December 20, 2005

The Reputation Doctor's Top 10 Reputations in Crisis for 2005

NEW YORK - The following is the Reputation Doctor's 2005 Top 10 List of Reputations in Crisis compiled and under the opinion of global reputation management expert Mike Paul, also known as the Reputation Doctor:

1. The U.S.A. - the U.S.A.'s overall reputation took a big hit this year (with the war in Iraq and other important issues) not only nationally, but globally. President Bush and his entire team are working hard to try to change this perception. I also believe the citizens of the U.S.A. can play an active role, especially as we travel the world and meet new people.
2. Michael Jackson - I predicted Michael Jackson would suffer more in the court of public opinion then the court of law. This is proof that both courts are equally important. Even though Jackson was found not guilty, he has literally moved out of the country (to Bahrain in the Middle East) to avoid the public with a reputation still in crisis. Message to Michael: running from a crisis won't repair it.
3. F.E.M.A. - the federal agency's response to Hurricane Katrina put it into a national crisis. Although the agency works now to improve its reputation, it continues to be in crisis today.
4. Bernie Ebbers - the former WorldCom CEO currently has his name attached to the largest corporate fraud (some say the total is over $11 billion) in U.S. history as he sits in a prison cell with a 25-year conviction on all counts. He sobbed like a baby when he was sentenced.
5. Major League Baseball - the steroid hearings in Washington, D.C. made pro baseball a laughing stock with Americans. Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and other players seemed by many to be lying and avoiding the truth. As a result, the entire baseball league took a major reputational hit. The baseball union and the Commissioner's office didn't help by not acting quickly with severe penalties for all taking steroids.
6. Hank Greenberg - the former CEO of insurance giant AIG knew his reputation was in crisis, but still thought he was powerful enough to avoid being let go. Sadly, he and his ego learned the hard way that people always choose their reputation over another - each and every time, including board members.
7. Carly Fiorina - the former HP CEO was a woman on a mission, but others didn't follow her lead. She found out the hard way that when your message isn't resonating, you better change your message and overall strategy or get thrown out with the shredded paper. Sadly, that is exactly what happened to Carly and she didn't seem to see it coming.
8. Tom Cruise - the famous actor turned a couch jumping act on Oprah into a reputation in crisis by beating the drum about his love for actress Katie Holmes. To make things even worse, his strong beliefs in Scientology have burned even more bridges with former fans. He fired his sister as his PR consultant and hired an expert. Smart move, but too bad his new PR consultant is not an expert in crisis PR. Tom Cruise will need crisis PR to turn his reputation around.
9. Martha Stewart - although Martha came out of prison with big promises, her reputation landed in crisis again with a cancelled Apprentice T.V. show, advertising revenue taking another dive and, most importantly, a lack of humility, which is needed to best rehabilitate her reputation. Isn't prison supposed to properly rehabilitate convicted felons?
10. Kobe Bryant - the Los Angeles Lakers star is also proof that a not guilty conviction is no promise of a stellar reputation, even 2 years later. Even though Bryant is playing pro basketball better than ever, research released in 2005 demonstrated about 48% of those asked said they still viewed Kobe Bryant negatively. That is not a good thing for current and potential sponsors, as Kobe's sponsorships dried up in 2005, except his long-term deal with Nike.

About Mike Paul

Mike Paul is president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. Mr. Paul is also a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding leaders, celebrities, corporations and other organizations with reputations in crisis. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV, ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others. His new blog at www.TheReputationDoctor.com is called The Reputation Doctor, a nickname given to him by various clients. For interview requests, speeches or business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500.

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Comments:

Comment from: John Robinson [Visitor]

Excellent list! I look forward to future blog entries.

Dec 25, 2005, 12:49 pm

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