The Olympic great, Michael Phelps, was photographed smoking marijuana in a party in November.He has admitted to the lack of good judgement (aka stupid act) and issued this statement:
"I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment," Phelps said. "I'm 23 years old and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again."
What I find interesting is how this man handled this potential public relations nightmare. This is a lesson in public relations /relationship marketing crisis management...oh and in stupidity.
I am not a advocate for drug use. I no longer see Mr Phelps as a role model of hard work and dedication. But from a crisis management perspective, he handled this well. Admitted wrong doing, apologized, and stated his action plan for the future ("it will not happen again"). The big part of crisis management is yet to come.
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Nice job hero. This guy was probably a geek in high school. Now he has become cool and thinks pot is cool. Bad idea Mikey!
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