Archive for the ‘golf’ Category

Tiger Woods’ Big Lesson

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Does everyone have a right to their own privacy? Absolutely but the game changes when you’re in the spotlight.

I’m not going to excuse the behaviour of Tiger Woods. His transgressions are morally and ethically wrong. But is it really our business?

The public have this week reconfirmed their insatiable appetite for drama and scandal involving high profile people.

The wake up call for Tiger and every high profile athlete around the world is obvious. The lines between athlete and celebrity are blurred and have been for a while now. These days people are not only interested in how you perform your talent, but they are interested in how you live your life.

Sometimes this sucks, but its reality.

One prominent Australian who can probably relate to what Tiger Woods is going through is former NRL player and media personality Matthew Johns. Earlier this year, Johns was hammered in the Australian media for an incident that happened years ago. By the time the public put their swords away, the common feeling towards Johns was one of remorse. Looking back, the majority of people thought he was hard done by. Yes the same people who at the time poured petrol on the media’s fire.

The media know the public are gagging for these kind of scandals. So from now on, they’re not going to sit around and wait for someone to kiss and tell. They’re going to chase it. And chase it hard.

Athletes beware. Your private life is someone else’s gateway to a big pay day. Michael Phelps learnt that last year and now its Tiger’s turn.

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Posted in Communication, Media, Uncategorized, golf | 2 Comments »

Will Tiger Woods Lose Any Sponsors Over This Latest Incident?

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

There has been a lot of talk about whether Tiger Woods will lose any sponsors over his bizarre accident.

At the moment he won’t. And nor should he. Right now, these rumours about his personal life are just that, rumours only until proven otherwise.

In any case, its not always easy for a sponsor to walk away from a contract. They have to execute an escape clause which usually involves the athlete bringing the sponsor into disrepute.

So what are the common escape clauses in personal endorsements? Here are the major ones.

  • Being charged or convicted of a crime.
  • A positive test to drugs.
  • Breaking the laws of the sporting body (in this case the PGA).
  • Engaging in conduct that is obscene, indecent, immoral or unprofessional.
  • Doing anything that restricts the ability of the brand to promote the athlete or diminishes the commercial benefits provided to the sponsor.
  • Becoming of unsound mind therefore unable to fulfil sponsorship duties.
  • Not maintaining your elitist position in your sport eg. losing your PGA Tour card.

There are a myriad of others clauses but these are the most common in any contract.

If you know anything about legal contracts, the aim of the game is to make things so black and white in writing that there can be no dispute about a breach.

Tiger would have a strong case against any sponsor who wanted to pull the plug over this news story. There are simply too many grey areas for a sponsor to successfully argue a breach.

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Posted in Media, Sponsorship, Strategy, Uncategorized, golf | 4 Comments »

Buckle Up, TigerMania is GO!

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Does anyone remember when David Beckham visited Sydney two years ago? I do. I was front and centre at ANZ Stadium when he bent-it-like-Beckham against Sydney FC.

David Beckham was a busy man that week. Sponsors, media, fans, everyone wanted a piece of the guy. Most people would have buckled, but to his credit, David showed tremendous grace under all the attention and just when everyone thought the exposure was way over top, he delivered with that magical goal to justify the hype.

And so we come to Tiger Woods who touched down in Melbourne today ahead of Thursday’s Australian Masters.

There is no bigger name in world sport right now. The man is a phenomenon. So you can expect a whirlwind week of media attention for Tiger.

This is a great week for Australian golf and Tourism Victoria. And don’t underestimate the impact Tiger’s appearance will have on the young kids out there who are deciding what sport to play this summer. It’s a huge bonanza and the Victorian group that pulled it together should be congratulated.

Tiger’s schedule this week is hectic, the expectations enormous. But he’ll do it all with a smile on his face. And just when you think the attention is all too much, he’ll deliver with a gold jacket and justify the hype.

Perhaps that’s wishful thinking. But then again, we’re talking about Tiger Woods.

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Posted in Media, golf | No Comments »

The Fame Game

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

Most people fall into the fame game unexpectedly. Often they have a special talent that puts them in the spotlight whether it be in sports, TV, music or film.

I don’t know many people who actively pursue a career for fame alone. If they did then they would never make it. Fame is often a by-product of success or in some cases a necessity to achieve success.

Having worked with my fair share of ‘famous’ people I can tell you that most are incredibly uncomfortable with the fame game. Sure, they enjoy some of the perks but after experiencing the dizzy heights of fame, most would take the money and leave out the fame if given the choice.

The biggest downside to the fame game is that there is no off and on button. You can’t switch it off on a bad day. When times are good and the press positive, famous people will happily stand in the spotlight and do star jumps. But come tough times and negative press, the same people want to turn the light off and curl into a ball.

This inability to turn the light off still troubles the most experienced famous people, you only have to look at the Greg Norman / Chris Evert story. Greg has never had a problem using his fame to build a successful business empire and was more than happy to tell the world about his new relationship (picture Greg under a spotlight doing star jumps) but then it broke down. Suddenly a relationship that was everyone’s business, is now no ones business according to Greg. The game doesn’t work that way.

The point I’m trying to make is this. Whether you’re already famous or you’re chasing a career with the potential to be famous, you gotta realise that the light stays on through the good, bad and the downright ugly. If you can accept this as reality and you are comfortable to wear the consequences in the tough times then go ahead and turn that light on.

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Posted in Communication, Media, Personal Development, Strategy, golf | No Comments »

Emotions Are Strong

Friday, September 25th, 2009

Rarely does a brand make a commercial decision to sponsor an athlete or event without an emotional trigger.

Have you ever heard of a company sponsoring a golf event purely because the CEO is a passionate golfer? It happens.

Some sponsorships don’t make 100% commercial sense, yet they exist. And they exist because the sponsorship manager or CEO has an emotional tie-in with the sponsorship property. This emotional tie-in has the ability to overpower reason and logic.

When you’re pitching sponsorship, it needs to make sense but making sense alone isn’t enough for a company to sign the dotted line. You need to evoke emotion. You want the company to invest both passion and dollars.

Putting things aside like branding, try to think about the emotional reasons why a company would want to partner with you. Pride, zest, enthrallment, discovery, courage, respect, fun, compassion, inspiration, confidence etc. And then tie these in with the property you’re selling.

And remember you’re typically selling your pitch to one key decision maker. So make it personal-able. Even if that one person has to get approval from above, you need to hook them first so they’ll fight for your pitch internally. And you do that by appealing to their emotions.

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Posted in Sponsorship, Strategy, golf | No Comments »

The Post Game Interview

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Having a camera shoved in your face post match can be an awkward situation for even the most experienced sportspeople.

Often your mind is somewhere else. You’re not only exhausted but you’re probably self conscious about how you look having just stepped out of the heat of the battle. On top of that you might be angry, upset or crazy excited depending on the sporting result.

All these elements make for interesting TV viewing. Some interviews run smoothly, while others resemble deer in the headlights stuff. Let’s look at the do’s and don’ts when you next find yourself in the limelight post match.

Do

  • Be available. Don’t run away. This is a good chance to promote you!
  • Prepare. Think of two positive statements before the match. One about your team and one about yourself (win or lose). This will get you off and running with confidence.
  • Look the reporter in the eyes as much as possible. This makes you trustworthy to the viewers at home.
  • Stand with your hands on your hips. This helps you avoid fidgeting and gives you an air of confidence / authority.
  • Project your voice.
  • Speak slowly.

Don’t

  • Take out your frustrations on the reporter. It’s not personal.
  • Sip a water bottle during the interview.
  • Fidget. This includes playing with your hair, touching your face, ripping tape off your arm etc.
  • Swear.
  • Mumble.
  • Dart your eyes everywhere but the reporter.
  • Say hi to your mum and all your relatives. Tell them when you get home. No one cares.
  • Be negative. This includes blaming others / making excuses.

There is nothing more to it really. You have 30 seconds, maybe more to be at your best in front of camera. Make it count.

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Posted in Communication, Cricket, Football, Media, Rugby League, golf | No Comments »

Broaden Your Appeal

Monday, July 6th, 2009

Just like products, athletes have target markets. A group of people or demographic they appeal to.

This is the first thing sponsors look at when deciding on sponsorship. So it would make sense that the broader appeal you have, or the more market segments you can cross, the easier it is to pick up sponsorship?  Yep. Hold that thought.

Now, most athletes can only accommodate up to half a dozen big blue chip sponsors and maybe a few extra lower level sponsors or equipment sponsors. Anymore than that, is pushing it. There is only so much time for work, rest and play in the world of an athlete.

So if a high profile athlete is limited to six major sponsors, it would make sense that those sponsors have differing target markets right? This gives the athlete exposure in more markets. Broader appeal = more powerful brand = longevity in the sponsorship game.

If we look at Tiger Woods’ major sponsors, you will notice they broaden his appeal in different market segments. Guys like Accenture, AT&T, EA Sports, Gatorade, Gillette, Upper Deck, Laser Eye Centres, Nike and TAG Heuer cross many markets. Golfers, gamers, kids, middle age, high income earners, families, etc etc.

Before you run off and sign 10 sponsors in different industries. Know that you can’t be everything to everyone. Although Tiger’s appeal is broad, his management haven’t steered away from his own brand. They realise there is little reward in appealing to a big female audience. This would be a waste of time when they already have a pot of gold with Tiger’s core demographic of kids and white collar middle age males.

The trick is to work on your athlete’s brand first and then look at the different markets you can penetrate for maximum exposure with that brand.

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Posted in Sponsorship, Strategy, golf | No Comments »

Smile

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

What do Roger Federer and Tiger Woods have in common?

They both know the value of a smile.

Think of the most marketable sports stars today and picture them in your mind. What are their face expressions? Are they smiling, frowning, angry, aggressive, bored, stressed?

I don’t have to tell you the value of a smile. It makes you approachable. It’s endearing. It’s universal. It’s the single most powerful and positive self expression in the world.

Yet so many athletes don’t smile enough.

Now, I’m not talking about smiling in the heat of battle. I’m talking about when you’re in front of the media, at a sponsor appearance or with fans etc.

Have you ever heard someone say this about a celebrity? “I really like that person, that seem nice / down to earth.”

Chances are that celebrity has a genuine smile and they know when and how to use it.

If it’s true that smiling is one of the easiest ways to make friends and influence people (people also includes sponsorship managers) then athletes, who have an audience of millions, should make a genuine smile part of their personality.

CA Championship Golf

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Posted in Communication, Media, Personal Development, Strategy, Tennis, golf | 1 Comment »