Tiger's Reputation
As a brand and reputation specialist, I can’t let the Tiger Woods apology today go without comment. A few thoughts:
It was an actual apology with the words “I’m Sorry” used several times. The words “irresponsible, selfish, foolish, embarrassed, unfaithful and wrong” were also used. That is a refreshing change from the typical corporate and political uses of the phrase “I regret.”
It was a bit late in coming, but I don’t think that will matter in the long term.
His vocalization of the “entitlement society” that many celebrities feel they belong to was refreshing and added to the feeling of honesty.
His focus on his Foundation’s work was good to hear, but felt a bit out of place.
It was wonderful to see someone who has done something wrong not point fingers at anyone else. He made this 100 percent his responsibility.
His description of the media frenzy and following of his mother, children and wife was well done. I believe his positioning of this makes any media that tries to follow family the bad guy going forward (not that they shouldn’t have been before).
I thought the hugging parade at the end felt staged.
I thought his ability to position himself as someone who now needs to earn his reputation back was excellent. And, that he stated “character and decency” as important as golf will go a long way in building that reputation.
In conclusion, a public figure issuing a real apology was refreshing. A public figure saying he needs to earn back respect was realistic.
His “brand” is down but not dead. It will never reach the pureness that it once was, nor should it. He seems to understand that the best he can be in the future is a great golfer, not a great role model in every since of the word.
Given the completeness of this statement, and the carefully crafted positioning of this being private now between his family and himself, means he should not talk about it ever again.
Do you agree?
I agree. He was pretty open. I think his public speaking skills leave something to be desired, but perhaps it's a good thing that this wasn't the shiny, packaged apologies we're used to hearing from politicians. I'm glad he did not come out in a flashy suit and tie, or on the other end of the spectrum, golf attire. I think his wardrobe was approachable and professional. I felt the statement dragged in places and could have been edited, but overall I think he's done a good job of paving the road to recovery. What will be most interesting to watch is how he handles himself in the coming months.
Hmmm. I still have skepticism in believing his remorse. He spoke slowly, emphasizing some key words, but the hurdle I have trouble getting over is that just like politicians, he has a team of strategic writers crafting this presentation for us. How much input did he really have?
I agree with most everything you said, except i believe he spent a little too much time talking about his foundation. It became a bit self-serving. (I could see his PR team sitting at a table and one says, "don't forget to say something about the foundation and how much good it has done" and everyone else agreeing.) I am not a Tiger Woods fan. Never have been. But i believe he was sincere in what he said today and thought he did a great job saying it, for all the reasons you mention. I don't think he needs to answer any more questions from the media. However, some time down the road he will revisit this awful time in his life and talk about the impact it had.
I thought it was way too scripted. Maybe it's me, but I would have liked for him to get up there with no notes and speak from the heart. Something a little more Kobe-esque would have convinced me that he was sorry and regretful. Also, did anyone else feel that the setting of the speech was straight out of a Saturday Night Live skit?
I think this speech came almost three months too late. The Letterman scandal was all but forgotten in a 3 month span. Think about how much healing time has been wasted by waiting this long to address the situation. I agree with Gray on the point that it was much too scripted. (Anyone can read verbatim from a sheet of paper in front of them.) He should have let it come from the heart (with the assistance of some key points on a note card). It seems that everyone, including Tiger, is more concerned with “Tiger Woods the brand” rather than “Tiger Woods the person.” He is, after all, a REAL person, with REAL feelings and should be able to express REAL sorrow for his mistakes. I think the whole therapy thing is great, but something should have been said before he started. It would have made for a much more personal and sympathetic response from fans and critics alike.
I was pretty torn on this one. From a professional side, I admired how well it was scripted and how he stayed on point. He hits the big issues and then moved on.
From a personal side, it didn't come off as sincere but rather as someone who did what they had to do and hopes it will all go away. If he had done this the first week, it would have been totally different. Great lesson in crisis management. Ken
Ho Ho Ho. Yes what Tiger Woods will help in the long run because the golf channel needs him back. Their ratings have dropped more than half. I am sure, for them money is placed above family values. So he will be back if for no other reason than to get the golf channel back in the black .
I continue to watch this unfold and grow. The most common critiques of the appology are too late and too scripted. Agreed on the too late. As for the too scripted, I can’t help but go back to a basic rule that a brand has limits of what it can and can’t do. Tiger is a terrible speaker. He is terrible off the cuff with comments. From the heart would have been better from a personal standpoint, but I believe much worse from a message standpoint. I don’t believe he could have pulled off a less-scripted response. That is the limit of Tiger the Brand. To me, when bad delivery is a given and emotional stiffness is a given, it then all comes down to message. When you read what he said, instead of listening, you get so much more from it. Admitedly, that isn’t the best alternative in a video-centric world, but it is a reality of this Brand.
As for the question about him being a person or a brand – he is both. But the public face is the brand, and that is why this gets the attention it gets.
