When it comes to ranking on almost any list Tiger Woods usually finds himself on the list or at least in the top 10. Having the merits of being the world’s No. 1 golfer and a global brand icon everywhere he goes without debate.
While Tiger is the first athlete ever to reach $1 billion in earnings he finds himself unpopular as a brand in China.
“Tiger is certainly a luxury brand, when you think of golf you think of Tiger Woods period,” stated CR Cataunya Ransom, Lead Publicist of Mosnar Communications, Inc.
However, China overall is not big on Gulf which is ranked poorly. In the future Tiger could be extremely marketable in China because Chinese admire and respect quest for perfection and look for leaders. Certainly Tiger Woods represents perfection and leadership.
R3 a Beijing-based company released a survey ranking popularity of the Top 50 of Foreign Athletes. In China the most populous country in the world according to the study, Tiger did not make the Top 50 or even the #1 spot as so often he always secures.
Rank Athlete Sport/League
1. Kobe Bryant L.A. Lakers
2. David Beckham L.A. Galaxy
3. Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid
4. Ricardo Chelsea
5. LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers
6. Ronaldo Corinthians (Brazil)
7. Michael Jordan NBA (retired)
8. Usain Bolt Track and field
9. Roger Federer Tennis
10. Lionel Messi FC Barcelona
* Source: R3, CSM Media Research
Highlighted facts about the survey:
– Twenty thousand Chinese consumers in 10 cities are polled for the ongoing study. NBA and professional soccer stars dominate the list, which, not surprisingly, also doesn’t include any MLB or NFL players.
– While golf is growing in China, no one would go so far as to call it popular. Estimates of the Chinese golfing population range from a couple hundred thousand to a few million. – Any way you shake it, that’s statistically zero percent of the Chinese population.
– But it’s also a very wealthy segment of citizens. Thus, one of the brands that does use Tiger in Mainland China is luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer. He’ll also show up from time to time in ads for Accenture, Gillette and, until recently, Buick. Still, these are all global campaigns, not advertisements designed specifically for the Chinese market.
So please China LOVE Tiger! Please pass this on, China LOVE Tiger
Twitter: #ChinaLoveTiger