Tiger Woods' image and sponsors were strongly impacted by his 2009 scandal. Analysis of social media data from the time found overwhelmingly negative sentiment, especially on Twitter. While mentions of Woods and most sponsors decreased over a month, Nike still saw high negative commentary. Gender analyses found women more opinionated on Woods hitting his wife. One year later, sentiment remained negative though slightly less so, and positive mentions grew slightly regarding Woods' donations. The summaries analyze the key impacts, sentiment trends, and gender differences revealed in the social media data.

1. Tiger Woods: before and after
Image: Nevada tumbleweed
The Impact on his sponsors.

2. A look back and today
Scan of social
media
conversations
Sentiments Timeframes
• Gender • Peak of
Differences Scandal
• Brands • One month
• Today later

3. Image:TheLastMinute
A quick recap

4. Tiger’s Scandal: Tiger Woods mentions by day
Search Results by Day
12/8: Tiger’s mother in
law rushed into hospital
1800
12/3: Conversations
1600 increased after the
day Tiger issued his
1400 public statement
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
12/1
12/2
12/3
12/4
12/5
12/6
12/7
12/8
12/9
11/21
11/22
11/23
11/24
11/25
11/26
11/27
11/28
11/29
11/30
12/10
12/11
12/12
12/13
12/14
12/15
12/16
12/17
12/18
Total:19082 (11/21/2009 - 12/18/2009)
• Total result: 19,082
• Spike day: December 03rd, 2009
• Most mentions in: California and Washington

5. Where did the conversations occur?
6983
7000
5378
6000
5000
4000
2367
3000
1720 1499
2000 952
1000 183
0
Microblog Mainstream Blog Video/Photo Message Social Wiki
Sharing Board/Forum Network
Total of all 19082
SOCIAL MEDIA TYPE
Microblog: 37% Twitter is the leading share of voice, however,
Mainstream: 28% ~80% of tweets are links to videos, blogs or
Blog: 12%
Video/photo sharing: 9%
mainstream news.
Forum: 8%  Twitter being used more to spread news
Wiki and social network: 6%

6. Sample comments and sentiment
i look up to tiger woods now... cuz he's the man -
(YungRayDaGod) neutral
: “By cheating on his wife, especially in such a disgusting and Well, at least Tiger has begun telling the truth, after a week of
complete way, Tiger has utterly spoiled the last sport that had stonewalling!
generally been considered a sport of gentlemen (and gentle
women, of course). After all, cheaters are cheaters.
Twitter sentiment for
Tiger Woods
“He is sorry, that is it? I don't care who you are, you don't cheat
neutral negative positive
on your spouse, and just say sorry. That is too easy. Committing
4%
adultery is the ultimate betrayal. I don't care who you are. No
one takes their vows serious anymore.” 29%
- neg Tiger Woods is the first person in history to run his car into a
67%
hydrant and set himself on fire
(BlakeBeus)
Strongly negative sentiment –
even the positives are suspect.
A porn film is being made about Tiger Woods' recent
transgressions entitled Tiger's Wood. Porn companies = the
underrated kings of satire. - (mouzone) - neg

7. Top Forums: CBS Sport Forum - Golf
20 combined Polls Sentiment
 20 polls about Tiger Woods Affair, mainly about his performance for Neutral Negative Positive
next season and predicting his family situation.
4%
More Negative votes than Positive 29%
Poll Title Votes POS NEG NEU 67%
"I am still a friend, Tiger!" 40 25% 68% 8%
+pos
“Your opinion of Tiger Woods?” 51 38% 55% 8%
: “…I am still your friend, Tiger, because of
“Tiger's 2010 Golfing Performance/Competitiveness” 2 0% 100% 0% what you have done for golf, for the whole
sporting industry, for the whole golf and
“Tiger's "transgression" impact” 52 42% 58% 0% sports fraternity, for a good decade!
“ACCENTURE Drpos Tiger Woods...!!!!!” 4 0% 100% 0%
“Tiger probably will surpass Jack's 18 majors and Sam
“Tiger cheated ____ times” 31 3% 97% 0%
Snead's 82 PGA Tour wins, but until he grows up and
displays the sportsmanship expected of a true golfer,
“If TIGER's trysts FATHER any CHILDREN...will Elin” 6 17% 83% 0% Jack will still be the greatest golfer of all time.”
- neg

8. YouTube: Voicemail leaked
Most viewed video:
Total videos related: 156 Tiger Woods Voicemail Slow Jam Remix
Total comments: 7,157 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEko
Total views: 3,362,185 maBTppY
by halfdaytoday
(1,235,221 views – 2017 comments)
“Voicemail” videos comments
Sentiment
Hey back off why don't you guys
positive negative neutral
+pos leave Tiger alone . He is the best
athlete in the world . Very calm on 8%
3%
the court and doesn't disrespect his
opponents. (spades57)
- neg “Not only have I lost respect for
tiger because of his lack of moral
89%
guidelines, but I have also come to
the realization that he really isn't
that great of a golfer.

9. Most viewed YouTube video
Most viewed video is actually not from the U.S.  PR efforts should be international
Total videos related: 28 Most viewed video:
Total comments: 1,660 【蘋果動新聞】伍茲深夜撞車 老婆破窗救夫 疑點重重
Total views: 3,111,170 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i5FlC1MpkE
by ma19kuso
(2,337,534 views – 787 comments)
He's a great golfer but I don't care for him as a person. I'd
rather have someone with some class and professionalism Taiwanese animation videos
be considered the best at something, not someone known Comments Sentiment
for his infidelities. He's become an embarrassment to the
sport of golf, rather than a good ambassador that everyone Pos Neg Neu
thought he was. 4%
17%
Tiger islittle rude elitist punk. He
a
deserves what he got…I have no respect for
the billionaire punk who needs to grow up. I
- neg hope Nike and others dump him. I won't buy
their products
79%

10. Gender Sentiment: Elin hitting Tiger
Sentiment on the topic of Elin hitting Tiger
Male Sentiment From 1,143 opinions Female Sentiment
Neutral Negative Positive Neutral Negative Positive
9% 9%
31% 37%
82%
32%
Although negatives = positives for both genders, Women definitely have
an opinion on this subject. However, most men are neutral.

11. Gender Sentiment: Media
What do people think of all the attention? Who is more tired of Tiger news?
female
23%
19%
34% Tired of news
Tired but still concerned male
47%
77%
Media/Public has the right
to know
Among the 19% who are really tired of
the news, male authors significantly
outnumber female ones.

12. Tiger Woods’ sponsors
Tiger Woods' brands conversations Tiger Woods w/Nike Sentiment
Tag heuer
Positive Negative Neutral
6%
Nike
Gillette 29% 10%
21%
25%
Gatorade 65%
Accenture
22% 22%
Total of 2,003 conversations talking about Tiger and his sponsors
•Conversations about Tag Heuer, Gillette and Accenture only grew after the companies made their
own official statements
•The story is different for Gatorade and Nike. These brands are mentioned as soon as the news
about Tiger appeared. Many of the conversations use the brand’s slogans “Just do it” and “Is it in
you?” to make jokes about the story.
•Elin using a non-Nike forged iron to hit Tiger caused even more jokes about Nike.

13. Image:TheLastMinute Image: David (standout))
Recent activities

14. Comparison of Brand mentions
53%
Electric Art
0%
3%
At&t
0%
14%
Gatorade
22%
1%
Gillette
21%
0%
Tag heuer
6%
7%
Accenture
22%
8%
Nike
29%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
1/1 - 14/1 11/21 - 12/18
Brand mentions changing over time.
Electronic Arts recently put out a survey on what
customers thought about Tiger Woods.

15. Tiger Woods and Nike
Nike Sentiment 11/21 - 12/18 Nike Sentiment 1/1 – 1/14
Pos
Pos 17%
Neu
10% 45%
Neg
25%
Neg
Neu 38%
65%
Nike mentions have decreased significantly, however,
opinionated conversations are growing.
From 11/21 -12/18: 29% of conversations talked about Tiger Woods and
Nike
From 1/1 – 1/14: Only 8% of conversations talking about Tiger Woods
and Nike

16. Twitter Sentiment…Then and now?
Twitter Sentiment 11/21 - 12/18 Twitter Sentiment 1/1 – 1/14
Pos
4%
Neu
29% Pos Neu
13% 16%
Neg
67%
Neg
71%
One month later, still highly negative. However, the percentage of positive
tweets increased due to Russell Simmons tweeting about Tiger Woods
donating to Haiti relief efforts. However, this news also caused an
increase in negative mentions as many people doubted (and snubbed)
Tiger’s intentions.

17. Conclusions
Although it’s been one
month since the story It will take quite a
broke, public while for Tiger to
sentiment is still repair his image.
strongly negative.
Former sponsors that Brands that continue
have distanced to associate with
themselves have Tiger still have an
returned to prior unusually high
brand sentiments. negative sentiment.

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