Anyone can make a comeback from a crisis. Britney Spears shaved her head and went crazy, and look at her now. Did anyone imagine Michael Jackson would be positively received two summers ago? Charlie Sheen will have his moment in the future, too. Winning!
My compassionate and heart-warming advice to the Boston Red Sox: Relax. Even you can come back from this, too.
Much like we at Topaz would do for any of our clients, I’ll map out a crisis communications plan, providing the boys of summer with some easy and obvious answers to fixing what is becoming the laughing stock of the sports page and beyond. Hold onto your pink caps, my fellow Red Sox fans…
The first steps in developing a crisis communication plan are:
• Identify things that can go wrong and may become highly visible and assess vulnerabilities throughout the organization.
• Assign priorities based on which vulnerabilities are most urgent and most likely.
• Draft questions, answers, and resolutions for each potential crisis scenario.
• Focus on the two most important tasks—what to do and what to say—during the first critical hours following a crisis.
• Develop a strategy to proactively address the situation.
The Red Sox need to look at what has gone wrong, and what will continue to go wrong:
The Globe’s Bob Hohler wrote this piece yesterday, which revealed the chicken eatin’, beer drinkin’, fat pitchin’ players and their awful habits. The pill poppin’ apparently never ease droppin’ manager has been perceived by many as the scapegoat for ownership’s naïve and neglectful ways throughout the season.
Is John Henry’s soccer team playing tonight?
This will only continue. Clearly, Hohler’s piece provides insight that players are ratting out one another. What happens in those four clubhouse walls is supposed to stay within those walls. It’s called loyalty. The momentum looks to be too strong—expect more players and anonymous team members to oust one another. Expect ownership to continue to receive criticism for not publicly addressing these issues, providing spin on their team’s drama, and the perception that they care about the Benjamin’s more than they do about winning championships.
What vulnerabilities are most urgent? Perception is important for any and every business. Even in the case of baseball teams. Fans that cry out about the team’s marketing obsessions need to understand that in today’s era of baseball, it is a business. Those marketing campaigns helped pay for that talent on the field. Therefore, the fans’ perception of the team right now is darker than anything we’ve seen. Getting fans’ trust and love back has to be the first priority.
How do we do that?
The owners and team president Larry Lucchino can draft questions and answers all they want, but they need to be heard most of all. For the record, they have spoken on these team issues and “rumors”, but haven’t addressed them smoothly and directly. It’s simple, folks. Tell the truth. People like accountability. They appreciate honesty. Sit down, take questions—all of them—and answer the best that you can. You don’t have to name names, but you have to take accountability for the team’s actions. Acknowledge that you won’t accept this behavior going forward and changes will be made.
At Topaz, we make it clear in our Crisis Communications plan what NOT to do:
• Do not minimize the problem.
• Do not let the story out piecemeal.
• Do not release information if it violates the privacy of individuals.
• Do not identify victims, if any, until next of kin has been notified.
• Do not say “no comment.” If you can’t answer, say why.
• Do not play favorites among the media.
• Do not try to capitalize on the crisis to promote the company or its products.
Based on everything written and read, could the Red Sox handling of the situation be any more of the opposite? They’ve acted like all is well. Information has been leaked—private information (see: Francona, Terry). I’ve read the phrase “no comment” more times than I can count. Favorites in the media? Oh, they only own NESN and have ties to the Boston Globe—no big deal. Have they tried to promote their product? Not yet. But based on their track record, they just might.
They can only apologize so many times, however. Moving forward, the team needs to address the uniformed disaster, one piece at a time. Get rid of the bad apples in the clubhouse. Do you want to look good and earn back the trust? Make every effort to trade the players who have been the problems. If that means Josh Beckett, John Lackey, and Kevin Youkilis, then show the fans every effort that you’ll give them a blue collar team of hard workers and character guys. And say it, too.
Bring in a new manager with a respectable reputation and someone who demands accountability and responsibility. The old manager? Whether he popped pills or not, he was well-liked here. Come out of the closet and stick up for him, even if you don’t really mean it. What’s stopping you? I only hear crickets.
Listen to the fans. What do they want? They are the ones who matter the most. They fill the seats, buy the eight dollar beers, and pay the team salaries. If they want a baseball team that plays hard, make it happen. If they don’t want to hear “Sweet Caroline” when the team is losing 11-0 in the 8th inning, play AC/DC instead. As for losing General Manager Theo Epstein to the Cubs? Here’s a hint: when your fans criticize you for wanting to make money more than anything, ask for player compensation for giving up the GM. Reports that say you’re looking for money compensation just adds fuel to the fire.
Anyone and everyone can come back from a crisis. Not all do, but effective and proactive PR makes a difference. Be honest—be accountable, and follow the steps. Listen and react. Just don’t do what the Red Sox have done, or you’ll be watching the competition play, just like they are.
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Technorati Tags: Baseball, Bob Hohler, Communications, PR, Red Sox, Terry Francona, Theo Epstein
