Another failure to live up to expectations creates a reputation threat
The hosts of The View created a code red situation after dropping disparaging comments about Miss America contestant and nurse Kelley Johnson. The backlash was immediate, and came from not only nurses and their families but the general public, which seemed a little more clear on the essential role nurses play in healthcare.
We’ve been speaking a lot about the damage that comes when projected image clashes with actions and this is a perfect example. Because The View’s image is so focused around empowering women and admiring differences it was shocking to hear its hosts bashing a profession that is both largely populated by females and so clearly one of the most selfless out there.
The View did go all-out to stop the rising ride of outrage, bringing a large group of nurses on the show last Friday and having the hosts admit their ignorance of the challenges. It was too late for major sponsors Johnson & Johnson and Eggland’s Best, along with Park City, Snuggle and McCormick Spice, all of which pulled advertising from the show earlier in the week.
Remember – if you’re putting an image out there, cultivating it, and letting it work for you, then you need to live up to that image. You may get away with saying one thing and doing another for a while, but eventually it’ll catch up, and things won’t be pretty when it does.
The BCM Blogging Team
www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com