We here at UnderstandingMarketing.com hate to pile on to all the talk surrounding Tiger Woods and his “accident” that occurred during the Thanksgiving holiday. But since it could potentially be small business PR help and a case study that entrepreneurs can learn from, we’ll have no choice but to join in on the discussion.
For those who aren’t in the know, Tiger Woods, the most accomplished golfer in the world (and arguably the best male athlete in the world) leads a very private life. In fact, away from the golf course and his television advertisements you rarely hear from him. You hear from and see photos of his wife and family very infrequently, if ever. He leads a very private life and that’s exactly the way he wants it.
Problem is, he was involved in a car accident near his home that left him in a slight concussion and resulted in him being taken to the hospital where he was released shortly thereafter. He has been very vague about what occurred at his house that evening and he has not responded to some media outlets reporting that it was as much a domestic incident as it was a traffic incident. Many say this isn’t fair because he’s been squeaky clean with no run-ins with the law in the past.
So what’s the problem, you might ask?
Whether Tiger likes it or not, he is a very public figure. His name isn’t just associated with his family; it’s also the name of a brand that brings in approximately $1 billion annually. There is speculation taking place in media circles and especially on social media networks as to what happened that evening. The fact that people are still not sure as to what took place could do damage to his brand.
This is why it’s fair game for us to take a close look, not at Tiger’s character, but how he’s handling the situation and how it could impact his brand. Small business owners and entrepreneurs all have a brand they have to protect. A fair share of entrepreneurs’ brand image are not just that of companies, but also their own names which represent their personal brand. When a crisis occurs there are a few specific rules you need to be aware of.
1. It doesn’t matter that you want to keep it a private matter. You have a public brand and the court of public opinion is a very powerful and influential entity.
2. You need to end the speculation. By not answering all the questions as soon as possible, you open up the door for certain media outlets and super market tabloids a chance to provide their own answers - namely, speculation.
3. Come clean. Sooner or later, the truth always comes out. Even if something bad really has happened, it’s best to just come clean and begin the process of cleaning up your mess, even if this means taking full responsibility for your actions.
4. Get the media to go away. In this case you want to repair your brand. This can only take place when you feed the media machine and let them move on to the next story. You can’t always count on another story taking yours off the front page. Here’s some good advice:
Have you dealt with a crisis recently? How did you handle it to protect your brand?
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I’m sorry, but I’ve been watching all the social media bloggers try to spin this as a PR failure, and I think it’s ridiculous. This isn’t even a story.
Tiger Woods has zero obligation to explain to anyone anything about his personal life. And the idea that you have to respond to every bit of speculation or else maybe it’s true is classic Fox News thinking. Seriously, people will speculate, he won’t say anything, and in a week people will forget and move on to the next thing. His brand is about being a great golfer, not a great driver or husband
Given some of the ridiculous things pro athletes have done and been forgiven for by the public, this is nothing. Literally nothing.
I guess we’ll see, but I’m guessing the market won’t care at all in the long run. If he doesn’t say anything else, this whole thing will be forgotten in a week.
He hit a fire hydrant. Big deal. Move on.
John, I understand you not wanting to add to the media noise about this issue but agree it is an important case study. I watched it unfold from a PR perspective and had much the same thoughts. It was a huge mistake to not make a decisive, brief statement right away. The absence of a statement leads to further speculation and negative headlines. I also agree that the statement that was released only added to the speculation. Will be interesting to see how this continues to unfold.
I completely agree with you…IF all he did was hit a fire hydrant. But that’s the problem with his situation. Speculation can do damage to a brand. It may well be a dead story in a week. But the question is, between now and then what kind of damage is done to his brand by not saying anything? Only he will know for sure.