Athlete Endorsements and Brand Image : A Study of Consumer Attitudes toward Nike in Light of the Brand’s Association with Tiger Woods

Abstract: Many brands are using celebrities as spokespeople, to enhance the brand image. This investigation aims to research the effects of athlete endorsements on brand image, in particular, whether Nike has been affected by the change in Tiger Woods’ image due to his recent personal life difficulties. Firstly, whether the perceived brand image is concurrent with the brand’s identity, and if not then if the image gap could be caused by the brand’s association to Tiger Woods. The topic is very current as the number of athletes who drastically deviate from their image has increased, at the same time as athlete endorsements are very popular. If changes in the image of an endorser come to affect consumer perception of the brand, then one could assume that there would be a decline in such endorsements. In investigating the research question, literature and articles regarding endorsements and brand associations was consulted to gain a deeper understanding of how associations work. Data regarding Nike was collected from secondary sources in order to form an accurate view of the company identity. This would be compared to data collected on consumer attitudes toward Nike and Tiger Woods using a questionnaire sent out to participants with a variety of characteristics so as to be able to see if there were differences in attitudes between segments. It was found that there is an image gap between Nike’s desired image and its perceived image. However, the low number of respondents who claimed that their opinions of Nike had changed because of Tiger Woods suggests that his association to Nike is not to blame for the gap. Reasons discussed for the low level of transferability of Tiger Woods’ ‘new’ characteristics to Nike are that the fit between the brand and the athlete is good in the relevant categories, whereas they are irrelevant to the collaboration. Furthermore, the strength of the associations is seen as a factor – it is not strong enough to or too connected to Tiger Woods to transfer – as well as the respondent attributes and background. Finally, the attachment to Nike is seen as possibly a contributing factor, as people who own Nike seem to stay loyal to the brand despite the so called ‘Tigergate’.