Hold That Tiger
George W. Bush used to peddle an old saw he picked up in Texas: “Dance with the one who brung ya.” I always liked that line. You know who doesn’t? That cocky bastard Tiger Woods.
After an incredible 27-year relationship with Nike, Tiger dumped ‘em. I don’t get it. When Tiger got embroiled in a helluva scandal that generated huge public attention, all his big-time corporate sponsors dropped him like a hot potato. Accenture, AT&T, Gatorade, Gillette, and General Motors—but not Nike. Phil Knight was the only one with the guts to stand by him. He did the same thing when Colin Kaepernick took a knee. Nike lost a lot of sales for a while after that, but they went fist-in-the-face with a bold ad campaign built around Kaepernick—a campaign that pushed their market value to an all-time high. That’s how Nike rolls.
They also do things with style and taste. When Tiger hit the road, they didn’t trash him. They ran a full-page ad in the New York Times giving him a salute. Hey, the way I look at it, ol’ W. was right. When it comes to friends and clients, “Dance with who brung ya.” Just do it.
Keep your dukes up.
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