BrandDunk

Branding the World of Sports

Archive for the ‘Golf’ Category

« Previous Entries

Guest post: Elin Holds the Cards

Posted by ZA on March 9, 2010

BrandDunk has covered different aspects of how Tiger Woods situation will affect his endorsements.  Today we have a talented guest author who offers a fresh perspective on the situation to let sponsors know when to expect a return to normal.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

This guest post is authored by Casey Harverstick, a freelance writer who has written for ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine. Casey is an avid golfer who resides in Austin, Texas – you can email him at cnh10@hotmail.com.

Elin Holds the Cards

Much time has passed since “the wreck.”  Tiger Woods has made his much-anticipated, very public apology.  Since Tiger made it clear he’s not going to discuss what happened the night of the accident, two big questions still remain:  When will Tiger return to competitive golf?  Will Tiger and Elin remain married?

One person has the answer to these questions.  That person is not Tiger.  It’s his wife, Elin.  How the media and its revelations have impacted Elin – not Tiger – is an interesting and less frequently viewed angle.  Below is a breakdown of how various factors of this story could impact Elin’s decision.

Tiger’s Soliloquy (aka: Tiger’s apology)

Surely Elin was pleased with what Tiger said.  However I can’t help but think she was upset that he had to say it in that forum.  She’s obviously a private person.  That Tiger had to apologize to the entire world for being an awful husband couldn’t sit well.  By the time he spoke publicly, he had probably apologized to her 1000 times.  So this one wasn’t really about her at all.  It wouldn’t surprise me if she didn’t even watch.  And it definitely didn’t surprise me that she wasn’t there.

Impact on Elin: Non-factor

Hard to look at it that way, considering this was easily the biggest, most scrutinized event since the accident itself.  Elin had already heard versions of that speech ten times over by the time he stepped to the podium.  Mostly, it served to embarrass.  And provide the public with his face on camera.

The Women and Their Stories

Rachel Uchitel was the first Tiger Woods mistress to be revealed

This situation completely went out of control when it became evident that there were a lot more than just a couple women.  Per the Hillary Clinton corollary, I got the feeling Elin could possibly forgive a tryst with one woman, maybe two.  When we got into double digits, I assumed it would be a deal breaker.  Conversely, the double digit tally also paved the way for the “rehab.”  As if to say a man who sleeps around with one woman isn’t pathological.  The rehab gave Tiger something to focus on – parameters and rules and, maybe most importantly, he had a reason for his behavior.  An addiction.  Anyway, out of everything that came out, this had to be the most damning.  Especially considering it got so much media attention.  That it happened so publicly and crudely only hurts Tiger’s chances – at golf and reconciliation.  These were surely the darkest, hardest days for Elin.  It’s one thing to find out your spouse is cheating on you.  It’s another to find out about it on ESPN.

Impact on Elin: Big factor.

Ultimately, could end the marriage.  And could definitely delay Tiger’s return to the course.  If he’s fighting to keep her – however one goes about that – it will definitely not behoove him to pound balls nine hours a day while she shops or hangs out with the kids.  That said, you can’t just sit down at the dining room table and hash this out in a night or two.  But not playing doesn’t fix anything either.  Around and around we go.

Stevie’s Interview and Tiger’s Inner Circle

Tiger Woods caddie, Steve Williams, speaks out

Steve Williams, Tigers’ caddie/friend/bodyguard, has pleaded ignorance to Tiger’s philandering from the outset (Stevie’s comments on Tiger).  And like everyone else who read that, I found it incredibly hard to believe.  He’s sticking by it.  It’s important to note this isn’t your standard player-caddie relationship.  Tiger was the best man at Stevie’s wedding.  Tiger covered Stevie in tears after winning the British Open in 2006 shortly after his father’s death. He cried more on Stevie’s shoulder than he did on his mother’s or Elin’s.  It’s not like they go their separate ways after every round.  Tiger typically rents houses during tournament weeks to avoid the public – and because money isn’t an issue.  All these nights Tiger strayed Stevie wasn’t staying at a Motel 6 and he definitely wasn’t camped out in the front yard.  This interview reads like a direct plea to Elin:  Don’t make Tiger fire me.  Stevie can’t be the only one sweating his future.  From the onset there has been much speculation about Tiger’s entourage.  With reconciliation a possibility, would Elin allow Stevie, Byron Bell (best friend from childhood), Mark Steinberg (agent) and numerous other confidants to stay in the inner circle?  Tiger makes all of these people a lot of money.  Millions and millions of dollars at stake here.  This is not to say Tiger isn’t solely responsible for his actions.  But she must feel scorned by these people – they’re her friends, too.  Or at least she thought they were.

Impact on Elin: Small factor for Tiger’s return; non-factor for their reconciliation.

I’m not sure putting Tiger in time out and not letting him play with his friends will serve any other purpose than to make him unhappy – and cost him money.  Granted, that might sound pleasant in itself to her.  I doubt Elin believes Stevie was ignorant of everything, but she’s got her hands full without picking a new caddie for Tiger.  Steinberg is an agent – and nobody likes or trusts agents.  There isn’t a successful agent in the world who wouldn’t cover up for Tiger Woods, if given the chance.  That said, assuming a reconciliation is in the works, there will be discussions between Elin and Tiger about who he spends his time with on the road.  These discussions could definitely lead to a delay in his return or a change to his normal playing schedule.

Tiger’s College Girlfriend’s Article

Tiger Woods college girlfriend, Irene Folstrom

Golf.com published this article from Tiger Woods former girlfriend from his days at Stanford.

Impact on Elin: None

Laughably transparent and self-serving.  Let me get this straight, you’re coming to Tiger’s defense by saying he treated you well in college?  How would Elin read this?  Do you want her to be happy for you?  I have an easier time believing Stevie didn’t know Tiger was in orgies than believing Tiger never cheated on this one.  I hope Elin never read it.  For my money, this is the cheapest, most unattractive story I’ve come across and I’m surprised it got published on a non-tabloid website.  I’ve listed it here only as an example of the lengths the media will go to get a headline when there’s a lull.

Regarding their marriage, I don’t have a rooting interest.  I do hope the kids can have somewhat of a normal childhood (which was probably a long shot the moment they were born).  As a golf fan, I’d like to see Tiger back at Bay Hill and then, of course, The Masters.  The game misses him.  The networks and sponsors definitely miss him.  To borrow Reggie Jackson’s line, he stirs the drink.  If I could ask Tiger just one thing, it would be this:

Would you mind if I asked Elin a question?

________________________________________________________________________________

Much time has passed since “the wreck.”  Tiger has made his much-anticipated, very public apology.  Since Tiger made it clear he’s not going to discuss what happened the night of the accident, two big questions still remain:  When will Tiger return to competitive golf?  Will Tiger and Elin remain married?

One person has the answer to these questions.  That person is not Tiger.  It’s his wife, Elin.  How the media and its revelations have impacted Elin – not Tiger – is an interesting and less frequently viewed angle.  Below is a breakdown of how various factors of this story could impact Elin’s decision.

Posted in Golf, Random Stuff, Sports Brands | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

General Motors throws Tiger Woods under the bus

Posted by ZA on February 15, 2010

Bob Lutz, the 78 year old Vice Chairman of General Motors, might know something about designing cars but he’s certainly no expert on marketing.  That is because Lutz recently dropped a verbal jabs on Tiger Woods, the former General Motors pitchman.  Lutz said that GM was not “…too lucky with Tiger…” and that their $50 plus million dollar endorsement deal with Woods did not boost sales for Buick.

My question is if Lutz is going to lay the verbal smack down on someone, shouldn’t it be his own team?  Lutz has been a top executive at GM for the majority of their time with Tiger, so I assume he was aware of the approximately $8 million dollars per year endorsement deal his company had with the golf star.  So why wait until after the deal is done to complain about the effectiveness of it?  Why didn’t Lutz demand that his marketing personnel make changes to improve the effectiveness of the endorsement deal?  Why didn’t Lutz change the way they were using Tiger or change the message Woods was pushing for GM?  Lutz did concede that GM, “…didn’t have him say the right things at the time.” and admits it is “partially” GM’s fault.

Maybe Lutz was the reason that General Motors bailed on their deal with Tiger a year early.  But at that time GM marketing execs were supporting the deal with Tiger by saying “We attribute awareness of our product to Tiger.”  GM claimed the move to end their relationship a year early was “hard to walk away from” but that it was a financial decision to “free up a lot of money for us (GM)”.  So if Tiger was so ineffective for GM and Buick, then why didn’t they cite that as a reason for ending their relationship with the World’s #1 golfer?

I think this is poor form by General Motors and Lutz to criticize Tiger now, more than a year after they dropped him.  With all of the controversy that Woods has been involved in lately, this amounts to Lutz kicking a man while he’s down.  Should you feel sorry for Tiger?  Heck no, because he was paid handsomely by GM.  Plus Tiger is responsible for all of the personal problems that have gotten him into trouble lately.  But I think GM and Lutz need to take a lesson from this situation; that you should speak honestly in parting, not comeback later to blame the other guy when your deal did not work.

Lutz should have kept his mouth shut publicly, something apparently he’s had trouble doing in the past, and shared his feelings on the deal with his own staff.  That might help his company to avoid signing ineffective marketing partnerships in the future, while not offending the top sports endorsement star on the planet.  Oh I know Tiger has fallen way off his perch, but don’t think that Woods will never regain his place at the top of the sports world.  And when he does I’m sure there will be people there to remind Tiger what the top brass at GM said about him.  If I was a competitor of GM, I might enjoy the opportunity to unleash Tiger on his former sponsor someday – because Tiger is a fierce man when he puts his mind to something.  Lutz may learn to regret throwing Tiger under the bus in such a public fashion.

Posted in Endorsement Deals, Golf, Sports Marketing | Leave a Comment »

Evaluating my 2009 Sports Marketing predictions

Posted by ZA on January 3, 2010

Time to take a look back and evaluate how I did on my 2009 predictions for the world of Sports Marketing. I posted my “bold predictions” on January 2, 2009 as a wide ranging look at some of the big moves I thought would happen in the industry.  I made seven predictions and wind up getting almost half of them correct.

Prediction: Tiger Woods will sign with Mercedes or BMW.
Result: This one did not happen, but who could have predicted the implosion that would happen to Tiger Woods the endorsement star in 2009.  Tiger is currently losing endorsements by the week, but I still think this prediction will eventually come true.  Companies will stay away from Woods for awhile, but when they do come back I expect Tiger to pickup a luxury car endorsement deal.

Prediction: Wrigley Field gets a new name.
Result: This one didn’t happen, although the Cubs were finally sold at the end of the year so it could be on-tap for 2010.

Prediction: AIG will end uniform sponsorship with Manchester United.
Result: I got this one right.  Shortly after writing these predictions word came out that AIG would discontinue their deal with Man U.  AIG actually just chose not to renew their deal, but close enough I got this one right.

Prediction: NASCAR will cut races.
Result: It was a tough year for Nascar with a tough economy and huge losses in the auto industry both hurting the sport.  The end result was that some races were not return to the schedule (e.g.- Milwaukee Mile in 2010).

Prediction: Reebok will be folded by Adidas.
Result: This did not happen, and with parent company, Adidas’ stock up 20% in 2009, the Reebok brand might be safe for awhile.  That said, I still think we’re still headed towards an Adidas versus Nike world, so at some point Adidas is going to put Reebok down.

Prediction: Under Armour will be acquired by Nike.
Result: This did not happen, but I still feel it’s one that could happen soon.  Under Armour’s stock is only up slightly since beginning of ‘09 and UA stock took a pounding in October when they missed the mark with their expansion into running shoes.  Nike is still flying high and has a $30 billion market cap, so I think they eventually make this acquisition to eliminate a big competitor.

Prediction: David Beckham goes back to Europe.
Result: Nailed this prediction.  Becks came, he played a little bit and created a sensation.  Then David high tailed it back to the Spanish Premiere League.  I think Beckham likes the idea of playing in America, but isn’t really interested in doing it just yet.

Posted in Adidas, Apparel & Shoes, Golf, Nascar, Nike, Sports Brands, Sports Marketing, Under Armour, Venue Naming Rights | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Will Tiger return any money to Nike?

Posted by ZA on December 17, 2009

As the scandal around golfer Tiger Woods rages on, sales of Nike Golf apparel are dropping.  Retailers are no longer pushing the Tiger Woods branded Nike Golf line and his absence from the PGA Tour is only going to continue to hurt sales.  Bloomberg estimates that Nike stands to lose approximately $30 million in sales from the current Tiger scandal.  A former CBS Sports executive says “The aura (around Tiger) is gone”.

So the question is will Tiger give any of that money back to Nike?  Woods is almost solely responsible for building Nike Golf division into a half a billion dollar cash cow.  For that Tiger has been paid over $100 million dollars by Nike in his career.  So will Tiger consider giving some of that money back to Nike now – when it’s clear that Tiger’s personal actions are hurting the corporate giant.  I doubt that Tiger would ever hand over a check to Phil Knight, but I do think this will prompt Tiger to give Nike a sweetheart deal whenever his current contract expires.  Sure Tiger has made more money for Phil Knight than Knight has paid to Woods, but Knight & Nike have also stood by Tiger during this scandal.  Knight is the only sponsor who has vocally supported Woods saying that Tiger’s transgressions are just a “minor blip” on his great career.   I’m betting that Phil Knight gets a nice holiday card from Tiger this year.

Posted in Athletes, Golf, Nike | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Tiger Woods popularity dropping quickly

Posted by ZA on December 15, 2009

A recent ABC News/Washington Post survey said that only 42% of respondents have a “favorable opinion” of Tiger Woods.  In the same poll an equal number (43%) said they have an “unfavorable opinion” of Tiger Woods, with 26% saying they have a “strongly unfavorable opinion” of Mr. Woods.

The positive side of those numbers are way down for Tiger who scored 60% “favorable” and 25% “unfavorable” just a few weeks ago (right after car crash).  Tiger has lost a huge amount of good feelings since 2005 where he measured at 85% favorable versus 8% unfavorable.  See more details on the poll here at Brandweek.

Tiger’s fall from grace has occurred quickly as sordid details of his personal life have played out in the media.  During the scandal Tiger has remained silent except for a couple of canned statements that apologized for “transgressions” and begged for privacy.  Woods silence has seemed to add further fuel to the anger against him, as he is unwilling to answer questions about the accusations being lobbed against him.

I doubt Tiger is innocent in all of this, but would still like to hear him tell his side of the story.  Or at the very least I’d like to see him step forward and face the music.  At the core this is definitely a private matter between him, his wife and his family.  But he’s a public figure (professional athlete & spokesperson) who has been accused of some horrible things, so I think Tiger needs to make a public statement.  That should be on-camera and should specifically address the items he is accused of.  So far Tiger & his PR people seem to be bungling this situation, I’m hoping they are planning something to try to clear the air a bit…or at least give the public something to get people to start moving on from this issue (thus allowing Tiger & Elin privacy to work on things).

Posted in Athletes, Golf, Sports Brands | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Columnist slams fellow journalists as Tiger haters

Posted by ZA on December 4, 2009

Jason Whitlock seems to always know how to get some attention.  I remember reading a column he wrote when he was still writing for the Kansas City newspaper that slammed the state of Texas and my Texas Longhorns as poor hosts of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament.  That column got a lot of attention with Longhorn fans because he was attacking our team, so naturally he got a lot of hate mail.

I quickly got over my distaste for that article, but have always wondered if his schtick is to be the incendiary columnist.  I’ve actually enjoyed a lot of his stuff in the last few years because he isn’t afraid to let it all hang out.  But I do think he sometimes picks topics that he knows will draw a big reaction from readers (as many journalists do).  Not that there is anything wrong with that; starting a conversation is often a great thing.  I was a bit shocked by his recent column on Tiger Woods because he really goes over the top to slam his fellow journalists.  A few of the highlights (or lowlights, if you prefer) below:

* “…the media, especially the print media, want to be needed.  We’re an insecure lot, dealing with festering childhood insecurities about popularity and sexuality.”   – I’ll agree the first statement is fairly true, but I’m not touching that second part.

* Tears into Charlie Pierce saying “Pierce should’ve opened his column by admitting he dislikes Woods and his opinion is skewed by that bias.”  Whitlock goes on to tell an interesting anecdote about Pierce trashing Bill Simmons because the Sports Guy had told Pierce to ‘go **** himself’ back in 2002.  Not sure if either is true, but the theory that Pierce attacks those he holds grudges against is a smack in the face to him.

* “I’m sharing this because it’s important for the public to know that the media act dishonestly all the time.  We’re far more phony than Tiger Woods ever could be.” – Wow, Whitlock might lose a few Christmas cards from his fellow journalists with that line.  I can’t comment on other people, but I do know that my opinions are often biased when I’m writing something here.  So it’s easy to imagine plenty of journalists writing something with an agenda.

* Whitlock then rips into ESPN’s Rick Reilly about an article he wrote in 2004 on Colorado football coach Gary Barnett.  Reilly criticized Barnett for the same thing that Whitlock says happened at Reilly’s own house.  I’m surprised to see Whitlock attack Rick Reilly in that way, but see the point he is making.

Go read the article by Jason Whitlock at FoxSports.  It’s nothing if not interesting.

Posted in Golf, Random Stuff, Sports Marketing | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Endorsement Profile: Tiger Woods

Posted by ZA on December 3, 2009

Athlete: Tiger Woods
Sport: Golf
League: PGA
Agent: Mark Steinberg (IMG)
Age: 33 (December 30, 1975)
Rank in SI’s 50 richest athletes:  1st
Endorsement value:  $105,000,000.00

Tiger Woods endorsement deals (thru Nov. 2009):
* AT&T
* Gatorade (Pepsico)
* Gillette (Procter & Gamble)
* EA Sports (Electronic Arts)
* NetJets
* Nike Golf
* Tag Heuer
* TLC Vision Corporation
* Upper Deck

Tiger Woods endorsement potential:
Tiger Woods is the top athlete endorser in the world today.  He is the Cadillac of athlete endorsements (even if he occasionally drives erratically in his own Escalade).  Every major corporation wants him, but few can afford him.  Woods has even surged past sports brand icon Michael Jordan in-terms of earnings; Tiger is first athlete in sports to earn more than $1 billion dollars in their career.  Much of that money comes from the rich endorsement deals that Tiger has had for over a decade.

Tiger’s endorsement history is legendary, starting with a $40 million contract from Nike when he turned pro in 1996.  Tiger basically made Nike Golf what it is today and Phil Knight rewarded him handsomely with a $100 million extension in 2006.  Tiger has become the driving force behind Nike Golf, even as they have added other big name golfers to their endorsement stable (i.e.- Stewart Cink, Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard).  Woods is a poster boy for their product line, having dropped his lucrative Titleist sponsorship when he switched to play a Nike golf ball.

Much of Woods appeal as an endorsement star has to do with his phenomenal ability on the golf course.  Tiger grabbed the sport of golf by the throat and has not yet let go; in a sport with some of the biggest endorsement stars on the planet (Phil Mickelson, Arnold Palmer) Tiger is the king.  It only helps that golf’s demographic is one that appeals to the bluest of blue chip companies; businesses that want their product featured (by Tiger Woods) to that affluent golf crowd.  Tiger’s so marketable that even his caddy, Steve Williams, has grabbed endorsement deals with Nike and Valvoline.  Let that sink in for a second…even Tiger Woods’ caddy has major corporations paying him money to endorse their product.

Perhaps the truest test of Tiger Woods endorsement appeal is understood by looking at the list of corporations that he used to endorse.  Tiger’s former deals with Accenture, American Express, Buick, General Mills, Titleist and Rolex would be the envy of most athletes, yet Woods has just moved on to bigger, more lucrative deals.

Tiger Woods has truly changed the game in-terms of endorsement deals.  Like Jordan did before him, Woods seeks out “business partnerships” rather than just contractual endorsement deals.  He is setting the standard today on how athletes and sponsors partner up.  His deals are making sports stars, like Tiger, more money from corporate sponsors than they have ever earned before.

Tiger Woods commercial for Nike Golf:

[Edit: Accenture dropped their endorsement deal with Tiger Woods in December 2009 - a few days after this post]

Posted in Endorsement Deals, Endorsement Profile, Gatorade, Golf, Nike, Sports Brands | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments »

Tiger Woods turning mainstream golf sites into TMZ

Posted by ZA on November 30, 2009

Golf.com has always been one of my favorite sites to catch up on what’s going on in the world of golf.  I enjoy their special features and their Q&A section (check out this great one with Brandel Chamblee if you haven’t read it yet).   But this week Tiger Woods hysteria has turned Golf.com, and the other mainstream golf sites, into sites that more closely resemble rival tabloid journalism sites.

The first 6 stories listed under Golf.com’s “Top Stories” section all were about Woods, his suspicious crash and his wife Elin.  Their feature headline is “Silent Treatment”, which refers to Tiger’s decision to not answer questions about his accident or other rumors swirling around the web. Apparently this week only Golf.com has morphed into TMZ.

Mainstream golf writers are writing about 911 calls and mistresses instead of snap hooks and double eagles.  Instead of doing press about the game they cover, they are being asked about what they know about Tiger Woods.  They are one part legendary golf author Dan Jenkins and another gossip talk show host Tyra Banks.  Personally I’m looking forward to seeing David Feherty’s breakdown Tiger’s crash scene in Isleworth with a telestrator of the fire hydrant and crash tree.

When will the Tiger Woods hysteria end? Either when he speaks out to tell what happened or there is a bigger story to cover.  It is not likely the golf world will see a bigger story in the near future.  So Tiger will stay in this media spotlight until there are some answers to the many questions and rumors swirling around.  Tiger, I appreciate your right to privacy, but silence is not always golden.

Golf.com Homepage on Monday after Tiger Woods story broke

 

 

Posted in Golf | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Will Tiger Woods win an Olympic gold medal?

Posted by ZA on August 13, 2009

The organizers of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London have to be kicking themselves this morning.  As big as those Games are going to be (and they’ll bigger than Beijing) they are going to be missing one key ingredient that could make them even bigger, golfer Tiger Woods.   Woods won’t be playing golf in London for the 2012 Olympics, but he could be competing in the 2016 Olympics because his sport was just approved for inclusion.

The IOC voted today to add golf and rugby as the two newest Olympic sports.  Both sports will debut at the 2016 Olympic Games.  These picks shouldn’t come as any surprise, except maybe those rooting for baseball to be picked.  I predicted golf and rugby would be the finalists in an article I wrote a short time ago, although I did have a difficult time selecting between rugby & baseball for the second spot.  I think baseball would have brought more sponsorship dollars than rugby, but it’s splitting hairs.

But now back to the more important question, can a 40 year old Tiger Woods win a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics? Woods would be 40 years old in the Summer of 2016, but should still be in the late stages of his prime as a golfer.  So I wouldn’t put it past Woods to compete and win an Olympic gold medal in golf.  It would be another unique accomplishment for Tiger to put with the stack he’s already accumulated, so he’s got the motivation.  So I think Tiger Woods will be an Olympic gold medal winner.

Posted in Golf, Olympics | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Who are the most popular athletes in America?

Posted by ZA on July 30, 2009

Americans love sports, so naturally we love the athletes who play the games.  But which athletes are our favorites?  Who are the top 10 most popular athletes in sports today? The Harris Poll recently released the results of their 2009 survey that asked 2,177 U.S. adults to tell who were their favorite sports stars.

America’s Favorite Male Athletes (2009):
1. Tiger Woods (Golfer)
2. Michael Jordan (Retired, NBA star)
3. LeBron James (Forward, Cleveland Cavaliers)
4. Kobe Bryant (Guard, Los Angeles Lakers)
5. Derek Jeter (Shortstop, New York Yankees)
6. Jeff Gordon (Driver, Nascar)
7. Peyton Manning (Quarterback, Indianapolis Colts)
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Driver, Nascar)
9. Brett Favre (Retired, NFL star)
10. Albert Pujols (Baseball player, St. Louis Cardinals)

America’s Favorite Female Athletes (2009):
1. Serena Williams (Tennis player)
2. Venus Williams (Tennis player)
3. Danica Patrick (Driver, Indy Racing)
4. Candace Parker (Forward, WNBA)
5. Mia Hamm (Soccer star)
6. Maria Sharapova (Tennis player)
7. Annika Sorenstam (Golfer)
8. Chris Everett Lloyd (Retired, Tennis star)
9. Anna Kournikova (Retired, Tennis player & model)
10. Michelle Kwan (Figure skater)

What stands out to me about the lists, particularly among the guys, is the influence that Nike has among the list.  7 of the 10 guys on the list endorse Nike, you could count Brett Favre as an 8th since he endorsed Nike brand, Starter.  The only 2 guys who do not have endorsement deals with Nike are the two Nascar drivers, who wouldn’t be a target for a shoe/apparel endorsement deal.  So you could say that Nike has a clean sweep of the eligible males.  Among female favorite athletes Nike’s percentage drops down a bit, but they still have four of the top 10 and the #1 overall.  Serena Williams, Mia Hamm, Maria Sharapova and Chris Everett Lloyd all cash endorsement checks signed by Phil Knight.

Other brands are well represented; Gatorade has deals more than half of the two lists.  That number is even greater if you factor in all of the Pepsico clients, Gatorade’s parent company, on the two lists.  Nike’s chief competitor, Adidas, also has a couple of current (Parker) or former endorsers (Kournikova) on the list.

But no brand is as well represented on the two lists as Nike.  The question it brings up is whether Nike’s marketing is helping to make these stars more popular or whether Nike has just picked the most popular athletes?  My thought is that it’s a bit of both.  Nike has always been one of the innovative marketers in sports.  They’ve revolutionized the game of sports marketing with campaigns they built around athletes, starting with Michael Jordan and continuing today through Tiger Woods.

Consider that Nike did not even make golf shoes or clubs prior to signing Tiger in 1996.  Nike’s original endorsement contract with Tiger Woods was $40 million dollars over five-years, which was then followed by a five year, $100 million dollar extension.  But their spending did not stop there, Nike has spent tens of millions more to promote their association with Tiger Woods.  And for their efforts, it’s estimated that Nike Golf pulled in $725 million in sales in 2008.  Through their endorsement deal and promotion, Nike essentially created a new billion dollar revenue stream for the company.  That type of innovative marketing will generate the cash to pay for a lot of endorsement deals.

And Nike has never been shy about spending for top talent.  They signed quasi lifetime endorsement deals with a few of the top names (Jordan, Woods & Serena Williams) to make sure they locked up their stars.  Other deals might as well be lifetime contracts because you won’t see Jeter or Sharapova pitching anyone else’s shoe brand anytime soon.  And Nike jumps at the chance whenever their has been an opportunity to add a big, new star to their roster.  Just recently they solidified long-term agreements with two members of the top 10 list above who happen to be the most popular players in the NBA; LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

All of the athletes above are some of the biggest stars in sports; a feat they achieved because of their superior talent and lots of hard work.  But to ascend to the top of the list of America’s favorite athletes also requires a little help from sponsors.  And from their dominance on the two lists, it appears that Nike is a really good sponsor to have.

Posted in Athletes, Endorsement Deals, Gatorade, Golf, MLB, NBA, NFL, Nascar, Nike, Sports Brands, Sports Marketing | Tagged: , , , , , | 5 Comments »

« Previous Entries