A lot has been written this week in response to the Dreamworld tragedy about Ardent Leisure and brand destruction. And most of it has been spot on. The first few days of an "incident" and how it is managed via a PR spruikfest basically dictates how the media and thus us, the gullible public, judge and perceive the company's effectiveness and response. And Ardent Leisure got it so wrong.
So it's interesting to note that despite many column lines and social media posts this weekend, Jennifer Hawkins has, in my eyes, chosen to let her brand be trashed by Donald Trump. Her unwillingness to comment, apart from comments re what a fantastic father he is, is doing untold damage to her brand. To watch 2005 and 2008 footage of Trump demeaning, belittling and pawing her during TV interviews must be hard for her to watch. Yes, it was in the past, and perhaps she thought that was an acceptable price to pay for her passage to celebrity. But that was then and this is now and I had thought she is perceived to be more of a business package now, albeit still relying on her looks. She has fashion, lingerie and housewares ranges and numerous ambassadorships from Myers to Swisse. Her brand now is considerable and I doubt she needs Trump or the doors he might open, now. And if I was looking to choose an all Australian role-model in terms of sponsorships I wouldn't look on her current unwillingness to call out Donald Trump for his inappropriate behaviour towards her, very favourably.
She needs to act, find her voice, now. As with Ardent Leisure, the first 48 hours basically a big determinant of future viability.
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