Just Stop... Stop the Lying.

Crissy Lintner

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford got himself into hot water in November when he denied, denied, denied, then finally admitted that he was in fact using crack-cocaine in a publicly released video that showed him using drugs. I don’t need to go into the details of the story – you probably all saw the headlines, the video, the subsequent run-ins with media and the news conference… and the most recent development on Nov. 13.  

As I was watching the story unfold over several weeks, I already mentally replaced “denied” with “lied.” Forget the illegal act associated with the situation. Proof was right there and caught on camera – the public isn’t blind – and yet, he lied about it. And while Ford may surprise everyone and win re-election based on his eventual confession (running on the ticket that he is only human, a great example for the “down and out” and inclined to making mistakes), his reputation is tarnished. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is not re-elected. He certainly may not keep his position much longer past the posting of this blog! 

The best advice any PR professional (or otherwise trusted adviser) can offer to somebody in a position of leadership is this: always be transparent and truthful no matter the situation. If I sound like I’m repeating something you’ve already heard on this blog, it’s probably because we strongly believe in transparency and truthfulness for our clients and ourselves. Politicians, high-level executives, actors – all are caught in lies on a regular basis it seems. They deny (lie) when evidence is fairly damning against them, and the truth might have been better than the lie. I tell my kids this all the time. The punishment is always lighter if you tell the truth first rather than digging your hole deeper and deeper.

So, if you are in the unfortunate position of facing the choice to come clean or try to cover things up (especially if there’s evidence like the video in Ford’s situation), whatever you do, don’t deny (lie). You will be more likely to come out of a crisis of this nature – or any negative scenario – on a positive note if you are forthcoming and honest. 

Which comes first?

Courtney Ellett

I was ironing the kids’ school clothes recently and had Casino Royale on in the background. Usually, I tune out commercials pretty well, but all of a sudden, I heard one that heartily touted a company’s two-hour service window. No, it was more than that. The entire commercial laser-focused on this company’s ability to meet service times with their high-tech command center, a deep commitment to punctuality and a stealthy team of colleagues that talk to each other constantly like military forces.

I actually snickered out loud and thought a certain cable company could definitely learn from this business. But my smugness was quickly extinguished and transitioned into awe when I realized it WAS this certain cable company being highlighted in the commercial. Now, that is some audacity.

If you asked me which brand failed me most on a regular basis in terms of customer service, punctuality, communication and service recovery, it would be this company. Yet, on a Sunday afternoon, I am smacked in the face with the irony of this commercial. And that just made me mad.

Why? It’s bad enough when a behemoth of a company can’t get customer service right. Shame on them. But it’s unforgiveable for this company to then think they can trick consumers into believing a brand promise that absolutely isn’t delivered operationally.

I’ve worked with a few companies in the past that were eager to make a big and bad brand promise before they were ready to deliver. It’s not that they had ill intentions at all; there were many things in motion to help them get there and deliver. But our team cautioned them: They just weren’t ready yet. Thank goodness, they listened.

If you make a brand promise – whether it’s “leading-edge,” “luxurious,” “easy,” or “family-oriented,” you have to be ready at that moment to ensure that’s what customers get every single time. If your customers don’t get that, you’ll most likely lose them forever. Plus, they’ll feel tricked and be mad enough to tell other folks about it (like me on this blog about a certain cable company – except they’ll use the company’s name).

So the next time you’re ready to send out a news release, produce a commercial or share something via social media, please take pause and ask yourself if you’re ready to deliver on that brand promise.

Honesty is the best policy!

 

Kelli Eason

Lance Armstrong.

Manti Te’o.

Bernie Madoff.

Aside from the fact that they are all well-known American figures, it’s not hard to guess what these three have in common. They all got caught in a lie of some sort. It affected them all differently, but ultimately damaged each of their personal brands.

Bernie Madoff was caught in a major Ponzi scheme, lying to his clients and costing a lot of people a lot of money. It cost him his personal fortune, his estate, his career and his freedom outside prison walls. Lance Armstrong was caught lying about using illegal substances to help him win the Tour de France seven times in a row – and it cost him his titles, future racing opportunities and endorsement dollars. Manti Te’o was the heartbreaking story of the 2012 college football season after his grandmother and girlfriend died in the same week…until the world found out there was no such girlfriend. Te’o is new to this group, so we have yet to determine exactly how his brand will be tarnished by the scandal. 

Working in the field of public relations, my first thought when these types of scandals break is that these guys’ publicists won’t be sleeping much for a while. My second thought is how I would handle it.

If you’ve ever dealt with a crisis situation like this, you know that there should always be a PR practitioner at the table. With that in mind, I would advise the following:

1.    Don’t do wrong or unethical things in the first place.

It’s too late for Lance Armstrong. He made poor choices for way too long to have them just disappear now. But it’s not too late for most people – companies or individuals. If something is wrong, make it right. When faced with a potentially damaging situation, take the high road. Don’t let yourself get caught up in scandals that could ruin lives (as Madoff did) or ruin your career or brand (like Armstrong or Te’o). 

If you’re unsure of whether you’re being confronted with an ethical situation, PRSA has a handy Code of Ethics available to help identify and overcome those situations, as do many other professional organizations.

2.    If you find yourself caught up in a situation like this, honesty is the best policy.

I watched a segment on The Today Show a few weeks ago in which Star Jones recommended, from a legal standpoint, that Lance Armstrong never admit to doping. In her eyes, it would severely damage his personal brand and therefore his ability to make money from future endorsements, speaking engagements or even future competitions. But Star Jones is a lawyer, not a PR practitioner. Public relations is all about building trust and building a strong personal brand no matter what. With all Armstrong’s former teammates saying he used illegal substances, it became increasingly difficult for him to convince anyone that he was telling the truth.

The same could be said of Manti Te’o. Today the official statement from the Te’o family and from Notre Dame is that Te’o was the victim of a cruel prank. The rest of the world is still confused. Even according to official statements, Te’o knew about the hoax on Dec. 6, yet he still spoke about the girl two days later at the Heisman ceremony. Without the whole truth, people will think the worst no matter what.

3.    Make your brand a priority.

This is true in any situation, not just those that involve a lie. In Lance Armstrong’s case, he has been an important advocate for the cancer community. A close friend of mine lives in Austin, Texas – where Livestrong is headquartered. She recently beat lymphoma and is very supportive of the Livestrong organization separate from Armstrong. In her blog, she acknowledges his mistakes but hopes that the charity – which has since severed ties with Armstrong – continues to thrive and support cancer survivors.

Bernie Madoff can, of course, never recover from his lie. He is serving his prison sentence for a variety of felonies related to his Ponzi scheme. In Madoff’s case, he owned his company, which went under with him. Had he been part of a larger bank or investment group with the strength to survive such a scandal, he likely would have been a casualty of the company’s rebuilding.

In Manti Te’o’s case, he may overcome this, depending on whether he tells the whole truth before it’s too late. There is still time before the NFL draft, for which he was previously projected to be a first-round pick. I’ll be watching the news for more information, and will be interested to see how the NFL considers his personal brand along with his talents as a player.

Have any thoughts about this blog? Leave it in the comments and we can discuss it there.