Tiger’s off-the-course antics impacting IT
December 14, 2009 by Sam NarisiPosted in: Budgets and spending, Communication, Special Report, e-commerce
By now, you’ve probably read plenty about the personal life of Tiger Woods. The media circus has become so big it’s even starting to affect the IT industry.
Take a look at what’s happening at tech consulting firm Accenture, which advises companies on how to use, implement and choose technology resources.
Accenture’s leading the pack that’s running -– fast –- away from their once-hot corporate sponsor, golfer and reported philanderer, Tiger Woods.
Seems the kitchen didn’t have to get very hot before Accenture abandoned it and became the first of Woods’ employers to ditch the embattled superstar.
The company’s terse, corporate statement in announcing Tiger’s ouster: “For the past six years, Accenture and Tiger Woods have had a very successful sponsorship arrangement and his achievements on the golf course have been a powerful metaphor for business success in Accenture’s advertising. However, given the circumstances of the last two weeks, after careful consideration and analysis, the company has determined that he is no longer the right representative for its advertising. Accenture said that it wishes only the best for Tiger Woods and his family.”
Truth be told, there’s nothing remotely technological about Woods or his family. And unless you count the various texts messages, voice mails and e-mails that are emerging as damning evidence of Woods’ affairs, his technology expertise hasn’t much factored into his being dumped by Accenture.
Of course, many pundits are having a field day with an Accenture ad that showed Woods pondering a tough shot while standing in waist-high grass.
The ad was accompanied by copy that read: “It’s rough out there. Economic realities are daunting. And yet, as with every competitive challenge, some businesses will respond proactively and effectively, while others are left behind. The winner will be those who act quickly…” The headline for the ad: “It’s not a setback. It’s a test.”
As the ad says, the winners will be those who act quickly. It seems like Accenture is faster than most. Score one for the technology consultants!
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Tags: Accenture, endorsement, golfer, shill, Tiger Woods
December 15th, 2009 at 9:20 am
Ha! It means that Accenture cannot handle the challenge. Who cares about Tiger’s personal life? If he had hacked into a military database, then Accenture could dump him.
December 15th, 2009 at 10:47 am
I’m sure Tiger will survive without them. After he returns to golf and wins a few more tourneyments, then this all will pass. Years ago something like this would ruin a person’s life, but in today’s world it’s nothing…..well, unless he has some “boyfriends” that start coming forward.
December 15th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Nice! I love how a company sticks to their morals and drops a bum [regardless of his profession/success] who is dumb enough to cheat on his [absolutely gorgeous] wife, send text messages that everyone knows leaves an electronic trail, and on top of that leaves voice messages like these women have anything at stake by not deleting them…and the sponsor is considered the loser. I applaud this company for their decision and not to feel pressured to do what “Nike” does…who cares what other sponsors do…sounds like Accenture likes to think for themselves. They might as well pay for his hotel bill after each indiscretion…it’s equivalent to sponsorship.
I love the game of golf…I do a 4-day guys golf outing every year with a group of 15…and I respect Tiger’s golf game because he is one of the best in the world. What I will not do is follow him around like he’s a GOD telling my kids that it’s OK for guys to cheat on their wives…and companies that hang tough with these fools are the ones that I want to do business with some day. When you decide to take on a profession that will make your personal life totally public to the world, then you need to be smarter than the average Joe…I will stop there.
Thank GOD for Phil…that’s the guy that Accenture should be sponsoring!
December 15th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Unless you own a box of “Tiger Woods” brand network cables, or installing the new “Tiger” server in your data center, he’s pretty much irrelevant to IT.
Conversely, at least one of is sponsors has said that his skill on the golf course is what counts, and his personal matters don’t affect his endorsement.
We vilify a young man with no major bogies (pun intended) who has obviously suffered a lapse in judgement in his personal life, but we tolerate lying, cheating, drunken, criminal, drugged-out hollywood celebrities without boycotting the box office.
All this means is that Accenture missed the boat, because he obviously has a promising hollywood career ahead of him.
December 15th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Tiger was and will be a great golfer. BUT what value did Tiger’s sponsorship add to accenture’s engagements. NONE. What value does he add to the Nike customer? Unless he is better at designing Nike products that nike’s engineers (not likely) NONE.
The money paid to Tiger was to shake hands with the sponsor’s and possibly the clients bigwigs. As a society we should start to look beyond these nonsensical sponsorship deals at the actual products.
If someone purchases a product becasue Tiger is on the box they are rather stupid. Wake up consumer and understand how demeaning advertising really is.
December 15th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
It is a shame that a company is being ridiculed for dropping their sponsorship of a morally bankrupt individual. What a joke. Ridicule them for something they deserve to be ridiculed for.
I don’t and never have worked for or with Accenture.
December 15th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
If I can recoin the phase the Indians once used “Americans speak with many tongues, all of them twisted”. This country promotes sex like it was some type of cure all. We have Pono website by the tons, Strip clubs by almost the same amount and a known president that was getting his needs tended to while he was sitting behind his desk, which in my mind was the biggest embarasment since 9-11. You hear these losers talk about how hot Tiger wife is, well after 48 months and a couple of kids she just might not be as hot as you think she is. And if you are married and you are one of the ones talking about how you can’t see how anyone can do what Tiger has done when you have that hottie at home. You must be one of those types that can’t catch flys with a bowl of honey. I think my wife is just as hot as Elin but I would not call myself a saint becasue of it. Most guys given the oppunity and had the money would do the same as Tiger but only a little smarter. Having several women is not that uncommon in this country and even less abroad. But we must act like it because we are always looking for someone to lookup too instead of looking down at yourself. The only mistake that Tiger made in my opinon is not coming out and saying “Yea I did and I did because I could. Next question.”
December 15th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Any other addiction I can think off would have been bad for his golf game: drugs, alcohol (John Daly), keeping it all pent up inside can ruin your concentration. I say, right Tiger. Use that 3 wood during the day and your 9 wood at night as much as you like.
And if you’re a prude and a golf fan, you should only watch what he does with his white balls. If you’re a prude and not a golf fan, what do you care? You’ll never be invited to his house.
December 15th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
Absolutely the right thing to do by Accenture. Remember Accenture’s history with the hijinks of Arthur Andersen & Co and the lack of integrity that cost 70,000 employees their job; the troubles with Enron and Worldcom being the enagaments that caused the fall. While Accenture effectively split in 1989 from Arthur Andersen (SBU) and truly split in 1999 Acenture (formal divistiture) has long roots with AA&Co. The bad acts of a few, can crumble a castle.
The missing point of all this is that golf is the ultimate game of integrity – you call penalties on yourself. In this case Tiger missed the game of life with his wife with multiple out of bound “putts”.
Why Tiger can play golf and regain his fame and fortune, issues of integrity will, and should, always follow him for the rest of his life. he should of never married if he wanted to cat around on the side. If he can’t keep a promise to his wife, then who can he keep a promise too?
I am a huge Tiger fan and wnat him to to perform for another 10-15 years at the highest level. However, my only respect for him now is his golfing ability.
December 15th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
It’s all about ethics. Good for Accenture. I agree. Their integrity would be gone if they didn’t follow their word and protect their reputation and the stock holders. Tiger made a mistake like all of us do, however, he should not be excused from the consequences of his actions. The question is, will he learn from the mistakes. If so, he’ll be a better person for it. Now, for those of you without faults…you can cast the first stones.
December 15th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Just a sort of partially off topic comment. The women that Tiger Woods have been philandering with are not mistresses. They are more like groupies. Think of all the rock stars and actors that have more women going in and out of their hotel rooms than Tiger Woods could dream of. When’s the last time the media paid any attention to any of that? Yet when its a sports star…. Get over it people, Tiger and company are paid to play sports, not to get on the Vatican nominating list for sainthood.
December 15th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
I note Tech News selective use of the Accenture maxim to endorse their approach… move quickly.! What about the…”Its not a setback – its a test..! …for Accenture, and they failed it.! In agreement with John, fact is it is doubtful if Accenture got any real business value from Tiger….Tiger got lots of money from Accenture. Neither needed the other much, before or now. Accenture like to be seen…and Tiger got them seen. The message is equally immaterial, now or then. Tiger is a boy…in case no one noticed. So why is this different to any other boy, who have proved conclusively over time the adage “…penis erecta conscientiam non habet..”…? America spawned Jerry Springer as a media success…so after that anything is possible….so dont mention morality as part of the mix. Accenture had a great opportunity to make a saving on budget without downside, and took it gratefully..!!
Regards,
tom
January 6th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
rgrne says: “Tiger and company are paid to play sports”
This is not true. **Professional** sports exists for one reason only and that is to draw sports fans. Sports fans buy things that are linked to pro-athletes. Sports fans pay money to attend events built around pro-athletes.
People like to be part of a group of winners. We identify within groups like tribes, fan clubs, schools, nations etc. People emotionally “adopt” a winning athlete into their group so they can participate in his victories. The market value of a pro-athlete is almost entirely based on the willingness of sports fans to “adopt” him into their group.
An athlete who begins to lose will no longer be wanted by most groups and his market value goes down. If an athlete does something else that makes people unwilling to adopt him, the effect on his market value is the same.
A pro-athlete may continue to win contest purses even if nobody wants to be associated with his name but most of the market value of a Tiger Woods is not in the purses he collects. It is in the desire people have to be linked to him.
A pro sport which is dominated by someone nobody wants to be associated with has a problem. Golf, as a business, gained a lot from people’s putting Tiger on a pedestal and can be hurt by Tiger falling off that pedestal. There are other sports.
Do not pretend that the people for whom golf is a business will be happy to have Tiger around unless he somehow wins back the following.