So Tiger's holding a press conference tomorrow...well, I don't know if I would call it a press conference since he's reading from a script and not taking any questions. Submitting a quote to ESPN is pretty much the same thing. Anyhow, I keep hearing analysts say that Tiger should go on "Oprah" because he's going to need to win back women if he ever hopes to win back marketers. Most of them are agreeing that men can totally separate what Tiger does on the course with what he does off the course, and while they think he's totally screwed up his personal life, it doesn't affect whether they would buy body soap that he's endorsing. So, this sparks a question in my mind...
Would women really not buy a product that their husband wants or really likes just because Tiger is endorsing it (or will endorse it in the future)?
My husband said to me today, "I think that if a man really wants a Tiger Woods golf club, his wife would still buy it for him." Well, I'm not so sure. Would you?
So let's think about this: Kobe Bryant was on trial for rape and played in the playoffs while being on trial. Yes, he was proved innocent, but admited to cheating. Today, he still sells tickets and I don't think marketers are that afraid of linking up with him. A-Rod clearly cheated multiple times and was photographed with at least one stripper. Now, besides being annoying, he still gets endorsements because he's one of the greatest baseball players ever. I could truly go on and on, but I won't because you catch my drift.
I'm a woman and a mom, and I can tell you honestly that I would still buy a product even if Tiger was endorsing it. Are you ashamed? C'mon, if it's the best product on the market and it's what my husband likes, then seriously, I'm not going to not buy it just because of Tiger's infidelity. While I would like to see him make a sincere (not scripted!) apology for what he's done, AND while it also would be nice to never, ever, ever, EVER see him photographed with another woman, infidelity is just not that surprising a trait of famous athletes (or any rich and famous man for that matter). Does Bill Clinton ring a bell?
It doesn't make it right. And maybe if people really revolted against products because of cheating endorsers, these men might think twice about it. So, maybe I've talked myself into revolting against Nike because they stuck with Tiger...yes, yes, let's start a movement today ladies. I've seen the power of women online, and I know how the rants and raves of modern moms can make a product rise and fall in a day.
However, until I start seeing that movement begin, I'll probably just let this one go too. You're safe this time Nike.
What about you? Are you done with Tiger and his silly little endorsements?
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Funny, I also find A-Rod terribly annoying. And I have to agree, I wouldn't stop buying something for husband if he wanted it and it was Tiger Woods branded (cologne as an example). I don't have those kind of principles to stop buying something that is established in our house, but maybe I would think twice about a company or product that I have never purchased before and may or may not purchase.
ReplyDeleteI could care less about Tiger long before this embarassment has come out, so it's not a big deal to me. But I don't know why I get a sick little happiness when I hear that someone (like Gatorade) has dropped him. It's nice to hear that some companies do care what kind of image they are putting out there.