While the media still can’t get quite enough of the story, some quarters have gone quiet on Tiger Woods.
After his ho-hum apology, Tiger is giving the world the silent treatment in a strategy to deal with the ruckus over the snowballing allegations of multiple infidelities. Keeping Mum is not a bad idea, in truth, particularly while the appetite for scandal is still sky high, and anything he says will have news editor eager to keep him selling papers.
Bizarre indeed was the sight of the feckless cocktail waitress, one of his alleged partners in this concupiscence, publicly apologising to Tiger’s wife on global TV for her part in the dalliance. Just what Mrs Woods wanted, I’m sure.
But there is another quarter that appears to have quietly turned its back on the sport star – and these are his sponsors.
According to a report in the LA Times data compiled by the Nielsen ratings company, no Woods ads have appeared on television since Nov. 29, two days after he crashed his Cadillac SUV outside his home in Florida.
This has got to hurt. Forbes have his sponsorships worth $110 million.
Across a range of big swinging brands like Nike, Gillette, PepsiCo Inc.’s, Gatorade and Tag Heur, the sponsors’ response plan appears to be to keep aspirational images of Tiger out of the public’s face until this blows over. Given their substantial investments in this “property,” brand managers are holding their breath and hoping like mad that the worst is over for the golden boy of golf. Meanwhile golf viewers are switching off in droves – TV ratings for golf down 50% – affecting advertising revenues.
Which reminds me, golf is what Tiger does exceptionally well. Before he became the pin-up boy for multicultural morality and family values, perhaps we could all return to the real game, please?