And Woods is savvy enough to align his image and name with some of the biggest and most consistently excellent brands on the market. He’s paired up with brands that are icons of their respective industries; from sports apparel powerhouse Nike, credit card staple American Express, consulting company Accenture, Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer, and several others.
Shaving powerhouse Gillette featured Woods, tennis superstar Roger Federer and beloved New York Yankee Derek Jeter in a campaign called “The Moments” that has been amongst the most popular of 2009. Woods has enjoyed an especially successful partnership with Gatorade since 2007. The sports beverage brand (which is owned by Pepsi) launched Woods’ own special line of flavors that have been particularly popular.
Woods has set the example for athletes to follow. It is not enough for you to be tops in your sport and land a big contract with a team or organization — if you truly want to reap the financial rewards that can last long after your playing days, understand how important branding and your image can be to your off-court marketability. It puts you in the driver’s seat for determining your own worth and helps you turn yourself into a commodity.
–todd williams
