Justin Foster Unfiltered

Fast Company has an excellent and provocative assessment of the status of Tiger's brand. Before you shout "but this is a private matter!", it is good to remember that Tiger chose to be a brand. Not just with his endorsements, but his entire persona. So it is our business, because we bought what he was selling - literally and emotionally. A line from the Fast Company article says it best: "Brands exist in the mind of consumers that don't like being lied to".

Tiger made more than golf cool. He made focus, discipline, and hard work cool. Which leads to the question everyone is asking - why didn't he apply those same elements to his personal life?

I've been asked by a number of people what I would do to help Tiger's brand. The short answer is that I wouldn't help him (not that I'm waiting around for his agent to call me). In my book, re-branding is for brands that have lost their way, not self-destructed. I wouldn't help Tiger for the same reason I wouldn't help Qwest or United Airlines. In most cases, brands get exactly what they deserve.

As far as Tiger the human, he needs to ask himself one question. "Why did I do this?" The answer to that question will define his future as a person. This is a far more important issue than branding.