This particular PowerPoint slideshow was created by another classmate and I for our Public Relations Senior Seminar class. We had to evaluate a case study and present it to the class. This is by far one of the projects I am most proud of from my 4 years at Georgia Southern University.

1. Tabloid Tiger
Juliette Howell & Kat Wardlaw

2. Eldrick “Tiger” Woods was once living the dream. He was a golf
legend with countless endorsements, millions of adoring fans,
and was one of the world’s greatest athletes at the time. So how
did this highly praised public figure and role model become the
punchline for late night television hosts nationwide? How did
one of the world’s most recognizable name and face get tangled
in a tabloid infused scandal?

3. Background
❖Tiger Woods was born on December 30, 1973 to Earl Woods who began teaching
him how to play golf at a young age.
❖He made his national television debut at the age of 2, appearing on The Mike
Douglas Show.
❖By age 5 he was featured in Golf Digest. Broke the record by receiving 3
consecutive U.S. amatuer titles.
❖Turned pro in 1996, at age 20.
❖Within a year of turning pro, he won the Masters. Making Woods the first African
American to win this prestigious golf tournament.
❖In 1996, Tiger started a foundation which provided inner-city youth with

4. Endorsements
❖Nike
❖Titleist
❖Gatorade
❖Wheaties
❖Tag Heuer
❖AT&T
❖Rolex
❖Pepsi

7. “Celebrity endorsements are a common advertising and public
relations tactic. They bring fan and media attention to products
and causes. They also associate the celebrity’s positive qualities
with the product- the so-called halo effect. When the halo drops
off, however, it’s not just a problem for the celebrity’s personal
brand but for the product he or she is endorsing.”
(Swann, 2014, pg. 403)

8. Timeline Overview
❖Beginning in 2009: Tigers behavior became erratic. He began throwing and
cursing his clubs in front of millions of spectators.
❖Nov 25 2009: The National Enquirer publishes a story insinuating that Woods is
having an affair.
❖Nov 27 2009: Woods got into an accident where he crashed his Cadillac into a fire
hydrant and a tree outside of his home in Florida.
❖Nov 28 2009: TMZ releases multiple stories from unknown sources regarding
personal information about the accident. Woods declines to meet with state
troopers.

9. Timeline
❖Nov 29 2009: Woods again declines to meet with state troopers about the
accident, however he issues a public statement on his website tigerwoods.com
❖Nov 30 2009: Woods withdraws from the Chevron World Tournament in
California.
❖Dec 1 2009: US Weekly reports a story in regards to an affair that Jamiee Grubbs
claimed to have had with Tiger.
❖Dec 2 2009: US Weekly releases a voicemail that Grubbs had left to Woods,
speculating that his wife was trying to get into contact with her. Woods then
issues a second statement on his website.
❖Dec 9 2009: Companies started pulling their endorsements.

10. Timeline
❖Dec 11 2009: On his website, Tiger announces that he is taking a temporary break
from golf.
❖Dec 16 2009: Woods is voted Athlete of the Decade by members of the associated
press.
❖Feb 11 2010: Woods leaves inpatient therapy after 45 days and returns home.
❖Feb 19 2010: Tiger provides a televised statement to a worldwide audience.

11. The Tabloid That Started it All
The National Enquirer is a tabloid newspaper that is known for paying sources and
having the latest gossip. On November 27, 2009, their cover story “Tiger Woods
Cheating Scandal” contained detailed allegations about Woods affair with NYC event
planner, Rachel Uchitel.

13. Car crash
❖ Two days later, on November 27, 2009 Tiger crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant and a tree.
The crash occurred right outside of his gated community home in Florida around 2:25 a.m. Police officials
said that Woods was found lying on the ground and that his wife, Elin, broke a window with a golf club
in order to get him out. Tiger was admitted to the hospital and treated for a few minor injuries.
❖ Speculation grew that the crash was caused by a fight between Woods and his wife, Elin.

14. Hot Gossip
After the accident, Woods avoided everyone, including the news media and even
Florida Highway Patrol. His personal affairs quickly became the hot gossip. TMZ ran
stories with information from unknown sources linking the wreck to his alleged affair.
Other mainstream media, such as the Chicago Sun-Times and American Journalism
Review, also joined in on the frenzy.

15. Tiger Speaks Out
On November 29, 2009, Tiger posted a statement on his official website.
“As you all know, I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have
some cuts, bruising and right now I’m pretty sore. This situation is my fault, and it’s obviously
embarrassing to my family and me. I’m human and I’m not perfect. I will certainly make sure this
doesn’t happen again. This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I
understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently
circulating about my family and me are irresponsible. The only person responsible for the
accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was
the first person to help me. Any other assertion is false. This incident has been stressful and very
difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have
received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy
no matter how intrusive some people can be.”

16. Things Heat Up
The day after releasing his first official statement, Woods withdrew from his upcoming
tournament, the Chevron World Challenge, which benefited his own foundation. The
Florida Highway Patrol closed the case and issued him a $164 fine for careless driving.
The lack of information left quite a bit of room for rumors, and the media was having
a frenzy.
On December 1, 2009, US Weekly reported that a LA cocktail waitress, Jaimee Grubbs,
claimed to have had a 31 month long affair with Woods. On December 2, they released
a voicemail allegedly from Woods three days before his accident, asking her to remove
her name linked to her number because his wife was calling numbers from his phone.

17. Statement #2
“Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional
athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really
means. For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate
details of our personal lives. The stories in particular that physical violence played any
role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious. Elin has always done more to
support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect. But no
matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and
deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I
realize there are some who don't share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of
privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one's own
family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family
shouldn't have to mean public confessions.”

18. More Women
By December 7, 2009, nine women had come out claiming they have had affairs with
Woods, including a porn star, models, and waitresses. Mainstream media outlets, such
as ABC News, were even reporting detailed stories of Woods’s sexual endeavors. Not
only was the media having a field day, comedians and talk show hosts also joined in on
the fun.

20. Tiger Takes A Break & Sponsors React
On December 11, 2009, Tiger releases a statement on his website saying that he is
going to take an indefinite leave from golf. At first, his sponsors stood by him and
supported him, but as the number of women got higher, they started to cut ties. There
were no television commercials featuring Woods after November 30. AT&T ended
their contract with Woods on December 31, along with Tag Heuer and Gatorade
shortly after. Nike was one of the only companies that stood by him.

21. Tiger’s Return
To get away from the mess, Woods went into therapy at a clinic in Mississippi. Woods
breaks a nearly three month silence in a televised press conference on February 19,
2010. The conference was his first public appearance since the crash occurred in
November of 2009. Woods spoke directly to the public, did not take any questions, and
offered a detailed apology for his infidelities.
A month after the press conference, Woods announced he would return to golf at the
Masters tournament. He allowed media interviews for the first time since November
2009, only allowing them to be five minutes, but no limits on what questions could be
asked. He returned to golf on April 8, 2010, at the Masters. Though he did not win, it
marked the beginning of rebuilding his public image.

22. Who Are The Stakeholders?
❖Fanbase
❖Family and friends
❖Endorsements and Sponsors

23. Public Relations Mistakes
❖Keeping quiet in the face of questioning
➢ Tigers efforts to keep the scandal private made it look like he was being dismissive of the situation.
Initially, he continuously ignored investigators attempts to talk to him.
❖ Avoiding meeting with state troopers
➢ Refusing to meet with police made it seem as if Woods had something to hide.
❖Criticising the media
➢ Woods continued to publicly disapprove of the media's coverage of his scandal.
❖Refusing the provide details upfront regarding the accident and scandal.

24. Suggestions
❖Disclosure of Information
❖Be more transparent
❖Press Conference

25. Models and Theories of Public Relations Applied
to the Case❖Public Information Model- “This model has information flowing one way from
the organization to its stakeholders. It is not characterized by persuasive tactics of
promotion or publicity.”
❖Agenda Setting Theory- “While the media can’t tell people what to think, the
media can be effective in establishing what topics are talked about.”

26. SWOT Analysis
❖Strengths
➢ Tigers reputation
➢ Cult following
➢ Tiger was still the highest paid golfer in sponsorships at the 2010 Masters
❖Weaknesses
➢ Alleged affairs tarnishing reputation
❖Opportunities
➢ Publicity

27. References:
I. Swann, P. (2014). Cases in Public Relations Management. New York and London: Routledge.
II. Public Relations Society of America. (2010). Tiger Woods’ six big PR mistakes. Retrieved from:
http://apps.prsa.org/searchresults/view/8588/105/Tiger_Woods_six_big_PR_mistakes#.WPVUsbYrI_X
III. Public Relations Society of America. (2017). Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Member Code of Ethics.
https://apps.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/Ethics/CodeEnglish/#.WPanxLYrK8U