We’ve seen it time and time again. A brand hires a spokesperson, sponsors a professional athlete, engages an army of Instagram influencers, and then, something goes bad. Their influencer says something, does something, is unprofessional, disrespectful, and the brand releases an announcement that they’ve cut ties. Done.
In the major league world, this is taken much more seriously than I’ve seen it managed in the social spaces. TikTokers seem to be hired and fired at the drop of a dime and no one says anything. Sure, a few online trolls will drop comments. A post may get its 24 hours of glory. But that’s it. Should this be the case? Should a brand that engaged an individual to represent their brand, just drop the relationship and all is good? Personally, I don’t think so.
Nowadays, I believe there’s an inherent need to take responsibility for your actions as a brand. If you endorsed this person, you must have a reason. You must have seen some alignment of core values, interests, and passions. Did you just not look deep enough to see who they really are? I can understand that business moves at the speed of clicking a button, but surely this was an important decision. I hope you didn’t just see 100k followers and say – yes, place our ads with this influencer. That’s capitalism without care.
Recently, Phil Mickleson was quoted as saying some pretty negative comments about an entire Saudi population. I respect Phil’s professional career – his determination, his skills, his open and yet also outspoken mind. He doesn’t hide from much, and he calls it as he sees it. Yes, his comments were wrong, but they were out of context. Much of what he said was speaking to human rights issues. He was actually advocating for equality in the treatment of women, gays, and all people in countries that don’t hold the same views as most. How he said it, the way he addressed it, was not right. But, his intent was very right.
He was dropped by KPMG U.S. – a significant sponsor of many PGA events and players. Should he have been dropped? I don’t think so. I believe KPMG has tarnished their reputation by doing so. Perhaps, they would be better to recognize the intent of Phil’s words. They certainly can support the message of equality and humane treatment for all people in all countries. If they took the opportunity to give Phil a platform to speak from, and held him accountable to be a better person, then maybe, just maybe…. a brand can and should influence an influencer.
@PGA @PGATOUR @KPMG @KPMG_US @PhilMickelson
Photo credit Oisin Keniry;
Article: https://www.golfdigest.com/story/mickelson-apology-2022
