When the Tiger Woods scandal broke on November 27, like many PR people I waited and watched in anticipation to see how he would respond. I wanted to be a fly on the wall (or phone) during Woods’ conversations with Mark Steinberg, Woods’ manager and de-facto PR counsel for the past 12 years. I wanted to witness the strategizing that took place for a man regarded as the world’s best athlete.
The PR mis-steps in dealing with Woods’ crisis have been (and continue to be) well publicized and debated in the media. Some PR experts defend the strategy, claiming Woods has always lived a private life and has had a guarded relationship with the press, but most believe that Woods is either receiving bad PR counsel or is refusing to take good advice.
The question I’ve been wrestling with is: How will Woods weather the PR crisis? What will be the long-term effects to his public image? And to his wallet?
It will take some time to know, but divorce may actually be the fastest road to recovery for Tiger. Why?
• A divorce minimizes the microscope: If Woods were divorced, the tabloids may still be interested in Woods’ private affairs, but even the juiciest of rumors would be much less sordid if he were a single man. If Woods and his wife do not divorce, he will remain under the microscope. He will constantly be watched and followed, to see whether he “slips up” again. I don’t know how this would impact his ability to concentrate on golf and win tournaments, but since Woods has always guarded his privacy and provided only limited access to media, it stands to reason he would consider the constant scrutiny a nuisance at the least, if not a distraction.
If Woods were to divorce, he may be able to partially redeem himself in the eyes of some, if he were to offer his wife a settlement that was substantially larger than what was provided for in the prenuptial agreement and if he were to allow her to set the custody terms for their children.
• Woods needs male support – and he has it: Woods didn’t become billion-dollar brand because he’s a sex symbol or because he’s in a line of work that caters to women. He’s made his fortune by appealing to men, especially men who love golf. Men are the biggest watchers of not only the PGA, but also the LPGA. Some women may never trust Woods or view him favorably again, but he doesn’t need their support to make money.
Men have a higher approval rating for Woods than women. According to a recent ABC News/Washington Post survey, 46% of male respondents said they have a favorable view of Woods, versus 39% of female counterparts. As a point of comparison, President Obama’s current approval rating is only 46%.
• Both men and women support Woods’ endorsement deals: In the ABC News/Washington Post survey, the majority of respondents (54%) – both male and female – said they believe companies should continue to use Woods as an endorser. Corporate sponsors, especially those whose brands are largely tied to golf (such as Nike), are will be more apt to maintain relationships with Woods if the public supports it. This shows the extent to which people can separate personal transgressions from professional performance.
• The sooner Woods starts playing tournaments, the sooner everyone makes money again – Woods is the world’s best and highest paid athlete. He is not just a brand of golf, he is golf’s brand. When Woods isn’t playing golf, he isn’t good business for sponsors or for the media. NBC often experiences a ratings drop when Woods doesn’t play. As an example, he did not play in the Chevron World Challenge in November and NBC drew only 1.2 million viewers, down 54% from 2008.
When Woods announced his “indefinite break” from golf, he said it was to work on his marriage. Since then, more rumors have surfaced and the latest reports suggest he and his wife are living in separate residences. If one of them were to file for divorce, then there would not be a marriage to work on and presumably Woods could return to golf sooner rather than later.
The public is generally forgiving of “sins” and “transgressions” by athletes, celebrities and public officials -- Kobe Bryant, Michael Vick, David Letterman, Bill Clinton, Eliot Spitzer, Chris Brown and even OJ Simpson (before he was sentenced to jail), are just a handful of those who have recovered from scandal, each to a different degree. The other athletes who have recovered from public scandal were not even the best in their field. As the world’s greatest golfer in history (so far), it seems likely that Woods will recover better than most others. Yes, the number of Woods’ rumored mistresses is greater than in other recent celebrity cases, but as the recent polls show, close to half of men polled still have a favorable view of Woods, even though this news is less than a month old.
Keep in mind that Woods is only 33 years old and he plays a sport in which players don’t even peak until their late 30s to early 40s. If he returns to the course, he has a long career ahead. Ten years from now, he could be well on his way to earning his next billion.
What do you think?
