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HOW TO SALVAGE REPUTATIONS WHEN CELEBRITIES STUMBLE & FALL
from PR News, June, 2003
Any ambitions former U.S. drug czar and Education Secretary William Bennett had for high office went up in smoke along with a reported $8 million he blew in Las Vegas in the past decade.
Bennett, the author of "The Book of Virtues," got famous in the 1980s by lecturing the public on the evils of drugs, rap music and video games. But he failed to mention the detrimental effects inveterate gambling has on people and their families. Whatever. Bennett crashed so hard because his behavior smacked of rank hypocrisy, which will make it harder for the public - normally quite forgiving of celebrities - to cut him some slack.
Of course, it's a matter of degree when celebrities stumble. And so is how the celebrity's PR team responds when he or she gets into trouble. Sure, it helps that the public has an exceptionally short memory. But don't tell that to Paul Reubens (a.k.a Pee Wee Herman), whose career never fully recovered after he pleaded no contest in 1991 to charges of indecent exposure after being arrested at a Florida adult movie theater where authorities said he was masturbating. (Reubens was charged last year with one misdemeanor count of possessing material depicting children engaged in sexual conduct, a charge his lawyers deny).
Still, it's doubtful that rocker Pete Townsend, who was arrested in January on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children, will now be shunned by recording industry executives and concertgoers because of the allegations leveled against him. So a lot depends on just who the celebrity is. But like a new TV season, celebrity scandals are inevitable. And the juicier the scandal, the tougher it is for PR people to get their clients back on their feet. For a better handle on this issue, PR NEWS asked several PR executives to share strategies to deploy when celebrity clients behave badly.
Darcy L. Bouzeos
President, DLB, Ltd.
It can take years for a celebrity to earn an enviable reputation and a New
York minute to lose it, at least temporarily. For professionals charged with
rehabilitating a celebrity's image, the script should be simple.
2. Step Off the Stage.
Resist the urge to explain and complain. Counsel your client to step off the
stage temporarily. Last year, presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin's
reputation was sullied by charges of plagiarism. She apologized and then laid
low for six months. Today, she's a valued commentator once again.
3. Step Out and Do Good.
A celebrity's 15 minutes of shame is survivable if, after a period of doing
nothing, he or she steps out and does something good for others. Participating
in a public service program or major charitable endeavor is a valued step
on the road back to respectability.
Karen Friedman
President, Karen Friedman Enterprises
When a celebrity stumbles publicly, playing Monday morning quarterback is
the easy part. After all, most celebrity watchers have been buzzing over convicted
shoplifter Winona Ryder's proposal to auction off the stolen stuff for charity.
Or what about Scott Weiland, Stone Temple Pilots rocker and father, whose
battle with drugs has nourished the tabloids for months?
Let's face it. Stuff happens. And it can happen to any of us. But, when it happens to newsmakers, the road to public recovery is a slippery slope. So what do you do to get your star back on track? For starters, don't overreact. As crisis guru Rick Ammes puts it: "The dogs will bark, but the parade marches on."
In other words, determine the scope of the problem before gushing at the mouth. Have a plan. Brainstorm with experienced pros before talking to the press.
Then, get some good media training to handle the questions coming at you. If you're wrong, admit it and apologize quickly, but not so strongly that your apology overshadows the original incident. Saying "I'm sorry" doesn't mean squat if the public doesn't believe you. Show you are remorseful by acting remorseful and apologize to fans for letting them down.
Barry Greenberg
Chairman, Celebrity Connection
Jonathan Wilcox
Executive Vice President, Celebrity Connection
The other kind of celebrity rehab (an injured image) is akin to rehabilitating
an injured body: slow, deliberate and under expert care. There's no miracle
cure, only realistic benchmarks of progress and recovery. Three principles
apply:
Be Real: Everyone knows celebrities aren't like you and me, and the public is pleased when the famous are compelled to humble circumstances. Image rehabilitation requires celebrities to express a credible reaction to their plight.
Be Real Sorry: Being a celebrity in trouble means always having to say you're sorry. This way, celebrated individuals place their fate in our hands. And we are merciful gods.
Just Move On: Americans believe the best is yet to come. For Hugh Grant, going from the back seat of a police car to Leno's couch to a rehabilitated image wasn't an endless journey. He was real, real sorry, just moved on...and hasn't looked back since.
Bridget Klein
VP, Sports & Entertainment, Edelman
When a celebrity "stumbles," she must be honest with the public
and accept responsibility for her actions, either through a statement released
to the media and/or select interviews depending on the situation and circumstances.
Yet it's not enough to just release an apology. The delivery and tone — sincere
and in the celebrity's own voice - is crucial to winning over the public.
Pairing the celebrity with a reputable third party, such as a non-profit organization
or a well-established brand, can help mend a tarnished image as well. If the
stumble did not harm another person, a sense of humor helps. Look no further
than Hugh Grant's infamous judgment lapse to see that accepting responsibility
and poking fun at oneself is the best recipe for public forgiveness.
John Lamontagne
VP, Morrissey & Co.
The news of the former drug czar and Education Secretary William Bennett and
his $8 million gambling habit stands to sabotage his reputation as one of
the nation's most prominent promoters of a conservative moral code. A vociferous
critic of President Clinton's rather public personal foibles five years ago,
Bennett now looks like a hypocrite and a phony. What's a PR executive to do
when a celebrity client lands in the hottest of hot water - when a personal
vice stands to destroy a lengthy and lucrative career? In these kinds of situations,
actions speak louder than words. The celebrity needs to take serious action
to demonstrate a sincere desire to change and to rehabilitate his or her sullied
reputation:
Admit the problem — Admitting real culpability in a public manner is crucial. Join a public group - in Bennett's case Gambler's Anonymous - and take on its principles.
Adopt-a-charity — Celebrities can adopt an appropriate charity that helps the public identify with their problem and efforts to overcome it. For instance, instead of pocketing $50,000 a speech at Fortune 500 companies, Bennett could donate proceeds to charitable causes like Gambler's Anonymous.
Do the Talk-Show circuit—A sincere self-deferential apology, and reiterated admittance of guilt and verbalization of the steps one plans to take to remedy a problem will help. Celebrities could seek out outlets like Larry King, Bill O'Reilly and the Today Show.
Look inward—Celebrities should take some time to reflect on their actions and what the repercussions are for them, their fans and their career. Until they can admit blame, their actions will seem self serving and hypocritical.
Andy Morris
President, Andy Morris and Co.
Can a celebrity survive a "Divine Brown" incident? Public disclosure
of a substance abuse or gambling problem? Or, arrest for shoplifting or illegal
gun possession? Absolutely. Sometimes, the celeb's earning power emerges not
only unscathed but also actually enhanced post-incident. Careful management
of a celebrity "fall from grace" can turn into a career builder.
Interestingly, while media and the public relish with ever-increasing zeal the foibles of the famous and fabulous, there does appear to be a higher standard of accountability today for "business celebs." Every situation is different and requires a custom solution. Several truisms generally apply when it comes to celeb rehabilitation:
Lawyers want to try the case in court - not the court of public opinion.
Resist them. A celeb may be irreparably harmed unless a rapid response PR
campaign is waged to combat "erroneous" information and "set
the record straight." Or, if they're in a corner, to launch a pre-emptive
mea culpa.
Candor is king. The public tends to forgive if there is a juicy confession
and a sincere apology.
Don't fake it. Hollow gestures and tears on command tend to be transparent - and may backfire.
Helene Solomon |
Dan Wasserman
Principal, For Sport Enterprises
Two key aspects of a basic crisis management plan are speed and establishing
the appropriate tone of contrition. Ideally, the celebrity is prepared to
deliver or release a statement that coincides with the obligatory first wave
of media coverage generated by any disclosure, accusation, or public record
of misconduct.
Crafting the message involves balancing a tone of contrition against whatever liability or legal issues that may flow from the incident or conduct. The media spin cycle, especially for athletes and entertainers, is to build them up, tear them down and then rehab them, once the appropriate mea culpa has taken place. The sooner a mistake is acknowledged and an appropriate apology is forwarded the cycle can be completed.
Over the long haul a celebrity's greatest asset both during and after the crisis period is a solid working relationship with the media that regularly cover that particular individual. Some celebrities never shake the rust and tarnish of even a single incident while other media favorites seem to retain their popularity and marketability despite numerous strikes against them. The message counts, but prior relationships are critical as well.
