Gatorade has announced that it is canning (in the bad sense) its Tiger Woods-themed version of the sports drink. The PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) division announced that it would discontinue its Tiger Focus brand, which is less than two years old.
According to a USA TODAY report:
The decision to drop Tiger Focus was first reported by trade publication Beverage Digest in an issue dated Nov. 25. The publication's editor, John Sicher, told the Associated Press he learned of the decision the week of Nov. 9.
Beverage Digest estimates it represents less than 5% of Gatorade's volume. Sales volume of Tiger Focus was down 34% this year through October.
That sounds like a reasonable explanation. But Tigermania, at least on TV, has died down substantially since the golfer's notorious incident the day after Thanksgiving. He hasn't been seen in prime-time as pitchman since that day, when ads from Procter & Gamble's (NYSE:PG) Gillette campaign featuring Woods last aired. High-power sponsors such as Nike (NYSE:NKE), Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS), AT&T (NYSE:T) still have Tiger on their payroll, but that merely gives the golfer a lot to lose if things turn grim.
So what's the verdict? Is the Gatorade news a harbinger of things to come? A mass conspiracy? Mere coincidence? Let's hear your take in the comment boxes below!
