Reaction to the PR strategy behind Tiger's mea culpa

Tiger Woods emerged today breaking three months of silence with the World he said hello to 13 years ago. The rise and fall of Woods, perpetuated by recent reports of infidelity, has been astonishing and his press conference would serve as only a first step in rebuilding the credibility and admiration he has worked so hard to earn.

From a public relations perspective, there are two critical elements from today’s event to break down; his message and the parameters of his press conference. To begin, and there’s been much debate on this issue, Tiger had to do it. Granted he’s not an elected official and some believe his private life is none of our business. I respect that point of view; however, this issue requires a deeper dive beneath the surface to comprehend the scale of Tiger Woods - the brand, and not just the human being.

Tiger’s wholesome image and integrity is what made him the first billion-dollar athlete. It’s what made him so admired by youth around the globe. Parents now have to discuss Tiger’s behavior with their children and sponsors need to evaluate their relationship with their tarnished pitchman. Accenture, a management consulting firm, made the swift decision to drop him and their “Go on, be a Tiger” campaign just two days after the scandal broke. AT&T also severed ties soon after while other brands are taking the wait-and-see approach. The time has come for Woods to step up and rebuild his image as a role model and endorser. That’s what he owes the public. Everything else however, can remain private.

So let’s talk about the highly criticized arrangements for his presser. It was incredibly controlled; the media was limited to two camera feeds and reporters from three newswires, and no questions would be entertained. This bothered some members of the media more than others. The Golf Writers Association of America really shot themselves in the foot by boycotting coverage of the event altogether simply because they didn’t get an invitation. Their job is to cover golf and this will be the biggest story of their careers! I suspect they will suffer self-inflicted consequence as they’ve just rendered themselves absolutely incompetent and completely useless.

There has also been some grievance about the timing of Tiger’s statement which was scheduled during the third round of the Accenture Match Play Championship. Some golfers see this decision as vindictive toward the first sponsor to drop Tiger. I think it was a stand up act. By admitting his faults along side this PGA event, to me, Woods helped justify Accenture’s decision to break their contract as if to say, “I left them no choice.”

The environment that was created for Tiger was acceptable in my opinion. This is simply the beginning of the next chapter in his career and life and there will certainly be more to come in terms of his words and actions. For the moment, it was his decision to break his silence and make a public statement on his terms.

As both a public relations professional and a casual observer of this whole ordeal, I am satisfied with the omission of the media Q&A. He addressed his justification best when he said, “I understand the press wants to ask me for the details about the times I was unfaithful; whether or not Elin and I were meant to be together. Please know, as far as I’m concerned…these are issues between a husband and a wife.”

Well said. Again, here’s the fine line between what he should be expected to discuss and what can remain private. Imagine the frenzy that would have been unleashed, question after question, about the mistresses and the deception. This is the tabloid garbage element of the story and really has no business being published and aired.

Tiger spent the better part of 15 minutes assuring us he is sorry for the decisions he made and convincingly looked straight into the camera when he said, “For all that I have done, I am so sorry.” Standing before his friends, family and the media the way he did showed some fortitude. His admission and apologetic tone was sincere. He “threw the script away” and spoke from the heart.

I never thought about who I was hurting, instead I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn’t have to go far to find them. I was wrong, I was foolish, and I don’t get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone, apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife’s family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me.”

Tiger really drove home his sincerity with bold statements like that. His defense of his family against media scrutiny and harassment involving stakeouts of his mother, wife and 2 ½ year old daughter were very well played. I believe it’s fair to call out the media when your family is being subjected to sensationalism at its worst.

Early in his statement, he conceded that his real apology to his wife will come not from words, but from his behavior over time. Regarding those crucial next steps, I think he’s off to a good start by not setting a date to return to golf as he puts his life back together. This is part of the process, and his plea to fans to believe in him again should serve as testament that he is really taking the whole role model business seriously.

Overall, this was a successful public statement. His messaging was spot-on, sincere and encouraging. The forum in which it was delivered heightened the perception of his seriousness while keeping the circus out of town.

It’s certainly not over for Tiger but it’s not a bad start.