Tiger Woods Reinforces Old PR Lesson:
Staying Silent Only Makes Things Worse
Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world and likely the best to ever play the game.
But when it comes to public relations, mark him down for a snowman.
It took Tiger’s camp 13 hours to release a public statement about the bizarre car accident near his home this weekend. And because the statement left so many questions unanswered, Tiger has now become the subject of widespread speculation about his personal life.
All of this reinforces an old lesson in public relations: When breaking news raises legitimate questions, staying quiet will make things worse instead of better.
He can’t opt out
Like other championship athletes, movie stars and business leaders, Tiger cannot simply “opt out” of news coverage when something major occurs in his life. He is a public figure. When he wrecks his car at 2:25 a.m., that is news and media professionals will ask questions.
This is not a judgment on whether Tiger deserves privacy. It’s just a fact of American life that when you’re a public figure, the media will report on and scrutinize your behavior when an aspect of it makes news.
Certainly Tiger’s camp realizes this. That is why it’s so astonishing that their media statement was so slow to materialize and so lacking in substance.
What should he have done?
Since Tiger cannot opt out of media coverage, he has two choices when things like this occur. First, lay up and let an information vaccuum prevail so that rumor mongers and others can fill it. Or, swing away for a measure of control by becoming the first and most complete source of information.
Tiger’s camp has decided to play short, and to his detriment. His slow response and lack of substance have not only become part of the story, but have left the fairway wide open for rampant speculation.
It could be that Tiger was advised to take a more proactive path but didn’t listen to the advice. Tiger’s injuries could also have delayed a more meaningful response . . . but not by 13 hours.
It could be that some of the details behind the accident are embarrassing to Tiger (though we’re not sure of that yet). If so, those details are better coming from Tiger himself in the early going than being “revealed” down the road by somebody else. The high road is a more efficient path to acceptance and forgiveness.
Lessons learned
Unfortunately, being in the media spotlight and faced with difficult questions isn’t a fate that befalls only superstar athletes. It can also happen to well-meaning small business owners, civil servants and non-profit leaders that don’t have PR teams on retainer.
There are lessons to be learned from Tiger Woods’ roadside triple bogey. Among them are these:
- 1. Don’t let a vaccuum develop. Instead, become the first and most complete source of information. That won’t insulate you from negative coverage, but it will give you the credibility and access you need to best protect your reputation.
- 2. Tell the truth, even if it’s not flattering. It’s best that embarrassing information comes from you, early, and accompanied by related information that provides a proper perspective. Humility and honesty inspire forgiveness and acceptance. Information that is “discovered” from other sources will likely be played more negatively and will likely lack context.
- 3. Be consistent and responsive. Make sure the story is told the same way to everyone. Inconsistency ruins credibility.
- 4. Use these situations as opportunities. Media relationships are more valuable than media transactions. By being honest and credible under fire, you will improve your chances at being treated well by media professionals down the road.
Personally, as a fan of the Tiger, I wish everybody would just leave him alone until his next tournament. But that’s not the way our society works. Therefore, he and his team need to manage his reputation more effectively, and they’re going to need more club.
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Here are some other good reads on Tiger and his PR challenges:
