Tiger Brand Death (PEP, ACN, AXP, ERTS, NKE)

Tiger Woods has been the dominating news force over the last week.  It has been such a distraction that we have even worried that this would take everyone’s eyes and ears off of the key issues happening in Washington D.C. and around the world.  And now the business angles are starting to emerge, with an outcome you might have suspected.  It appears that PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) the first brand partnership  being changed.  Reports are out that Pepsi’s Gatorade unit is dropping the Tiger-inspired drink called “Focus.”

CNBC reported this, but there was a small report that this had effectively been decided even before Tiger’s wreck started this whole Tiger-everything media storm.  This whole media storm over Tiger’s affairs and transgressions certainly did not leave much help for the brand.

PepsiCo is the first of the major brand-partnerships to change, and it remains unknown how other Tiger brands from other advertising partnerships will play out.  The company’s product description subsite describes Gatorade Tiger as follows: “with athletes in mind, helping them to be as mentally tough as they are physically.  With (ingredients)… this formula helps focus your mind AND your body by providing hydration, energy, and theanine.”  It seems that this beverage does not help with driving.

This is our first Tiger article in the mess he has created or gotten into.  Frankly, it has been difficult NOT To cover this topic. Other companies with key partnership deals with Tiger  are Accenture plc (NYSE: ACN), American Express Company (NYSE: AXP), Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, and Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE).   This is starting to add up to a major brand issue, and you can imagine the entertainment factor throughout this.

The saga continues.

Jon C. Ogg
December 8, 2009