Hearts debacle is not a matter of PR, it’s a matter of principle
‘Don’t think about what you’re going to say before you think about what you’re going to do’ is the advice offered by PR expert Billy Partridge in relation to the actions of Hearts Football Club and its eventual suspension of a player who was placed on the sex offenders register.
Hearts Football Club today suspended Scotland U-21 defender Craig Thomson after he was placed on the sex offenders list and the club was roundly criticised for not sacking the player immediately.
There has been much debate in the PR world about how the club could have better handled the controversy surrounding its player, and the club’s decision to back him when the story broke.
With sponsors, fans and even a children’s charity demanding action, it seemed to be only a matter of time before something was done.
Matters such as these are rarely as simple as employing a PR tactic to limit the damage to the organisation. This is clearly a matter of principle and the club’s actions will speak louder than any words.
In fact, that’s the most important lesson for anyone facing a crisis: don’t think about what you’re going to say before you think about what you’re going to do.
I heard about one such case in point on Grayling’s internal social network yesterday: a colleague was stuck on a train to London that was badly delayed due to signal failure – but the Chairman of the train company in question happens to be on board. He walked down the length of the train to apologise to everyone in person and then announced that he would lay on free taxis for people who are in danger of missing flights to whisk them off to the airport at the next stop.
It’s a great example of letting your actions speak louder than words. In a crisis, all too often the immediate focus is on the words you use, not the actions you take.
Hearts seem to be learning that lesson the hard way now – though you wonder whether suspending the player goes far enough. The club has committed to no further comment on the matter, but will that be enough for the growing number of dissenters? Like I said, it’s a matter of principle, so Hearts Football Club better work out where it stands, and fast.
For more PR musings from Billy Partidge go to The Drum Blogs.