Image via Getty.
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UPDATE:
This post has been updated since it was originally written. Updates including Tiger Woods ’statement’ are below original writings.
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ThanksWOODSing.
Eh, maybe not.
But anyway, Thanksgiving 2009 will be remembered as that special time you shared with your loved ones… and also that special time in which one of the world’s most famous athletes had a tremendous fender-bender.
His public relations people must be working overtime. I do hope they are getting paid handsomely for this because I foresee this “mere,” not so “serious” accident blowing up in someone’s face soon.
Reports surfaced early Friday morning, November 27, around 2:25 a.m. ET that golfer and top international athlete, Tiger Woods, was involved in a “serious” accident. It was reported that he had cuts on his face and he was going in and out of consciousness.
Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is required to report any accident as “serious” if the person involved is taken to the hospital. This is an important little tidbit because according to other reports, Tiger Woods wasn’t in a serious accident at all. Actually, he has minor injuries and there is speculation that his car accident didn’t cut up his face at all — it might have been his wife Elin Nordegren Woods.
What makes the story even more All My Children-esque, is that it’s speculated she did it with some glass and a golf club.
It’s okay, you can *gasp* now.
One rumor flying around the internet is that Tiger and Elin got into a fight in the wee hours of the morning in their Orlando, Florida home. In a rush he got into his car, drove it out of control, hit a fire hydrant and then hit a tree.
Unable to get out of his car, his wife used a golf club to get him out by breaking the glass.
Another rumor sky diving is that because the airbag of his Cadillac Escalade did not deploy, he hit his face against the steering wheel and some shattered glass from impact. That’s how he ended up bruised.
Yet, another rumor bouncing from site to site is that his wife found him bloody, drifting in and out of consciousness and on the pavement, just outside of their home, after he crashed. It’s said that this is also how the police found the couple when they arrived on the scene.
Talk about drama!
But no matter which story is true or false, one thing is for sure — there is no transparency here folks. That’s a big no-no. It’s one of the cardinal rules in public relations — think of it like karma!
Click to Enlarge. Image via WSJ/Orlando Sentinel/AP.
So What’s the World’s Most Famous Golfer To Do?
- Start with talking to the police
At it stands, the police have tried to speak with Tiger and Elin Woods twice and the Woods PR team keeps turning them away. Today is Monday the 30th of November, the accident happened on the 27th. This should have been addressed by now.
This needs to be done, not only because it’s important for obvious legal reasons, but also Tiger Woods is a brand. Actually, he’s a astronomically large brand that has earned him the nickname of the “$1 Billion Man” ($USD) for his excessively large partnerships with the likes of Rolex, American Express and Nike.
This is a big deal because even though Tiger Woods isn’t your average guy, to the public, he needs to appear to be an “average guy.” Something he always was, in some sense, until now.
No matter how embarrassing the situation, Woods should look at it like this — his situation couldn’t have been more crazy than Britney Spears, her shaved head, and her umbrella attacking photographers in the middle of the night.
- Statements! Statements! Statements!
It should not have escaped anyone’s notice that Tiger Woods and crew have not come out with a personal statement of any kind. This doesn’t need to be long or detailed. It just needs to be sincere and answer a few questions — even if generally.
This is probably the most important aspect of what should have been done in the first 24-hours because the absence of a statement gives floodgate rumor mills the opportunity to spread wide open.
Even if Tiger Woods wants to keep his personal life private, that is totally fine and completely acceptable. But a personal statement needs to be made so that he can connect with his fans and admirers.
For example, my parents and I are not golf fans, but we’ve always respected and admired Tiger Woods. He’s the first non-white person to win the Masters and his achievements in his sport, since then, have been nothing short of extraordinary. So it’s no surprise to me that when my father first heard about the situation he was genuinely concerned that Tiger Woods was in “serious condition.”
But more than 36-hours later, a new story or ten…and still nothing?
What are people to think?
Tiger at 1997 Masters. Image via Getty.
- PLAN B, C, D, E, F, G, and Z: Forget about the Police and Statements — just SAY SOMETHING!
Apparently, the strategy in Tiger Woods PRland is to stay mum on the subject of his weekend. But that’s the thing about not saying anything — it says quite a bit.
- It says things like something went very wrong, or something is wrong.
- It says things like someone somewhere is trying to hide something because forget about not talking to the the public, why are Tiger and Elin Woods not even talking to the police?
So maybe Tiger and wife Elin are trying to get their stories straight — that’s fine and dandy, and that’s their choice in their personal lives, except Tiger Woods is a major public figure. By Tiger Woods staying silent on the matter and the tremendous media attention already going his way from around the world — this is one of those times you need to open your mouth like Carrie Prejean and talk!
Okay, no, I take it back, not like Carrie Prejean — don’t self-destruct. But just say something…anything…did you eat turkey for Thanksgiving? The tofu version?
- Public Appearances For, He, Who Is In the Public Eye
The people concerned about Tiger Woods will be perfectly fine with a general version of the truth. Basically, people want to know a few things:-
- What happened? In a nutshell.
- Is Tiger Woods okay?
- Will he continue to play golf?
It’s not that hard.
All Tiger Woods needs to do, is that if everything is ‘okay,’ go back into the public eye; keep up with his charity appearances and maybe even go to a concert, or an event. Show people somewhere, out there that he’s alright.
Little Pink Book’s Rule of PR #31:
Sometimes it’s not what you say,
it’s what you do not say.
Do yourself a favour,
speak when you’re asked too.
There is a reason people
want to know.
And yes, it might help save
your brand image too!
Better yet, I’m job hunting,
Hey Tiger,
I could have so told you all of this!
Hire me! 
~*~
UPDATE
Monday Nov. 30, 2009 2:42 a.m. ET: Woods is saying the accident was his fault. Also, the police want to issue a search warrant. What do you think about this development?
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Sasha Muradali runs the ‘Little Pink Book’ . She holds a B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Florida (’07) and an M.A. in International Administration from the University of Miami(’08). She loves Twitter and all things social media, so you should find her @SashaHalima or get a copy of the ‘Little Pink Book’ delivered to your Kindle.
Copyright © 2009 Sasha H. Muradali. All Rights Reserved.
