Which CEO is Today’s Poster Child for Bad PR?
Our staff voted to elect Donald Sterling, owner of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, as the latest inductee into the Hall of Fame for I’m-Not-Really-Giving-An-Apology All Stars. He joins a long list of CEOs who have given the world some of corporate America’s most embarrassing moments.
Remember TV food legend Paula Deen’s I’m-not-really-going-own-up-to-my-mistake apology? Or British Petroleum CEO Tony Hayward, whose apology for the Gulf Oil spill included saying, “I want my life back.”
When Don Sterling tried to save his reputation and ownership of the team, he “apologized” for his privately taped racist phone comments, but to Anderson Cooper and CNN he told the world, “Jews, when they get successful, they will help their people — but some of the African-Americans … they don’t want to help anybody.” (See it here)
TV Chef Paula Deen tried the “I’ll-broadcast-my-apology” tactic last year after a former employee accused her of using the n-word, but the videos she released were cringe-worthy and awkwardly edited.
TV Chef Paula Deen tried the “I’ll-broadcast-my-apology” tactic last year after a former employee accused her of using the n-word, but the videos she released were cringe-worthy and awkwardly edited.
She posted a YouTube video apology to fans after coming under fire when she admitted to having used racial slurs in the past. See it here.
“Uh…I want to learn and grow from this.” It then suddenly cuts to “Inappropriate, hateful language is totally, totally unacceptable.” Paula, what exactly are you apologizing for? Sounds more like a lecture.
Who will forget the millionaire CEO of foreign oil giant BP, Tony Hayward, being upset at the inconvenience caused to him by his company’s devastation of the Gulf of Mexico? Hayward’s classic gaffe, after the massive oil spill, “I want my life back!”
Did any of these executives hire or listen to their communications counsel? For Donald Sterling, we’d hazard a good guess that he had neither a PR executive or legal counsel present for his terrible interview on CNN.
We take great pride in our profession, but being right or wrong is not ultimately the issue. For us, demonstrating good listening skills is. If we were at the sides of any of the above-mentioned “leaders,” could our PR talent and knowledge overcome their bad judgment? That is the $64,000 question.
