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Why "The Decision" Resulted in Bad PR for Lebron
Now that Lebron James has made his prime time announcement, we can move on to the next over-hyped, manufactured media event. From a PR standpoint, the NBA star nicknamed King James made some glaring mistakes when announcing his decision to leave his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers to sign a contract to play for the Miami Heat.
Here are five reasons why the live ESPN special titled “The Decision” went bad:
- James kept saying he's done so much for the city and the team the past seven years. While this is probably true, it was inappropriate to mention during his announcement. He had just jilted Cleveland’s fans, owner, players and actually the entire region. At that moment, they don’t care about what he says he did for them in the past.
- Lebron kept referring to himself as Lebron James. Dave Mastovich is writing in Dave Mastovich’s column that Lebron James didn't do what was best for Lebron James by talking in third person because “going third person” is weird whether you are Dave Mastovich, Lebron James or anyone else.
- When using the Boys & Girls Clubs as a back drop in an apparent attempt to score goodwill points, incorporate the kids a little bit instead of having them sit far away while pretending to be interested. And, while you're at it, splurge for a nicer banner for them too.
- Since you know the owner of the team you’ve played for the past seven years has a millionaire’s ego, maybe call him before your announcement so he doesn't have to hear about the breakup along with millions of others on national television.
- When you decide to have a contrived show to promote your decision, at least pretend that you are comfortable with it. Lebron looked unsure of himself. All the more reason to announce the move in a more subdued, straight forward manner.
In sports and particularly the NBA, a player’s image can drive endorsements, ticket sales, internet clicks and television ratings. Fans choose to follow teams based on players and personalities more than we’d like to admit. Lebron’s misguided PR approach will probably lead many to make “The Decision” to think less of him.
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David M. Mastovich, MBA, is the president of Massolutions, a Pittsburgh based Strategic Marketing firm that focuses on improving the bottom line for client companies through creative marketing, selling, messaging and customer experience enhancement.
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