Normative

Normative Ethics

ETH 301 MOD 1 Case Study

John H. Burch

TUI University

1. Should the companies that dropped Tiger Woods during his scandal now reinstate him?

Image and credibility are everything when it comes to marketing effectively using celebrities as role models. The fact is the image of a celebrity can be tainted within a matter of minutes. Take, for instance, the latest events concerning Tiger Woods. While, by law, he was innocent until he admitted his immorality, companies such as Gillette, Gatorade, Accenture, and AT&T quickly began pulling endorsement deals. The companies feared the bad publicity and the negative image. Consumers could now associate Tiger Woods a sex scandal. Not all of these companies admitted openly that this was the reasoning behind their decision to disassociate themselves from Tiger, but as a consumer, I don’t conceal my approval or opinion that they made the correct decision. I absolutely do not feel that any endorsements should be reinstated.

      The most recognized way that agencies evaluate a celebrity's ability to be an endorser or representative is source credibility. They recognize that consumers are individuals and the majorities, like myself, are responsible for forming personal opinions. However, do not minimize the affect that media plays on that formation. Before the Tiger scandal it seemed in the media as though he could do no wrong and was known as the greatest golfer in history. Tiger may still be acknowledged as a great golfer, but the media definitely uncovered and highlighted every dirty detail of his immoral behavior. Could there be a chance that you have no idea who Tiger is or what he dose as a profession. After the media’s coverage of his personal life the world knew he committed adultery.

Today, almost all big name endorsement contracts contain a moral clause that allows companies to exit without penalty in the event of an incident by their spokesperson. Many types of agreements (naming...