‘Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.’
It’s a maxim worth holding to in everyday life but one that plays out somewhat differently in the corporate environment.
Here’s some hot news: sports players aren’t saints. They’re not necessarily hardcore sinners either, because with the exception of the talent which made them household names, they’re really just like you and me - subject to external influences and fallible to temptation.
Martin Johnson, manager of the hapless England rugby union team at the recent World Cup got it more or less right when he mocked the press by writing their headline for them: ‘Rugby Player Drinks Beer Shock!’
The problem is that most brands don’t think like that. They set themselves a set of values and standards and tend to apply them rigorously and rigidly and react swiftly when those standards are threatened and breached.
So Tiger gets caught out as a supreme shagger and most of the brands he endorsed drop him faster than a radioactive cowpat. It’s a natural reaction but not, perhaps, one which is entirely realistic.
There’s the disconnect: sports stars live in the real world and brands that set themselves stellar attributes don’t. They just don’t have to.
All of which makes Rolex’s decision to team up with Tiger even more interesting. Rolex is a globally-renowned quality brand associated with accuracy, technology, design and, er, reliability. Under those circumstances it is reasonable to have expected them to want an ambassador who kept his pants on.
Or maybe Rolex is just a bit sharper than the average watch-making bear and realises that the fit between a brand and the athletes which endorse them does not necessarily have to be rigid. The marketing team clearly believes that Tiger is on his way back to becoming one of the world’s great players and maybe, just maybe, believes that’s the most important thing and by refusing to lob a corporate stone in his direction it will get an endorser who is more human, more real, more relevant and easier to relate to. Not bad brand values really.
This is what our experts had to say.
Karen Earl Chairman, European Sponsorship Association “Plenty of people may still be scratching their heads in the months ahead. One wonders whether they will still have a Rolex watch on their wrist when doing so.”
Raymond van Niekerk Chief Marketing Officer, Investec: “I think that golf fans see Tiger as a golfer first and want him rehabilitated, setting courses alight. But Rolex sells watches to non-golfers too. I’m not sure that all people have forgiven him.”
Sam Rush International COO, Wasserman Media Group: “Brands know what they are engaging and Rolex will believe that further, damaging surprises are highly unlikely.”
Matthew Glendinning Editor, Sports Marketing Frontiers: “The likes of Jumeirah might not believe their luck when hitching their brand to the unspoiled young star that is Rory McIlory, but in many parts of the world, Tiger is still king.”
For the full debate see the latest edition of SportBusiness International published November 1.
