We advise athletes in crisis-mode to heed three simple rules to manage their PR:
- Tell it all. Don’t let the media enjoy the drip…drip….drip… of disclosing new details by the hour or the day.
- Tell the truth. A lie will haunt you forever.
- Tell it fast. You have three to twenty-four hours to get your story out before the media vacuum is filled with garbage generated by your detractors.
Until yesterday, Tiger Woods ignored all three rules.
So, during his 14 minute statement, what lessons can we discern that he learned?
Did he tell it all? Yes. He shared with us as much detail as we had the right to know. Yes, he did have affairs. No, Elin did not hit him. Yes, he is seeking help for himself and his marriage. Yes, he is taking complete responsibility for his behavior.
Awesome. Put a check mark by rule number 1.
Did he tell the truth? We think so. However, the staged and overly controlled nature of his statement left us scratching our heads. He addressed a room full of supporters (friends, family, and staff….but no Elin). No questions from the media. It left many with the impression that he still had something to hide.
The text of his statement felt too complicated. Isn’t an apology supposed to be simple? I was unsure if his statement was written by a speech-writer or written from the heart. I suspect the latter, since it rambled and contained an odd combination of apology and overt attempts to elicit sympathy (i.e.,why did an apology include the details of his foundations’ work?).
And, then there was the tone of his statement. Why did he feel the need to lash out at the media? (The same media he wouldn’t face in the room.) He raised his voice several times to scold nameless accusers and the paparazzi. It sounded like a boss yelling at a subordinate he doesn’t respect. Is this an environment encouraging a cynical audience to believe him? Not really. The combination of contrition and accusation muted the intended effect: “I’m simply sorry.”
Well, at least he got the facts out….finally. Put a check minus by rule number 2.
Did he tell it fast? We know the answer here. 83 days. Now, this story has a life of its own no matter what he does or says.
Put an X by rule number 3.
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of this media saga is Tiger’s attitude towards the repair of his brand. There’s no doubt that he’s surrounded by a highly competent team of advisors, who can help minimize the current and future damage to Brand Tiger. However, I suspect that Tiger believes his brand is too important or powerful to play by the PR rules that every celebrity must recognize (just ask President Clinton). Only time will tell whether Tiger will succeed in reforming a brand by managing his PR “the Tiger way.”
Posted by Ken Ungar
