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Making her first cut in a men¡¯s tournament after seven failed attempts, Korean-American teenage golf sensation Michelle Wie shot a 2-over-par 74 on Sunday to finish tied for a middling 35th out of 153 players at the SK Telecom Open on Sunday. That netted her a mere W4.1 million (US$4,000) in prize money -- hardly the compensation she could expect for boosting spectator numbers on the galleries to an unprecedented 17,000 for a local golf tour. What is it that draws the crowds?
Pundits say image is all. They point to Wie¡¯s 183 cm height plus eye-catching clothes and accessories that create a unique aura of a personality ready to face any challenge. Image consultant Heo Eun-ah (36) points in addition to Wie¡¯s penchant for eye makeup that makes her look alive and strong and the tightly clenched lips the teenager has cultivated during shots.
¡°Challenge plus glamour¡± is how the marketing people sum up Wie¡¯s image, something they believe is especially good for selling clothing, watches and cars. The teenage prodigy, who often wears pink on the green, duly featured in an ad for Omega watches with the original supermodel Cindy Crawford.
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Michelle Wie greets fans during the final round of the Asian Tour's SK Telecom Open at Sky 72 Golf Club in Incheon on Sunday.
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Her Korean-ness also plays a part. Despite her American nationality, when Wie answers questions asked in English in her not-so-fluent Korean, and when she introduces herself by her Korean name Sung-mi instead of Michelle, hearts here melt.
Wie stressed that heritage during last week¡¯s visit. In contrast to a visit three years ago when she spoke both in English and Korean, this time she several times asked to be called Sung-mi. It seems part of an emerging strategy that saw her offer greetings in Japanese when she went to Japan for the Casio World Open last November and endear herself to locals by saying she likes sushi and Japanese noodles. An advertising professional says a surname like Wie will also go down well in China.
Her girlish image is grist to the mills of a marketing industry infatuated with youth. Meeting the press, Wie recited a string of Korean dramas and movies she claimed to love and confessed to dreams of meeting such idols of Korean teenagers as Chang Dong-kun and Lee Joon-ki. Another image consultant expressed doubt Wie had actually seen the soaps.
But Wie has 20-strong team of handlers. Her agency is William Morris, with 108 years of marketing the famous behind it, two of whose staff came along on the trip. Her image consultant David Lipman also does what he can for Angelina Jolie. They are joined by six lawyers, a nutritionist and a designer or two.
Still, some say packaging is not everything. Prof. Lee Jeong-hak of Kyunghee University said Wie¡¯s 270 to 280-yard drive is a powerful weapon. ¡°In the entertainment world stars can be made. But in sports marketing, ability is everything,¡± he insists.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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