Spitzer’s Brand Crisis
New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is facing a personal brand crisis of the highest degree. Even though he’s apologized to his constituents, he’s harmed himself in way that offers no immediate remedy. In an instant, he’s gone from being the people’s squeaky-clean crusader to ‘just another politician’ embroiled in an ugly political scandal. Right now, the facts are at odds with what was perceived to be his brand.
In his Sunday NYT op-ed, Spitzer admits, “We made mistakes.” Admitting and taking responsibility for those mistakes are a move in the right direction. They are the first of many small steps toward regaining the respect of the public, and stepping out of the harsh glare of the media spotlight. Sure, Republicans in the State Senate will do everything they can to keep this one alive, but now is the best time to look forward and re-build that precious commodity called reputation.
Spitzer’s next steps will be to look for or create opportunities to be conciliatory rather than argumentative. Spitzer must return his focus (and by proxy, the public and media focus) back to doing good things for the people of the state of New York. Now would be a good time to propose legislation that improves the lives of his constituents, most of whom are more interested in lower taxes and fewer potholes than the latest political ‘nonsense.’
I believe this story is one we’ll be hearing about for a while…
