Nike Committed to Tiger
Written by MC Homer, Monday March 01 2010
Whew, now that I got that out of the way… This is not another story about Tiger Woods, although he is repeatedly mentioned in it; for that alone, I apologize. Actually, what I really want to do is commend Nike for their handling of the Tiger situation. They have recently stated that they will fully support Mr. Woods. While the whole world is taking a big dump on him, Nike vows to stand behind him, and for that, they deserve an atta boy.
Nike is not immune to controversy itself. From the sweatshops overseas to LeBron’s Dunk-Gate and the mysterious disappearance of the video tape to the airing of a commercial in 2008 that offended gays, as if that is difficult to do in this day and age. Nike has faced its share of verbal hostilities throughout its illustrious 42-year history. In today’s hyper-sensitive world, Ricky Nelson summed it up better than anyone before or since, with his 1972 hit sing, Garden Party. “You can’t please everyone…”
Companies like AT&T and Accenture have dropped Woods from their brand entirely, with Gatorade jumping on the bandwagon, while Tag Heuer, Proctor and Gamble, and Gillette are moving in that direction by keeping Tiger at arm’s length. None of those companies can hold a candle to the multi-billion dollar empire of Nike; not in public relations, not in sales or popularity, and it is blatantly obvious they do not compare when it comes to loyalty.
When there is a problem, run from it! Isn’t that what your Mom and Dad taught you when you were young or were mine the only ones? If you run away from a problem, doesn’t it just disappear and everyone forgets about it? Uh, or not. Tiger made a mistake, a huge one, well, many huge ones, but last time I checked, humans are supremely imperfect beings. Not even Heidi Klum is perfect, well, no one but her.
Tiger Woods issued an apology. Whether he meant it or was just following his PR procedures, is not for you or me to judge. I have heard a lot, and I mean A LOT, of people say that
Unlike the other witless companies that shunned Tiger Woods, Nike understands that there will be better days. Sure, he is a HUGE money maker for them, and yes, Nike has invested untold amounts of money and time to him, and there may even be some hidden language in Tiger’s contract about letting him go, who knows, but in the end it comes down to loyalty. How many companies stand behind their spokes models through thick and thin? In this case, looks like one out of six.
What Tiger did was wrong. What Bill Clinton did was wrong. What a large percentage of men and women do behind their significant others backs, is wrong. I am not condoning it one bit, I am just pleading for some perspective. It should not surprise anyone that a professional athlete plays just as hard of the field as he does on it.
So what if Tiger Woods is the most recognizable athlete on Earth? It doesn’t make him right for doing it, but it sure as hell doesn’t make him any worse of a person than anyone else who does it. For Nike to stand behind him after the media verbally murdered him, says a lot about the company.
I like Nike. I wear their shoes. I have several pairs of shorts. I have numerous pairs of socks. I have plenty of shirts. I’m pretty sure it was a Swoosh tattoo on my forehead that I saw on my sonogram even. Yeah, I’m a Nike fan and this loyalty they are showing to a man who has been savagely beaten by the media, is a cool breath of air. In a world run by money and greed alone, it is nice to see a major corporation honor a commitment, even if their client failed to do so himself.
Tags:
Leave a comment
Not So Fast! To publish your comment, you have to login
Not Registered? Register now as it only take 20 seconds!
Click here to browse
0 comments