IRVINE, CA: As his sporting career limps towards its end, Tiger Woods has created a new brand, TGR, that aims to exploit the golfer's global recognition while not limiting itself to that sport.
"I'm committed to building a legacy that goes beyond just me," Woods said, as he launched the new company that will house all his existing interests, including a restaurant, an events business, a golf course design firm and a charity foundation.
The announcement was the culmination of almost two years' work with branding firm Sub Rosa, which Woods brought on board to help him develop his ideas.
"If chapter one began when he was first on national television playing golf, now it's Tiger, the enterprise or Tiger, the portfolio activator," Jeff Kempler, COO of Sub Rosa, told Fast Company.
"He has a really clear mind-set about what his personal brand means," he added, explaining that the intention was to use Woods' fame and recognizability to empower the new brand but not "create a dependency that would undo longevity" – much in the same way that Paul Newman's food brands continue to exist.
Part of that process has been to identify some central themes of the golfer's career to date: these include precision, the ability to master a wide array of skills, and determination.
"It goes all the way back to how I was raised," Woods told Fast Company. "In the military, they have a saying, 'Train hard, fight easy.' You're going to master your craft if you approach the mind-set and method properly."
One obvious area that he could move into is golfing equipment, especially since his long-standing sponsor Nike has said it is to stop making these items.
"The Nike change opened a previously unplanned-for opportunity," acknowledged Kempler, who said this was a possible option at some future point.
"I'm committed to building a legacy that goes beyond just me," Woods said, as he launched the new company that will house all his existing interests, including a restaurant, an events business, a golf course design firm and a charity foundation.
The announcement was the culmination of almost two years' work with branding firm Sub Rosa, which Woods brought on board to help him develop his ideas.
"If chapter one began when he was first on national television playing golf, now it's Tiger, the enterprise or Tiger, the portfolio activator," Jeff Kempler, COO of Sub Rosa, told Fast Company.
"He has a really clear mind-set about what his personal brand means," he added, explaining that the intention was to use Woods' fame and recognizability to empower the new brand but not "create a dependency that would undo longevity" – much in the same way that Paul Newman's food brands continue to exist.
Part of that process has been to identify some central themes of the golfer's career to date: these include precision, the ability to master a wide array of skills, and determination.
"It goes all the way back to how I was raised," Woods told Fast Company. "In the military, they have a saying, 'Train hard, fight easy.' You're going to master your craft if you approach the mind-set and method properly."
One obvious area that he could move into is golfing equipment, especially since his long-standing sponsor Nike has said it is to stop making these items.
"The Nike change opened a previously unplanned-for opportunity," acknowledged Kempler, who said this was a possible option at some future point.
Data sourced from Fast Company; additional content by Warc staff
