While other media and marketing types have long since weighed in on golfer Tiger Wood’s sudden and spectacular shank as a spouse and brand spokes-icon, Touch Point City has stood quietly at the back of the gallery, gazing through one of those cardboard periscope thingies, trying to decide what we think and feel about it all.
As an avid golfer and golf fan, I concede his greatness at the sport. Yet I was never among those who relished sycophantic coverage of Tiger’s exploits by TV broadcasters. On the contrary. Their seemingly obsessive need to make Woods a main story line of virtually every tournament — regardless of his standing on the leader board, and sometimes regardless of his presence at the event — to me made men’s pro golf less compelling, not more.
As a spouse and father, I mostly feel sorry for Woods’ kids. Now they stand an even greater chance of having to spend their lives always on the periphery, or smack in the middle, of that omnipresent, peering, not always flattering viewfinder that fuels our “have you seen the latest celebrity car crash” pop culture.
Finally, as a marketer, I’m starting to think Tiger’s infidelity — to his wife, his family, even his own brand image — might be a defining event that wakes up the marketing profession to what has long been a shallow, tenuous, even risky approach to brand building.
For too long, some corporate marketers and their agencies have chosen to duck behind the premise that spending big money trying to graft a brand onto a celebrity’s image, talents and achievements is somehow not only “creative,” but legitimate branding strategy.
To gauge the flimsiness of that approach, look no further than this week’s announcement that Accenture has hastily replaced ads featuring iconic Tiger photos with a campaign showcasing real animals: A chameleon. A frog. Some fish. And, of course, everyone’s favorite visual metaphor for astute business analysis and problem solving — an elephant riding a surfboard.
Whether you’re showing Tiger or a tiger as the main, attention-grabbing element of your advertising, the underlying issue remains: What’s behind the visual?
If it’s not something relevant, something valuable, what have you really accomplished? You might have created a positive brand association, but even that can turn negative overnight. Then you’re in the news for all the wrong reasons, including whether you were fair and wise, or simply two-faced, in hastily dumping the spokes-representative who just yesterday you were embracing as emblematic of all that’s good about your brand.
So here’s the question for corporate marketers: If you’ve got millions of dollars to devote to a Super Bowl ad, or a long-term branding campaign, is the foundation for your message going to be a Tiger, or your own ability to demonstrate thought leadership and add value. A surfing pachyderm or, say, a value-adding e-book, Webinar series or online community?
In other words, as you seek to position your brand, have you taken the time and effort to create something compelling and relevant that invites true, win-win engagement from your customers and potential customers?
Or, are you just going to take a big, roundhouse swing, using the shiniest new driver you could buy from the celebrity spokesperson store?
If some one desires expert view about blogging after
that i propose him/her to visit this website, Keep up the good work.
I every time spent my half an hour to read this web site’s content all the time along with a mug of coffee.
Hello! I just found your internet site: Tiger,
Elephants and Frogs, Oh My! So This is Brand Strategy?
| Touch Point City when I was searching digg.com.
It looks as though someone enjoyed your blog so much they decided to bookmark it.
I’ll undoubtedly be coming here more often.
hello there and thank you for your information – I have certainly picked up something new from right here.
I did however expertise a few technical points using this website,
since I experienced to reload the website a lot of
times previous to I could get it to load properly.
I had been wondering if your web host is OK? Not that I’m complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will sometimes affect your placement in google and could damage your quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Well I am adding this RSS to my e-mail and could look out for much more of your respective intriguing content. Make sure you update this again soon.
Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely well written article.
I will make sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful information.
Thanks for the post. I will definitely return.
This is very interesting, You are a very skilled blogger.
I’ve joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your magnificent post. Also, I have shared your web site in my social networks!
You can also get wireless terminals for your various mobile merchant accounts.
If as a merchant you are selling large volume of
products and services then its always a better option to go for credit card merchant account.
Make effective and successful New Year financial resolutions by making them easy, achievable and arming yourself with
the right tools and resources.