Community

Public relations as we knew it is over (i.e., catering first and foremost to the demands of the journalists and trying to shape their message). Marketing has taken its place. In Tiger’s own case, he has followed a four-point crisis marketing strategy:

1. Don’t Panic. Tiger did not panic, even though there were cries by media and media handlers to make impulsive remarks.

2. Consider the core value of your product. For Tiger Woods, it’s years of winning golf tournaments and the respect he has received from his fans and customers;

3. Assess what hasn’t changed. Tiger Woods has been great for golf and is a great golfer. It was his silly behavior that got him in trouble; it wasn’t that he had cheated at the game. Because of this, as long as he addresses the current problem, he can get back to golf, continue winning and restore his brand.

4. Reach out to your Target Market. Tiger did this on Friday. Something that’s being lost in all the chatter is the fact that one of the enduring and consistent characteristics of the Tiger Woods’ brand is his commitment to practice. The fact that he stuck to his therapy and waited until he was ready to speak reminds us of these champion-like qualities that he possesses and shows that they are still intact. In other words, getting this part of his “game” right, too, is classic Tiger and works to reinforce his brand in a very positive way. In other words, he’s handling this crisis —as ugly as it is— like he would handle a really bad situation on the green.

Above all, everyone needs to remember that Tiger Woods is a performance brand. That means that ultimately, even if a segment of the population cannot forgive him, if he stays true to his brand of golfing excellence and goes on to win, the Tiger brand will continue to be strong. No matter what the journalists say. End of story.

The Loser

Johnny Weir could take a page from the Tiger playbook.

He seems to have forgotten that it is his performance on the ice rather than his performance on the screen that will ultimately determine the success or failure of his brand.

Sure, he is a bright, creative, intelligent guy who seems to attract a lot of attention, but the reason he attracts this attention is because he is a champion athlete.

Critics can say that Weir has a deep groundswell of supporters who don’t care that he has had —at least recently, and the Olympics confirms it— a middle skating career.

The problem is that Weir’s popularity has all the appearances of a fad. As I’ve discussed before at length, fads can be a terrific marketing launching pad for a brand or product, but ultimately there needs to be substance behind the fad, or the fad will never mature into a solid, long-term brand.

In the case of Weir, the question is this: in the absence of champion skating, what will keep his brand going? He seems to sense this question and has been branching out into other areas, even most recently suggesting that he is going into fashion.

But it probably would have made more sense to spend a bit more time on the ice over the past two years so that he could have established something better than a 6th place finish at the Olympics. The performance aspect of the sports brand would have meant that he could count on more durability over the near term (i.e., regular media attention over the next four years). Now that part of the equation is probably gone, and he will have to move quickly to build on what brand equity he does have —or risk
fading away, as so many fads do.

And, remember, things are always easier when you keep marketing and branding in mind.

TODAY'S TANTILLO TAKEAWAY -

Go directly to your Target Market and avoid the media filter whenever possible.

John Tantillo is a marketing and branding expert and the founder and president of Marketing Department of America. His book, “People Buy Brands Not Companies”, is available on Amazon.com