Tag Archives: Crisis Communications

Arby’s: A Case Of Crisis Management and Potential Opportunity

Uncategorized, , ,

Sometimes a public relations crisis can also be an opportunity if managed correctly. The fast food chain, Arby’s has been presented with such a situation. But so far, Arby’s has failed to turn a public relations crisis into a gain.

Arby’s has been under attack ever since the story of how one of their employees at a Pembroke Pines, Florida location refused to serve a police officer, because the officer was just that a police officer. Compounding to the crisis, was the Arby’s manager seemed to think the entire episode was funny. The Pembroke Pines Police Department and social media didn’t think the story was funny (don’t forget this comes at a time that law enforcement officers are being gunned down execution style). As soon as the story was reported and hit social media, Arby’s CEO called the Pembroke Pines Police Department to apologize. The company also issued a statement stating that they support local police departments. The company also fired the restaurant manager and suspended the employee indefinitely. Beyond that they did nothing.

Yet Arby’s competitors moved to take advantage of the situation. McDonald’s partnered with a local radio station to deliver bags of pancakes and Egg McMuffins to the department Thursday morning. A Whole Foods store in Pembroke Pines put out a spread of its own, while residents supplied donuts and coffee from a local Dunkin’ Donuts. Yet Arby’s has remained silent.

So what could Arby’s do?

  1. Contact the officer who was denied service and give her a free year’s worth of Arby’s or even a lifetime supply.
  2. Provide Arby’s for everyone at the Pembroke Pines police department.
  3. Team up with law enforcement charities.
  4. Have a national law officer appreciation day at all Arby’s locations nationwide.
  5. Donate to funds set up for family members of fallen law enforcement officers.

Arby’s handled its apology perfectly. Firing the manager and suspending the employee indefinitely (it is hard to see him ever returning) was the proper course. Now to change the narrative and garner some positive public relations it needs to do more. If not, as we have seen Arby’s competitors will continue to capitalize on this incident and the public will be left wondering where does Arby’s really stand in regards to law enforcement.

Advertisement

Deflategate Ruling – Tom Brady & Roger Goodell Need to Score in the Court of Public Opinion

Uncategorized, , , ,

One can win in the court of law but still lose in the court of public opinion. We have just seen this with New England Quarterback Tom Brady. A federal judge threw out the NFL’s four game suspension of Brady for his involvement in ‘deflategate’ last season during the playoffs. In case you forgot, ‘deflatgate; arose when the New England Patriots used suspiciously underinflated footballs in the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts in what became known as ‘deflategate’.

The Patriots, Super Bowl Champions and star quarterback, Tom Brady denied any knowledge of the incident. A beleaguered NFL Commissioner Goodell appointed attorney, Theodore Wells to head an investigation into ‘deflategate’. The investigation concluded that it was “more probable than not” that New England Patriots equipment personnel were deliberately circumventing the rules. Further, Brady was implicated as it being more probable than not that he was aware of the deflation.

The judge did not address the issue of whether Brady knew and participated in ‘deflatgate’ but said the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFL players union did not give Goodell, the authority to suspend Brady. In terms of public relations it was a blow to both Brady and Goodell.

Tom Brady has been one of the most popular NFL players in years. He has been a proven champion. Yet ‘deflatgate’ has tarnished his image. A majority of fans believe despite his denials that he did know and participate in ‘deflategate’ and lied to investigators. The judge’s ruling in his favor does nothing to change that perception.

What should he do to rehabilitate his image?

  1. Address ‘deflategate’ in a press conference in which he answers every question thrown at him until reporters are exhausted.
  2. Adopt some charities to work with and be active with. Just lending his name will not be enough.
  3. Become a role model for new players.
  4. Do an exclusive interview with a Charlie Rose or Oprah that will allow him to show a more human side.
  5. Continue playing like a champion.
  6. Realize that no matter what, ‘deflategate’ will always be a part of his legacy.

For Roger Goodell who in 2014 suffered severe criticism for not being tough enough, today’s ruling is a public relations defeat. Goodell has spent much of this year in trying to restore the integrity of the game. Yet many believe he has been giving suspensions such as he did to Brady with the knowledge that they would be thrown out but with the purpose of looking tough.

So what should Goodell do?

  1. Address the issue that his punishments are not just a public relations ploy but rather an attempt to restore the integrity of the NFL.
  2. Speak out vocally on issues where the public has lost trust in the NFL.
  3. Continue to give out strict punishments against players who violate the rules.
  4. Work on change within the NFL culture from within with players and owners.

Today’s ruling puts Tom Brady back on the field and Roger Goodell on the sidelines. But it also leaves a black-eye for both, and the NFL in terms of public perception.

Jared Fogle / Subway Saga: The Crash and Burn of a Spokesperson

Branding, Crisis Communications, , , ,

Jared Fogle has probably eaten his last Subway sandwich for a long time to come. If the restaurant chain has anything to do with it, Fogle will never step foot into another Subway ever again.   Fogle who served as Subway’s public face for 15 years pleaded guilty to child pornography charges. Federal prosecutors said Fogle travelled to have sex acts with at least 14 children. Subway announced it was terminating its relationship with Fogle in a terse statement released on Twitter and Facebook. The Fogle/Subway case shows the dangers of celebrity spokespersons becoming interchangeable with a brand and also on how not to handle a crisis situation.

Jared Fogle shot to fame when his story of losing over 200 pounds went public. Fogle based his weight loss on visiting a Subway restaurant and ordering a low-fat sandwich. From that sandwich on, he dropped more than 200 pounds in about a year while eating Subway’s turkey subs and veggie subs with no mayonnaise and cheese. When Subway learned of his story, he became the face of Subway promoting their healthy alternatives to fast food. His story became the Subway story. Consumers identified with his everyman story and could relate to his weight struggle. Franchise owners reported increased sales when commercials and other promotional material featuring Fogle ran. All told he made over 50 television commercials for the chain. The company hyped him as the perfect family man whose values were those of Subway. To the public, Fogle and Subway were one and the same. Fogle, was known as “Jared from Subway.” His Wikipedia page calls him “the Subway Guy.

On July 7th, that all came crashing down for Fogle and Subway. The FBI, Indiana State Police and the U.S. Postal Service raided Fogle’s home seizing electronic equipment with the clear implication from media reports that he was suspected of being involved in child pornography. A Florida woman came forward and said that Fogle had made remarks to her that were so inappropriate and shocking that she had contacted law enforcement officials. This happened two months after Russell Taylor, the former executive director of the Jared Foundation, which Fogle started to raise awareness to and combat childhood obesity, was arrested on federal child pornography charges. Overnight, Fogle became the punch line for late night comedians with Subway included in the jokes. There was also a sense of public revulsion.

Subway announced it was merely suspending its relationship with Fogle. That was the company’s first mistake. It should have immediately terminated its relationship with Fogle. Whether true or not, there was no way that Fogle could ever again be an effective spokesperson for Subway and the longer the public perceived that Subway was looking to bring him back the more tarnished the brand was. There are three things that a brand or individual never fully recover from – a scandal with animals; a scandal with race; and a scandal with children.

Finally hours before Fogle was due to plead guilty Subway announced via social media, “We no longer have a relationship with Jared and have no further comment.” No expression of sympathy for the 14 victims of Fogle. No expressions of condemnation at Fogle’s actions and the fact that he had lied to the public and Subway when the allegations surfaced. Additionally they referred to Fogle as Jared reinforcing in the public’s mind that longtime association and sense of chumminess with Fogle. That Subway doesn’t even use Fogle’s last name in its post about is a sharp reminder of just how associated with each other the two entities became. Social media has been sharply critical of Subway for its response.

Erasing the image of Jared with Subway will not be easy. After all the two have been associated for 15 years. Yet had Subway terminated its relationship when the investigation began, the company would have been six weeks ahead in rebranding and distancing itself from Fogle. Now they face the worst of both worlds – Fogle is gone and damaged beyond repair; the company must rebrand, and in its handling of the situation came across as curt and uncaring for child victims.

The Fogle/Subway saga is a cautionary tale for any brand that becomes identified with its spokesperson. The brand sinks or swims with that person’s reputation. And in this world of social media, people expect brands to express remorse and regrets during a crisis such as Subway has faced with Fogle.

How Not To Manage A Crisis – TLC

Branding, Crisis Communications, , , ,

When a crisis hits, a brand wants to respond quickly, sincerely in addressing the crisis and demonstrate how they are working to ensure that what happened will not occur in the future. For example, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the issue of domestic abuse among NFL players within days of the media firestorm and announced the NFL would be working with domestic abuse advocacy groups to bring greater awareness of domestic abuse and its prevention. All of this is essential in rebuilding a brand after a crisis.

TLC, the television network showed what not to do in rebuilding a brand after a crisis. The network has been the subject of severe criticism for its handling (or mishandling) of the scandal involving Josh Duggar of TLC’s number one show, “19 Kids and Counting”.

Josh Duggar admitted in May to sexually molesting underage girls including several of his sisters. While the admissions were shocking, they should not have been to TLC. These allegations about him have been around for a number of years. The Oprah Winfrey Show was aware of these rumors and reportedly contacted a child protection hotline.

Yet when the story broke last week, surprisingly TLC did not seem to realize the intensity of public revulsion and anger that would develop. The day Duggar admitted to sexually molesting underage girls and apologized for his actions, TLC was running a “19 Kids and Counting” marathon. Sponsors were quick to pull away from the show but not TLC. Only belatedly did the network announce that it was pulling the show from its schedule but not necessarily canceling it. The network also issued a tepid note of sympathy towards Duggar’s victims.

On July 16th, nearly two months after the scandal broke and sponsors deserted in swarms did TLC finally announce it was cancelling “19 Kids and Counting”. On July 17th, TLC announced that it was teaming up with two prominent child-protection organizations for an ongoing campaign to raise awareness about child sexual abuse. The multi-platform initiative will begin with a one-hour, commercial-free documentary likely airing in late August, the network said. It will include the participation of Jill and Jessa Duggar, two of the sisters Josh Duggar touched inappropriately, as well as other survivors and families affected by such abuse. This is all part of repositioning the network as “a brand with purpose” TLC claimed in a press release.

The public reaction has been one of deep skepticism and disbelief. This belated attempt in dealing with the crisis has caused even more bad coverage for the network.

So what did TLC do wrong?

  1. Waited too long in announcing it was cancelling the show. Any scandal involving children is something that nobody ever recovers from. TLC should have immediately cancelled the show and issued a strong statement expressing outrage and condemnation at Josh Duggar’s actions and strong sympathy for his victims. Rather by delaying the cancellation, TLC gave the impression fairly or unfairly that it was hoping that the storm would subside and it could bring back its number one rated show. There was no way possible that this could happen. The longer that TLC waited the worse it became for the network. Cancelling the show two months after the scandal broke was too little, too lat.
  2. Casting Jill and Jessa Duggar in its August special about child sexual abuse. Speculation has been rampant since the scandal broke, that TLC would cast the two in their own spinoff show in an attempt to keep the show around and its ratings. By having Jill and Jessa Duggar in this special it gives the appearance of being done for ratings and also to set the stage for a spinoff for the two. TLC still has not said if will or won’t launch a spinoff with Jill and Jessa Duggar.
  3. Fail to show that it really gets what was wrong and address allegations that the network knew well in advance about Josh Duggar. As long as these suspicions remain, the TLC brand is tarnished.

TLC has a long way to go before the public believes that it is “a brand with purpose” outside of high ratings. Other brands can take note from it on what not to do.

Planned Parenthood in Crisis Mode

Communications, Crisis Communications, Media Relations, , , ,

Planned Parenthood is in a crisis mode and attempting to launch a public relations counterattack after an undercover video surfaced that seems to indicate that the organization sells fetal tissue from abortions to researchers for a profit. Such action if true would be illegal.

The video was released by the Center for Medical Progress on Tuesday. It shows two undercover CMP activists posing as employees from a biotech company having lunch with Deborah Nucatola, Planned Parenthood’s senior director of medical research, and discussing about which body parts are in demand. In the video, Nucatola is seen and heard discussing Planned Parenthood’s policy of donating fetal tissue to researchers. The activists ask Nucatola whether clinics charge for the organs, which she skirts around.

The language is graphic. “Yesterday was the first time she said people wanted lungs,” Nucatola says. “Some people want lower extremities, too, which, that’s simple. That’s easy. I don’t know what they’re doing with it, I guess if they want muscle.”

Nucatola discusses how they are able to get other organs without “crushing” them. “We’ve been very good at getting heart, lung, liver, because we know that, so I’m not gonna crush that part, I’m gonna basically crush below, I’m gonna crush above, and I’m gonna see if I can get it all intact.”

Conservative politicians rushed to condemn Planned Parenthood and demand a cutoff of federal funding and investigations into the organization. But even some in the medical and research community expressed deep reservations about Planned Parenthood and Nucatola. Planned Parenthood is denying it sells organs for profits and is attacking the Center for Medical Progress.

This whole lessons for those in public relations.

  1. In this day and age of smartphones nothing is ever off the record. Someone may be recording a client without the client knowing it and it that tape may appear on social media or in the media. In addition to Planned Parenthood, think Mitt Romney and Donald Sterling.
  2. Various issue advocacy groups on both sides of the aisle are sending undercover members to businesses and associations hoping to catch executives saying something embarrassing or awkward. This trend will continue.
  3. Social media and non-traditional news sites are becoming dumping grounds for stories that once they go viral, the traditional media picks up and reports with a vengeance since they felt they have been scooped and must make up for that lapse.
  4. A good defense is not always a good offense. Planned Parenthood’s response to this video has been more to attack the Center for Medical Progress and conservatives who are criticizing the group rather then to provide a detailed rebuttal and provide Nucatola to the media for questioning. The organization seems to be sidestepping the major issue raised in the video that is leading even supporters of abortion to question it.
  5. Emotional issues such as abortion need to be dealt with sensitivity. Planned Parenthood in its response has come across angry which doesn’t sit well with many people even some of its supporters. A more nuanced response addressing concerns people might have would have served the organization much better.

Social media, bloggers, and citizen activists drive the news in this 24/7 news cycle. Brands and organizations need to realize that and that they may be a target of this and the old rules of journalism don’t apply with these people. Failing to realize that may put you in the same boat Planned Parenthood is in currently.

The Danger Of Tying A Brand To One Person – Subway and Jared

Branding, Crisis Communications, , , , ,

Many brands base their marketing and publicity strategies on a public spokesperson. Lincoln has Matthew McConaughey. Priceline has William Shatner of Star Trek fame. Wendy’s used its CEO, Dave Thomas before his death. Men’s Warehouse used its founder, George Zimmer until he was ousted from the company. Very often the brand becomes identified with its spokesperson. To the public, the spokesperson equals the brand, its products and values. A brand’s reputation rises or falls with its spokesperson.

Subway, the restaurant chain is finding the downside of having a spokesperson as its public face. Jared Fogle shot to fame when his story of losing over 200 pounds went public. Fogle based his weight loss on visiting a Subway restaurant and ordering a low-fat sandwich. From that sandwich on, he dropped more than 200 pounds in about a year while eating Subway’s turkey subs and veggie subs with no mayonnaise and cheese. When Subway learned of his story, he became the face of Subway promoting their healthy alternatives to fast food. His story became the Subway story. Consumers identified with his everyman story and could relate to his weight struggle. Franchise owners reported increased sales when commercials and other promotional material featuring Fogle ran. All told he made over 50 television commercials for the chain. The company hyped him as the perfect family man whose values were those of Subway. To the public, Fogle and Subway were one and the same.

On July 7th, that perception became a nightmare for Subway. The FBI, Indiana State Police and the U.S. Postal Service raided Fogle’s home seizing electronic equipment with the clear implication from media reports that he was suspected of being involved in child pornography. A Florida woman came forward and said that Fogle had made remarks to her that were so inappropriate and shocking that she had contacted law enforcement officials. This happened two months after Russell Taylor, the former executive director of the Jared Foundation, which Fogle started to raise awareness to and combat childhood obesity, was arrested on federal child pornography charges. Fogle has not been arrested and his attorney issued a statement saying he is cooperating with authorities. Overnight, Fogle became the punch line for late night comedians with Subway included in the jokes. There was also a sense of public revulsion.

Subway issued a statement expressing shock at the events that had unfolded. Then the restaurant chain went further and announced that they were suspending it relationship with Fogle but they were not terminating it.

The question for Subway is what do they do next?

  1. They need to terminate their relationship with Fogle straight out. Whether Fogle is cleared or not, he is damaged goods and will remain so. Comedians will continue to joke about him and if Subway remains connected with him, Subway will be included in those jokes. There are three things people cannot fully recover from – scandals involving race, animals, and children. The sooner Subway formally severs all ties with Fogle, the better for the company.
  2. Develop a new branding strategy that doesn’t focus on any single person but rather on the company’s food and brand. Or if they want a person as the spokesperson have that person be Suzanne Greco, Subway’s president and sister of founder and CEO Fred DeLuca,
  3. Refresh the look of Subway and introduce new menu items with the new strategy the company is launching.
  4. Support organizations that battle exploitation of children.
  5. Develop a crisis communications strategy and have it in place if and when Fogle is indicted that separates the company totally from Fogle and condemns such actions that he may have committed.

The Jared Fogle/Subway story is a cautionary tale for a brand becoming to identified with its spokesperson. The important thing to remember when using a spokesperson as the face of the brand, the brand’s fortunes becomes tied with that person for both good and bad.

Social Media Drives Narratives

Uncategorized, , , , , ,

Social media drives narratives. This cannot be stated enough. Yet despite the power of social media and brands realizing its importance, they forget about its power and potential to create a crisis. Very often their social media strategy does not reflect their tradition public relations strategy.

A case in point was celebrity chef, Paula Deen. A photograph of Deen dressed as Lucille Ball and her son, Bobby with a brown face supposedly as Desi Arnaz was tweeted on Deen’s Twitter account. This is occurred as as Deen has been waging a public relations campaign to rebuild her brand after accusations of racism in 2013 practically sank her brand. The public outcry was tremendous with Deen the focus of outrage and ridicule. It was later stated by Deen that the photograph was from several years ago and her social media manager who was responsible for the tweet had been dismissed. Yet the story received widespread media coverage.

Whether an innocent mistake or not, the damage has been done to Deen, reinforcing the image in many people’s minds that Deen is a racist and justifying to sponsors yet again why they were wise to sever ties with her. This as Deen has been going to great lengths to rebuild her image with a carefully orchestrated media and public relations campaign. With that one tweet all the work she had done was undone and its back to the drawing board for Deen.

Brands often forget that their social media strategy must correspond with their traditional media strategy. If it doesn’t that becomes a story.

Brands also forget the power of social media. The Deen photo was taken down yet it had been screen captured and re-tweeted thousands of times. Once something is posted on a social media site, it can be captured even if it is taken down. Nothing is ever permanently deleted from social media.

Social media also creates the news stories that the media cover. The Deen photo would never have received the coverage it did save for social media driving it. Very often the media doesn’t even consider something to be newsworthy until it explodes on social media. This is why every social media post needs to be handled with the care that a brand would handle a press release and needs constant monitoring. But it isn’t just Deen who forgot the power of social media. Both the recent Brian Williams’ story and Bill Cosby story were the result of social media. Veterans’ organization had tried contacting NBC and other media outlets for years about Williams’ fabrications and were ignored. Only when the story appeared on social media did it obtain coverage. Likewise the allegations by numerous women against Bill Cosby did not receive strong media coverage until they appeared on social media. In both cases the media went into a frenzy to compensate for not covering them originally feeling they had been scooped by social media.

Brands know the power of social media in reaching consumers and playing a role in their marketing efforts. What they must never underestimate is the power it has in driving narratives and causing a media firestorm. To do so is to do it at their peril.

Rachel Dolezal, Reputation Management and the NAACP

Uncategorized, ,

Rachel Dolezal, the President of the Spokane, Washington chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announced that she was resigning her post following revelations that she has been lying about her race, claiming she is African-American when she is indeed white. She is under investigation in Spokane that she lied about her race in other instances including her application to serve on a police oversight commission. The NAACP had issued a statement on Friday standing behind Dolezal despite the media firestorm and the fact that she had become the focus of late night comedians’ jokes.

Many were outraged that the NAACP was standing behind Dolezal as the story gained momentum and photos surfaced showing she was clearly white and came from a privileged background in Montana and was not subjected to racism as a child as she had stated. Even worse some unnamed sources cited as being within the NAACP were reported to have tried to blame law enforcement for the story emerging while refusing to say what Dolezal did was right or wrong.

The NAACP has a long and storied history in fighting racial discrimination including the legendary Supreme Court case, Brown v. Ferguson that ended segregation in the schools. Yet during the years it has lost some of its luster in its fights, member misconduct, and finances. It has always battled back though. Today, its defense of Dolezal has not been among its finest moments. The credibility of the NAACP has suffered because of her actions and its initial response.

So what should the NAACP do to repair the damage it has suffered?

  1. Condemn Dolzeal’s action categorically and suspend her from the organization. The NAACP should state unequivocally that what she did was wrong and hurt the cause of civil rights, diminishing legitimate cases of discrimination.
  2. Apologize to members and the public for her actions and its initial mishandling of the crisis.
  3. Announce what steps the organization is taking to ensure that such an incident never occurs again. Dolzeal’s action hurt the organization, caused it ridicule, and has led many to question its very credibility. The NAACP needs to address this and show how it is taking steps to ensure that such an incident does not happen again.
  4. Announce a review of all of Dolzeal’s actions as President of the Spokane chapter and redress any errors committed by her.
  5. Refocus on what the organization was created for – fighting racism.

The Rachel Dolezal episode has done serious damage to the reputation of the NAACP. The organization is learning that just one member can sometimes tear down an organization’s reputation that took years to build and rebuild. Failing to address the crisis will cause only more harm.

#DeflateGate Crisis Management – Next Moves by the NFL & Tom Brady?

Uncategorized, , , , ,

For the NFL, 2014 was a year of crisis after crisis. The League and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell came under heavy scrutiny and criticism for failing to punish key NFL players guilty of domestic violence. Two thousand and fifteen started with many questioning the integrity of the game when it was discovered that the New England Patriots used suspiciously underinflated footballs in the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts in what became known as ‘deflategate’.

The Patriots, Super Bowl Champions and star quarterback, Tom Brady denied any knowledge of the incident. A beleaguered NFL Commissioner Goodell appointed attorney, Theodore Wells to head an investigation into ‘deflategate’. The investigation concluded that it was “more probable than not” that New England Patriots equipment personnel were deliberately circumventing the rules. Further, Brady was implicated as it being more probable than not that he was aware of the deflation.

Brady, one of the best quarterbacks of the era finds his integrity under attack. Fans consider him a lie and cheat. Many believe he should not be eligible for the NFL Hall of Fame in the future. His brand as one of sport’s elite players is tarnished.

So what should he do?

  1. Come clean and admit what he knew, apologize for not being more forthcoming and honest with investigators, and ask fans to forgive him. Yes, he will admit to lying but to continue to be evasive over a long period of time and then admitting he lied would be even worse (just ask Lance Armstrong how lying over a long period of time and the coming clean worked). When he does this Brady should do it at a news conference and take questions from the media. Let the media exhaust themselves with questions.
  2. Accept any suspension and fine from the NFL and do not appeal them.
  3. Stay low profile during his suspension. No media interviews. Remain invisible from the public eye.
  4. Grant a high profile interview to a key interviewer at the end of his suspension.
  5. Show fans that his playing ability remains among football’s elite.

The Brady brand has suffered from ‘deflategate’. Failing to come clean now will make the damage even worse and perhaps irreparable.

Yet it isn’t just Brady who must handle this right – the NFL must as well. As mentioned the NFL brand because of its ham-handed response to domestic abuse cases last year is damaged. Many people not just fans question the integrity of the sport and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. So what should Goodell and the NFL do?

Quite simply suspend Tom Brady for the entire 2015 season. This sends a message that misconduct will no longer be tolerated and the NFL has learned from its mistakes in 2014. Anything less and the NFL’s brand will be diminished further.

For the NFL, 2014 was a year of crisis after crisis. The League and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell came under heavy scrutiny and criticism for failing to punish key NFL players guilty of domestic violence. Two thousand and fifteen started with many questioning the integrity of the game when it was discovered that the New England Patriots used suspiciously underinflated footballs in the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts in what became known as ‘deflategate’.

The Patriots, Super Bowl Champions and star quarterback, Tom Brady denied any knowledge of the incident. A beleaguered NFL Commissioner Goodell appointed attorney, Theodore Wells to head an investigation into ‘deflategate’. The investigation concluded that it was “more probable than not” that New England Patriots equipment personnel were deliberately circumventing the rules. Further, Brady was implicated as it being more probable than not that he was aware of the deflation.

Brady, one of the best quarterbacks of the era finds his integrity under attack. Fans consider him a lie and cheat. Many believe he should not be eligible for the NFL Hall of Fame in the future. His brand as one of sport’s elite players is tarnished.

So what should he do?

  1. Come clean and admit what he knew, apologize for not being more forthcoming and honest with investigators, and ask fans to forgive him. Yes, he will admit to lying but to continue to be evasive over a long period of time and then admitting he lied would be even worse (just ask Lance Armstrong how lying over a long period of time and the coming clean worked). When he does this Brady should do it at a news conference and take questions from the media. Let the media exhaust themselves with questions.
  2. Accept any suspension and fine from the NFL and do not appeal them.
  3. Stay low profile during his suspension. No media interviews. Remain invisible from the public eye.
  4. Grant a high profile interview to a key interviewer at the end of his suspension.
  5. Show fans that his playing ability remains among football’s elite.

The Brady brand has suffered from ‘deflategate’. Failing to come clean now will make the damage even worse and perhaps irreparable.

Yet it isn’t just Brady who must handle this right – the NFL must as well. As mentioned the NFL brand because of its ham-handed response to domestic abuse cases last year is damaged. Many people not just fans question the integrity of the sport and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. So what should Goodell and the NFL do?

Quite simply suspend Tom Brady for the entire 2015 season. This sends a message that misconduct will no longer be tolerated and the NFL has learned from its mistakes in 2014. Anything less and the NFL’s brand will be diminished further.

The Bill Cosby Brand: A Legacy of Shame

Crisis Communications, , ,

As we enter the Thanksgiving week (traditionally a slow news time) the public relations crisis confronting comedian, Bill Cosby continues to escalate and will very likely dominate much of the holiday news cycle. Sixteen women have come forward alleging that Cosby, who has long been an American icon, sexually assaulted or even raped them, often drugging them during the encounters. Cosby has refused to address the issue claiming he doesn’t respond to innuendos. His attorney has claimed that many of the allegations which are decades old are being raised with the intent to get money from Cosby.

Yet Cosby’s refusal to address the allegations is not stopping the damage to his brand among the public and the television networks. NBC which had aired the Cosby Show in the 1990s, (a show that made his character, Dr. Cliff Huxtable, one of the most popular television dads ever) announced it was cancelling plans for a 2015 sitcom with Cosby. TV Land pulled reruns of the Cosby Show from their schedule. Netflix announced that a comedy special that they had taped with Cosby to air on November 28th had been postponed indefinitely. Several venues where Cosby was to perform his comedy routine cancelled his appearances. Among the public is a growing perception that Cosby’s silence is a tacit admission.

Damage has been done to the Cosby brand. At this point in his career, these allegations will remain attached to his brand and his legacy unless totally disproven.

So what if anything can Cosby do?

If these allegations are totally baseless, he must address them head on. A spokesperson issuing a blanket denial or a general denial by Cosby himself will not be sufficient. He or his spokesperson must refute each allegation in detail. Nothing else will satisfy the media, sponsors, networks, and the public. The allegations are so devastating that only a detailed response disproving them will stop the firestorm. This means that if Cosby had sex with the women but it was consensual it must be addressed. Cosby has to recognize that unless he can absolutely disprove the allegations his reputation will be tarnished.

If there is any validity to these allegations, Cosby still has to address them and beg for forgiveness. Then he needs to cancel all appearances and realize his career as he knew it is over.

Or he can continue to remain silent. Under such circumstances he should cancel appearances at colleges where violence against women is a major issue as the image of Cosby speaking there when under this could is totally inappropriate.

Silence though in the long term will not work for Cosby. Brands and celebrities should learn from Cosby on what not to do. Not addressing a crisis either by denying it or accepting responsibility and asking forgiveness is seen as an admission of guilt. Silence also creates a greater media firestorm and crisis as Cosby is finding out. The longer that Cosby stays silent the longer the media will address this story.