Tiger Woods | Art Licensing Blog

When Worlds Collide – Reality TV meets Art Licensing

Back in December, Paul Brent did a few guest posts about branding in anticipation of his teleseminar, Brand Yourself For Success in Art Licensing . On December 15, 2009 – he wrote a post I’m reposting today. It included Tiger Woods and the White House Gate Crashers.

I remember commenting to him and others, “Just watch! The Gate Crashers will get a reality TV show!”

Little did I know they were already filming and the TV crew from Bravo TV was following the whole thing! Last night, on The Real Housewives of DC, the world got a glimpse of what happened and what has been happening since. Personally, I’m still confused. Looks to me like they were looking for their 15 minutes of fame and got more than they anticipated. No formal charges have been made, to my knowledge, but it doesn’t look like life is a picnic for this couple or anyone associated with them. Not only can not being true to yourself hurt your own personal brand, but it can have a ripple effect to those in your circle. For those reasons and more… think carefully about your branding and living strategies!

I think today is a great time to re-visit Paul Brent’s post,

Branding: The Tiger and the Gate Crashers – Blog post by Paul Brent

If anyone has experience in branding and especially building a brand based on an individual and lifestyle, especially in art licensing, Paul Brent is the go-to guy! Paul will be sharing his in-depth knowledge on the subject of branding, to be unveiled at ArtLicensingInfo.com in early 2010. For now, here are some timely thoughts from Paul and lessons to be learned from recent current events.

Well, it seems that today’s news is constantly bringing us examples of how branding works. Licensing artists can all learn from current events how not to build a brand and how to destroy one. The White House gate crashers have sought recognition and brand building by succeeding in their audacious attempt to attend a White House reception. Their brand is now firmly entrenched in the public’s mind. We can only hope that they have a plan for how this will help them secure their place in reality TV or result in jail time.

Licensing artists can learn that audacious acts need to be well planned and researched. Sometimes the risk is warranted other times it can backfire. In the early 90’s I was working with an individual who had a trained Florida panther and who was doing educational presentations with the panther to bring attention to their plight. I painted a portrait of the panther and arranged to have the panther appear in my booth at two trade shows. I did have to clear this with show management and the facilities management. The panther behaved and we were certainly recognized at those shows. Everyone in attendance knew there was a panther on the floor. If the panther had misbehaved the whole gamble could have misfired. Luckily the panther and trainer lived up to expectations and built my name recognition at a time when I needed something spectacular for people to remember me. So when planning an occurrence of this type be sure to think out all of the possible rewards and drawbacks before proceeding. I am not sure that the gate crashers were this astute.

Tiger Woods gives us another lesson in brand management. I have often said that you are your brand in art licensing. In Tiger’s case that extends into marriage partners, family and sexual partners. His brand was built to match his sport where family values predominate in a conservative, business leader demographic of fans. It is too bad he did not live up to his fabricated image and has damaged, possibly irreversibly, one of the greatest brands of all times.

While few licensing artists achieve the celebrity of Tiger, we all must insure that what we promote about ourselves rings true. I once knew a talented artist who painted what would sell but dismissed her work to people who know her, belittling her work and making negative comments about her customers who bought it. While I never heard of that getting back to her customers I think it could have been a potential time bomb for her career in art licensing.

It is far safer to stick with a truthful image of yourself and your art and not risk the pitfalls of negative press. Some of the most negative comments I hear about artists from manufacturers are late delivery, difficulty in contract negations and relentless control issues concerning quality and color. Developing a good working relationship and being reasonable, not a pushover, is going to serve a licensing artist well especially over the years as design directors and manufacturers licensing directors change jobs in the industry. We have many times made lasting friends with individuals who then bring us along as they change jobs and we certainly enjoy the referrals they give to others within the industry.

So just because you are not in the media’s eye, you, too, can learn from our newsworthy celebrities about how to achieve success in art licensing.

– Paul Brent, www.AskPaulBrent.com

I don’t know about you, but I have no desire to be in the media’s eye in the way that Tiger or the Gate Crashers are! Thank you Paul for letting me share your insights on the blog. (again!)

Here’s to your branding success!

– Tara Reed

P.S. Get a copy of Paul Brent’s teleseminar replay, Brand Yourself for Success in Art Licensing, today! www.ArtLicensingInfo.com/branding.html

Rebranding of a Tiger by Paul Brent

The guest blog post by Paul Brent, Branding: The Tiger and the Gate Crashers , on December 15th was so well received, Paul is offering more thoughts on the matter as the drama unfolds. While the situation is a mess for those personally involved, it does provide some interesting insights and talking points as we all consider our own brands… here is what Paul has to say:

If Tiger Woods would be so inclined, I would offer him this advice from someone who has been observing the branding phenomenon for the past twenty years, “Just change you image to fit reality, Tiger.”

While the golfing industry and several of Tiger’s endorsement partners need a squeaky-clean family-man image, there are plenty of products and entities that would be perfect for Tiger Woods new image. To begin with, alcoholic beverages and energy drink with caffeine and all of those other activities that promise heightened performance both on and off the golf course. A Tiger posing as the Captain or sipping malt liquor with an attractive blond on his arm would be a winning combination. The city of Las Vegas should contract with Tiger to be a spokesperson. Who better to say, “What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas. I should have played in Las Vegas.” What customer of those products wouldn’t believe in his endorsement?

Brand building and brand management is a personal journey that all licensing properties and artists have to deal with, as Tiger does. Well, maybe you do not have to deal with it so dramatically and not in the eyes of the world. As you develop who you are as an artist, whether a designer of scrapbooking supplies and children’s wear, or t-shirts and surfboards you need to fit the image of someone who relates to their market and consequently the customers who buy your licensed products.

Christian Reese Lassen and Mary Engelbreit are two artists who embody their artwork and who are brands their customers and fans can relate to yet are very different. Lassen, the surfer who paints the ocean and tropical sunsets has veered from his popular under and over ocean scenes painted in exacting detail to many other subjects and a much looser palette knife style. His fans have followed along.

Mary Engelbreit has had a magazine devoted to home decorating and home style recipes. Her loving characterizations of vintage children with charming quips attract a totally different group of fans. Mary has kept true to her initial image and has not changed her style or outlook. Will she allow herself room to grow and change?

Personally, I have progressed in licensing from a watercolor style that has been called “breezy” by one reviewer in the Wall Street Journal to oil and more tightly rendered watercolors with digital enhancement, all the while keeping close to my coastal roots. I feel that my changes can be considered evolution rather than radical change. Many times a new subject matter or new media use was precipitated by a personal experience, sometimes just a wild idea or my take on an incoming trend. Each time I introduce a new collection I think of the story behind the art and how I can talk to customers about the new work. This adds to the value of the artwork and makes them understand how I relate to the art I create.

So, who are you as a brand and an artist? Does your image allow you room to grow or are you constricted into a limited market due to how you define yourself? How you change as an artist and a brand are part of the natural change of life itself. Let’s hope we all manage our changes better than Tiger.

Here’s to your ever evolving brand to help you build your creative future!

– Tara

disclosure: Paul Brent nor I have any vested interest in Tiger Woods, Christian Reese Lassen or Mary Engelbreit – they are simply used as examples in the context of branding.