Accenture, supposedly the world’s largest consulting firm, has decided to drop Tiger Woods as a company representative. It’s taken longer than expected, but this is the first major sponsor to end their relationship with the troubled golfer.
The move ends a six-year relationship during which the firm credited its “Go on, be a Tiger” campaign with boosting its image significantly. Accenture has used Woods to personify its claimed attributes of integrity and high performance.
“After careful consideration and analysis, the company has determined that he is no longer the right representative for its advertising,” Accenture said, adding that “it wishes only the best for Tiger Woods and his family.”
Accenture’s advertising campaign was almost entirely built around Woods and his success, portraying his ability to sink a key putt or hit out of the rough. If Woods had acknowledged mistakes and said he would be back in a month, Accenture might be able to ride it out, said Rick Burton, a professor of sports management at Syracuse University, in an interview.
Tiger’s other big-name sponsors include Nike, Gillette, EA Sports, AT&T, Tag Heuer. The worst of the situation seems to be over — I haven’t read about any new women coming forward in the last couple days. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see which of his sponsors back out because they think the situation is irreparable.
