Posts Tagged ‘Tiger Woods’

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 »

Winning

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

Continuing the Tiger theme this week, I thought his 60 Minutes interview on Sunday night was extremely refreshing.

In the interview, Tiger confessed that ‘winning’ was the big motivation to his success and work ethic.

Winning drives most elite sportspeople but few admit it.

Maybe it’s an Australian thing. We expect our heroes to be humble and promote enjoyment as their main motivation. But let’s be honest. Winning is a major carrot for elite sportspeople.

You only have to look at Andre Agassi. He admits in his autobiography that he hated tennis. So what drove him? It certainly wasn’t ‘having fun’.

Now don’t get me wrong, fun plays a major role for most sportspeople, but fun alone doesn’t motivate an athlete to rise at 5:30AM and do 1000 sit-ups. Winning does.

And that’s why Tiger’s interview was refreshing. Winning shouldn’t be a dirty word. Australian’s more than any other nation like to win. Athletes themselves like to win. So let’s not sugar-coat the truth. There is nothing wrong with wanting to win. It’s why the Michael Jordan’s, Kelly Slater’s, Lance Armstrong’s and Tiger Woods’ of the world are on top.

They use the concept of winning to drive them to be better. Aint nothing wrong with that. Refreshing isn’t it?

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Posted in Communication, Media | 1 Comment »

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 »

One Billion Dollars

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

Forbes Magazine, today announced Tiger Woods as the first sportsman to break through the billion-dollar earnings barrier.

This is a staggering achievement but it’s not really surprising. If you look at my “10 Things That Make An Athlete Marketable” you’ll notice Woods covers every base and then some.

The average punter will look at the 1$ billion and shake their heads at the craziness of it. But let’s break it down. Think about the money Woods has brought into the USPGA, its sponsors and golf in general. Event sponsor rights go up, broadcast rights go up, TV advertising goes up, ticket sales go up, memorabilia sales goes up, golf equipment sales go up, membership for local golf clubs increases and we haven’t even discussed Woods’ personal sponsors yet.

Not since Michael Jordan have we seen an athlete transcend a sport and influence the market quite like Woods has. On that point, Nike must be congratulated for their ability to secure another ‘once in a generation athlete’.

Sports is big business because it attracts big business. And the big athletes get the biggest slice of the pie. And they don’t come any bigger than Tiger Woods.

Woods deserves every cent of that $1 billion.

GLF-MASTERS-WOODS JUBO 2

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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 »

10 Things That Make an Australian Athlete Marketable?

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

1. Sport – a national sport with free to air coverage and a global presence (eg. tennis, golf, cricket, football, swimming). Rugby League players for example don’t command big sponsorships because they appeal primarily to Sydney and Brisbane audiences only. That doesn’t mean they can’t earn good money but they’ll never be Australia’s most marketable athlete. Think Ricky Ponting

2. Winner – Australians love a winner. And the more fierce the competition (underdog status) the better. An athlete can have every quality in the book but if they aren’t winning then forget it. How you win is also an important factor. Is the athlete sinking 20ft putts like Tiger Woods to win, taking 5 wickets on the last day of Test Match like Shane Warne or breaking world records? Think Ian Thorpe

3. Good Looks – This is not an absolute must but don’t underestimate the power of good looks. This attribute appeals strongly to fans not to mention brands looking to invest in athletes. Why do you think movies use good looking actors and actresses? Sometimes an athlete can build a career on good looks alone but this will be short lived if you aren’t doing the point above. Think Stephanie Rice.

4. Media Skills – does the athlete present well in front of the camera? How do they stand, do they make strong eye contact, do they project their voice with clarity? Do they understand and respect the media’s role in their sport? And do they do it all with a warm personality and a smile on their face? Think Lucas Neill.

5. Clean Image – are they someone you could take home to meet the parents? Do they demonstrate strong values? Avoiding drinking, swearing or smoking is a winning combination here. Think Adam Gilchrist.

6. Gracious – everyone likes a winner but Australians don’t react well to arrogance or big headiness. You only have to look at the recent criticism of the Australian Cricket team. Personally I like the way they play but it seems the masses don’t so if you want to avoid tall poppy syndrome, be super humble. Think Pat Rafter.

7. Great with Fans – fans pay the athletes wages. So it makes sense the public respond well to athletes who really appreciate their fans. The most marketable athletes don’t avoid their fans, they embrace them and do their best to connect with them on different levels. It’s all about giving back to the people who support them. Think Brett Lee.

8. Integrity – athletes who stand up for what they believe in and who are consistent with their image gain respect from the public. A good example is an athlete who chooses only to endorse brands and products they really believe in. Think Cadel Evans.

9. Charitable – if you’re an athlete earning big money doing something you love then the public expect you to give back to the community. It can’t be all sponsor appearances and paid gigs, people love when an athlete uses their celebrity and wealth to benefit a greater cause. Think Glen McGrath.

10. The X-Factor – or originality / uniqueness. This can make or break some athletes. It’s easy to be a clone but being unique makes you stand out. Having a distinctive presence, charm or edge to your personality is incredibly powerful. Think Greg Norman.

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Posted in Cricket, Football, Media, Sponsorship, Tennis | 3 Comments »