Tiger Talks

There’s a guy named Tiger making a statement today. Maybe you’ve heard something about the little mess he’s in and how he is managing his way out of it.

At some point, and perhaps we learn today when that is, Tiger will return to what got him his fame and fortune in the first place: golf.

If the circus down the street at TPC Sawgrass is any indication, it will be full fledged media event. The only time I ever expected to see a media turnout like this in Ponte Vedra was if a hurricane were ever bearing down on the First Coast.

Enter Hurricane Tiger.

That’s what it will feel like for the folks running the first event Tiger plays after this break.

If Tiger comes back at Augusta for the Masters, the media crush won’t be quite as noticeable as that Major already gets massive coverage and the club will work very hard to keep outsiders out.

But if Tiger decides he’s coming back at regular Tour stop, say the Bay Hill event he won last year, the media crush will be significant.

The challenge for the tournament will be to handle this and even maximize while also not alienating its regular media contingent, not to mention the other players in the field.

I remember working the LA Tennis Open in 2006. It was the first US event Andre Agassi played after announcing his impending retirement earlier that summer at Wimbledon. The megastar drew mega media attention.

As much as having the sudden crush of extra media rocked our world, we had to treat it as business as usual. That’s not easy, especially when it’s standing room only in the press conference venue.

The publicity surrounding Tiger’s return to the Tour will be unprecedented. This will be great for the event and sponsors in terms of interest, but right now, Tiger’s entrance might seem like a hot potato.

Best wishes to whatever event gets the first crack at handling Hurricane Tiger.

I Got a Guy. He’s Wearing My Shirt!

Jason Sadler

Jason Sadler rocking a HolterMedia shirt!

Yeah, I got a guy. He’s wearing my shirt.

That’s what he does – wears shirts, for a living.

No joke.

I’m always drawn to innovative ideas, so I loved when my friend Jason Sadler explained to me he was going to wear shirts for a living.

January 1 costs $1. December 31 costs $365. You do the math. It works.

There’s a lesson in Jason’s story. He’d tell you it really is as easy as putting a shirt on every morning. But at the same time, it’s not that easy. If it’s going to be a successfully venture, it never is.

Jason’s got the keys to any successful PR or marketing concept nailed down.

Planning – Jason didn’t get start wearing shirts. He went in with a very clear idea of what each day would look like. That’s important, because his customers know exactly what they are getting with their purchase. Jason constructed a plan to make his wearing a shirt worth an investment.

Listening – Is this the most underrated aspect of any business? Jason’s first question is, “What do you want to get out of your day?” Jason knows each day will include so many pictures, tweets and an hour of live video, but he will tailor them to meet your needs (for example: I want more followers on Twitter). Like any good PR or marketing person, meeting your clients goals has to start by understanding what they are looking to achieve.

Execution (and adaptation) – The best laid plans don’t mean a thing if they aren’t seen through to a successful conclusion. Jason delivers a quality product day in and day out. That’s why he sold out all of 2009 and has fewer than 50 days left to sell in 2010. However, even the best of plans will fall apart. The show must go on, so even if the shirt is stuck in customs, Jason is still getting the message out. Being well prepared makes adapting so much easier.

Outreach – If Jason sat in his house all day wearing his shirt, there would be little benefit to his customers. Jason has seized on the strengths of social media and created an audience. In a little over a year, he’s got more than 20,000 followers on Twitter, over 4,000 Facebook friends, and has networked with a who’s who list of marketing, PR and social media experts.

This innovation and organized approach is what I strive for with my clients as well, and it makes it easy to transition between the diverse events that fill up my calendar.

To see more about what HolterMedia does, follow on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook. Oh, and make sure you check out www.iwearyourshirt.com as well!

Thanks for checking out HolterMedia!

Pete