What is in a statement? You see them all over the place– from spokespeople of a large corporation to a person in a middle of a crisis or scandal. One thing is for certain– they are short and simple– and if you read in between the lines, you get more of what the person is REALLY thinking!
WADA Chairman Dick Pound at a press conference
For example, I have many posts on my blog about the Marion Jones case. What can I say– there is a lot there regarding sports reputation management! Anyway, there have been statements from those who are considered to be spokespeople for a corporation, or for themselves and their brand. Dick Pound, the chairman for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), said after the results of Jones’s “B” sample:
“EPO is open to interpretation. Maybe the first one was made too hastily. You would think that there would be variations between the amount in sample A and sample B. I’m sure there will be some explanation forthcoming from the lab or from USADA.”
Well– it is simple and to the point, but you can tell from this brief statement what he thinks of the results of the test if you look in between the lines. I am sure that he wanted to say other things, but this type of statement will be circulated to all publications and to many individuals, so it is best to be short, but to the point. Here is another example of someone who is technically not representing a large organization like WADA, but they are representing themselves, or their brand. Deena Kastor, the 2004 Olympic Bronze Medalist in the marathon, stated what she thought of the situation with Marion Jones:
You got a clear view of what Deena Kastor is thinking about the situation from this statement. It’s simple and direct– and it shows where she stands as a professional athlete. This is an example of how some athletes are trying to distinguish themselves as being different from someone in their particular sport who has been involved in a scandal. They don’t want their brand to be negatively impacted because they are just in the same sport as that particular person– so this is why these athletes are being direct, and stating where they stand in the situation to the media as well as the public.
0 Comments