The admission by track superstar Marion Jones that she had indeed used steroids before the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney has caused quite a stir around the Internet. For years she has denied using performance enhancement drugs during her sports career.
When you think about branding and marketing, it was a mistake by Jones to hide the fact that she used the substances. It goes to credibility and foregiveness by her fans and supporters.
Marketing and branding is no different. A lot of times there are campaigns put forth in a way that causes unanticipated problems. The best thing to do as a brand is to admit it right away and take care of it.
Just recently when Steve Jobs and Apple (AAPL) dropped the prices on the iPhone, it caused an uproar from those who had recently bought the device at a much higher price. Rather than sit around and wait for things to get out of control, he immediately took action and offered compensation for the incident.
What it did was immediately stop the problem and it never got out of control, and the majority of people were satisfied.
Another mistake Jones is currently making is using the same argument Barry Bonds used when he used steroids, saying he was told it was flaxseed oil. Even assuming that is true, it does her no good to say it. It immediately casts suspicion on her credibility because of her past denials.
She should just apologize and take responsibility for her actions. Even if her actions were innocent, which would be a stretch to believe, she is still responsible for what goes into her body. She knows the strict guidelines her sport gives for steroid usage. Anything suspect should have been checked before using it. Instead she chose to do it over a period of time, allegedly without questioning the substance.
No matter what the cause of our own marketing or branding blunders, it's far better to tell our story, apologize, rectify the situation and learn from the mistakes.
All of that means is people want us to take responsibility. Do that and they'll stay with and respect you as a business or individual. Try to justify our mistakes, and it can make things worse than they would have been in the first place.
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