Day 4: When you screw up, own it.
Since the core of what we do at Doe-Anderson is building relationships between consumers and brands, we thought it would be cool to use relationships as a theme. So in honor of Valentine’s Day, all this month we’ll be sharing 28 Days to Make People Fall in Love with Your Brand. We hope you enjoy it.
Let’s face it–“The Bachelor” is popular for a reason. There’s drama, mystery and, of course, romance. But the popular show took a bit of a hit last year when Jason Mesnick publicly dumped the woman he proposed to on national television. Minutes later, Mesnick told Molly Malaney, the runner-up, that he had made the wrong choice and wanted a second chance with her.
While many people certainly wouldn’t condone Mesnick’s actions (really, what kind of man breaks up with his fiancée in front of millions of people?), but he did do something right. He admitted that he made a mistake and took responsibility for his actions. It’s a tried-and-true rule in public relations that if you mess up, you ‘fess up.
We can all think of situations in which companies or celebrities failed to do this (yes, we’re talking to you, Tiger). By being proactive and attempting to control the situation from the beginning, you at least have a shot at “saving face.” So when it comes to finding true love or facing a PR crisis, remember that while sorry is often the hardest word to say, it is definitely one of the most powerful.
