Tiger Woods No Longer with Accenture

Consulting firm Accenture announced today that it would no longer be working with Tiger Woods. Woods was the representative for the firm, says CNN:

“Given the circumstances of the last two weeks … the company has determined that he is no longer the right representative for its advertising.”

The move ends a sponsorship arrangement that lasted six years.

Accenture has used Woods for all kinds of advertising, including TV, online and print ads. Gillette recent said that Woods will take a backseat while he gets his life together. 

Times Online interviewed some experts about Tiger’s situation:

On Friday the golfer said he was taking an indefinite break from the sport which made him a billion-dollar star. Woods, 33, issued a brief statement apologising for “infidelities” after admitting “transgressions” earlier this month.

Public relations experts said yesterday that a failure to seize the initiative by Woods and his management company IMG, while more women came forward with details of sexual liaisons, had damaged his reputation further.

“At the moment he is entirely damaged goods with no commercial value to sponsors whatsoever,” said Ian Monk, the agent to Wayne Rooney. “He has remained invisible, and that’s the last thing sponsors want from a brand ambassador: it makes you look guilty and scared.”

Mark Borkowski, a publicist with a celebrity clientèle, agreed that Woods’s commercial value had “fallen off a cliff”. “The scandal will have a significant effect on other sportsmen,” he said. “Brands may move away from sponsoring individual golfers to sponsoring tournaments, just as they did in football [after a series of scandals].”

EA Sports hasn’t made any comments about the situation, says E! Online:

Electronic Arts’ EA Sports Division will release the next edition of Woods’ Tiger Woods PGA Tour golf game within the next six months, Nike and Gatorade have confirmed their continued support, Tag Heuer is still running its watch ads with the inclusion of the fallen pro and AT&T is evaluating their future together. 

As more alleged mistresses pop up though (the count is at 13 now), that future is looking dimmer by the day.

Nike still wants him around, though, says the Wall Street Journal:

Accenture executives notably didn’t issue supportive statements regarding the company’s sponsorship during the past week. Other major sponsors, including Nike, PepsiCo. Inc’s Gatorade sports drink and videogame maker Electronic Arts Inc., said their relationship with Mr. Woods remained unchanged.

“He is the best golfer in the world and one of the greatest athletes of his era,” a spokeswoman for Nike said in a statement on Friday. “He and his family have Nike’s full support.” Nike pays Mr. Woods more than $20 million annually.