, or an advertiser, or as a team owner, where one has the budget to afford Tendulkar, one usually does. Beyond the aura, there are sound business reasons. Purely from a numbers standpoint, more often than not, Tendulkar delivers big in terms of ratings, exposure, and media coverage. From a wholesomeness standpoint, again Tendulkar has few competitors, and the diaspora of products and services he can endorse is vast. His professionalism is a part of the industry folklore, and every stakeholder swears by him. That the audiences haven?t become bored with him, but in fact revere him more with each passing year speaks volumes for his bankability. That his reputation is pristine despite intense media scrutiny, and he is able to represent brands across industries, age groups, genres and social strata for over two decades, is an achievement unparalleled by any athlete across sports.
Simply put, he is a pioneer in the blending of sports and business. But he is also a once-in-a-generation brand, who is consistent, possesses every marketable quality one looks for, and is, quite simply, the best there is. And unlike his other gloried peers across sports, he is unlikely to possess too many skeletons in his cupboard that can cause his star to wane, or his brand to fade. Acceptance of his greatness and gratitude for what he has accomplished for everyone around him are what accompany Tendulkar in the sports industry. A travel-sized legend who revolutionised Indian sports.
Tiger on the other hand will need to rethink his future strategy once he returns to golf. His likely backers would be equipment manufacturers, fitness brands, energy drinks and supplements, and other performance-based products and services, focusing on his outstanding achievements and skill. Additionally, he will also be able to target endorsers looking at advertising and brand campaigns focused around adversity and trauma, and the fight to overcome, sweetly sprinkled with the taste of victory once Tiger does begin to win again. Tiger will more likely than not bounce back with a vengeance, and with slight modifications to his brand and image, once again adorn the endorsers? wish list. He is simply too good an athlete to be kept down for too long.
Redemption is a bankable virtue, and don?t be surprised if Woods hits a hole in one sooner rather than later when it comes to resurrecting his brand. He?s a few grand slams away from a rousing slam dunk. And trading in the thorns for the rose petals.
The author is a sports attorney at J Sagar Associates. Views are personal