Governments are not noted for their wise use of the public purse, but in the case of the Victorian State Government, its decision to spend $3 million bringing Tiger Woods to Melbourne for the 2009 JBWere Australian Masters golf tournament has been a terrific promotional investment.
Check out the photo below - that's Tiger in the green shirt and white cap, besieged by fans and the media as he hits the fairway at Kingston Heath for a pre-tournament hit-up.
The buzz in Melbourne has been absolutely crazy. The media, as one would expect, is salivating at a the slightest glimpse of the Tiger; the public - even those not remotely interested in golf - have also been gripped by Tigermania.
The PR lesson? Celebrity marketing can be an incredibly effective strategy when the right person is engaged, and then leveraged properly.
Tiger Woods ticks every box. Three million dollars might seem like a lot of cash but for the Melbourne 'brand', it's money well spent as his appearance at the Masters strongly reinforces the city's reputation as a host of world-class major sports events.
