BU Now » Golf

Tiger will finally speak

Kira Jastive — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:54:20 +0000

Tiger Woods, who has been in hiding for the past three months, will speak publicly for the first time tomorrow, marking the beginning of what his agent calls “the process of making amends.” What does this mean for the golf legend with the once squeaky-clean image? Frank Shorr, professor of sports journalism and director of the Boston University Sports Institute, and Peter Morrissey, a veteran PR and reputation management expert, give their ideas:

Shorr: “This is Tiger being Tiger…trying to limit his access at every turn. If he thinks he can do one news conference with a handful of reporters, picked by his own people, he’s in for a shock when he hits the golf course for the first time. The media will hound him and you’re going to see the fans very vocal on the situation – and much of it won’t be positive. But, he is obviously positioning himself for a return to competitive play.”

Morrissey: “It’s funny how both Tiger Woods and Toyota appear to be pushing the edges of the forgiveness envelope with the public. Public figures and public companies always want to get bad news behind them. They want to apologize and move on, but they forget an important phychological and human healing factor — people forgive and forget on their terms.”

Contact: Frank Shorr, 617-353-5163, fshorr@bu.edu

Contact: Peter Morrissey, 617-353-1020, pmorriss@bu.edu

What’s next for Tiger?

Dick Taffe — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:04:21 +0000

Corporate sponsors are taking the Tiger Woods’ episode as a chance to rethink the value they may be getting for celebrity endorsers. Meantime, public-relations Professor Peter Morrissey, an expert in reputation management, says Tiger has to wait for this to bottom out and avoid the tendancy to act like a victim.

“History will record if he is a hero, a villain or a tragic figure. But even fallen heroes can be re-made to live again. It will just take time. The main thing Tiger is fighting is a sense of betrayal and mistrust. He will need to earn these back.”

Contact Peter Morrissey, 617-353-1020, pmorriss@bu.edu

Tiger’s endorsments iffy

Dick Taffe — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:11:50 +0000

Some of Tiger Woods’ endorsers are sticking with him, some are bailing out, and others are waiting to see if the firestorm hits them. Advertising Professor Chris Cakebread, who teaches sports marketing, says much will depend on how much the advertisers feel “trust” is significant in their pitching Tiger.

“Tiger was a trustworthy spokesperson for a brand. His public persona never varied. That trust has been broken, and some brands are worried about how that break in trust will influence consumer perception towards their products.”

Contact Chris Cakebread, 617-353-3476, ccakebre@bu.edu

Tiger’s image rehabilitation

Dick Taffe — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:33:55 +0000

Tiger Woods has avoided the public since the Nov. 27 SUV crash at his home, even though he’s become a staple of newscasts and late-night comedy put-downs. PR Professor Peter Morrissey, a crisis-communication expert who worked on the Tylenol case, suggests Tiger must carefully pick his public appearances, take care of family matters, don’t blame the media, be humble and self-effacing, and keep winning golf tournaments.

“Tiger may actually benefit from this in that his image is not as a perfectionist, but as person that is mortal and fallible. He must remember that even the worse sins and faults are forgiven over time and this controversy will fade.”

Contact Peter Morrissey, 617-353-1020, pmorriss@bu.edu

Tiger’s reputation management

Dick Taffe — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:52:08 +0000

Golf superstar Tiger Woods took responsibility for the nighttime SUV accident in which he suffered minor injuries. But because he declined to speak with police, speculation erupted about what “really” happened. Prof. Peter Morrissey, a PR reputation-management expert, says Woods’ reputation could be severely damaged if something comes out that he was hiding.

“The news media feeds off this type of delayed response. Tiger and his folks should get the truth out to defuse the situation. He is an institution but he is still not larger than the game that got him there.”

Contact Peter Morrissey, 617-353-1020, pmorriss@bu.edu