Tiger Woods Is Back. Will Sponsors Buy In?
- 6 years ago
Tiger Woods Is Back. Will Sponsors Buy In?
Angel Ilagan, Bridgestone Golf’s chief executive, said in a recent interview
that the company had sent 12 dozen balls to Mr. Woods, hoping he would attach his name and endorsement to the product, which he eventually did, signing a multi-year contract in December of that year
“We know Tiger’s brand strength,” Mr. Ilagan said.
Mr. Ilagan attributed that to Mr. Woods; Bridgestone has already begun to market a Woods edition golf ball, which it introduced on Wednesday.
Bridgestone reached out to Mr. Woods about playing its golf ball in September 2016, shortly after Nike announced
that it would no longer be selling golf equipment (though it would continue its Woods-branded clothing line).
“Brands with a strong female stakeholder base will continue to be a struggle for Tiger,” said
Mr. Land, who was with PepsiCo when Gatorade, which PepsiCo owns, decided to drop Mr. Woods.
Its chief executive, Ryan Dotters, thought Mr. Woods could use the simulator to train indoors, and Mr. Woods was receptive.
For a time, the streaming service of PGA Tour Live crashed because of “unprecedented traffic.”
All this is evoking memories of the unprecedented fan interest
that made Mr. Woods one of the most recognized — and influential — athletes for more than a decade, worth about $90 million per year in endorsement contracts alone.
“He’s a unique, integral part of the Nike family,” Mr. Buckley wrote in an email, “and we don’t see that changing any time soon.”
But while performance brands remain aligned with Mr. Woods, more mainstream companies have not yet jumped back on the bandwagon.
Angel Ilagan, Bridgestone Golf’s chief executive, said in a recent interview
that the company had sent 12 dozen balls to Mr. Woods, hoping he would attach his name and endorsement to the product, which he eventually did, signing a multi-year contract in December of that year
“We know Tiger’s brand strength,” Mr. Ilagan said.
Mr. Ilagan attributed that to Mr. Woods; Bridgestone has already begun to market a Woods edition golf ball, which it introduced on Wednesday.
Bridgestone reached out to Mr. Woods about playing its golf ball in September 2016, shortly after Nike announced
that it would no longer be selling golf equipment (though it would continue its Woods-branded clothing line).
“Brands with a strong female stakeholder base will continue to be a struggle for Tiger,” said
Mr. Land, who was with PepsiCo when Gatorade, which PepsiCo owns, decided to drop Mr. Woods.
Its chief executive, Ryan Dotters, thought Mr. Woods could use the simulator to train indoors, and Mr. Woods was receptive.
For a time, the streaming service of PGA Tour Live crashed because of “unprecedented traffic.”
All this is evoking memories of the unprecedented fan interest
that made Mr. Woods one of the most recognized — and influential — athletes for more than a decade, worth about $90 million per year in endorsement contracts alone.
“He’s a unique, integral part of the Nike family,” Mr. Buckley wrote in an email, “and we don’t see that changing any time soon.”
But while performance brands remain aligned with Mr. Woods, more mainstream companies have not yet jumped back on the bandwagon.