crisis management: lance armstrong case

Alexandros Efthymiou ID:6718767

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.”

- (Lance Armstrong, 2000)

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Table of ContentsIntroduction 3

Lance Armstrong biography 4

Image Restoration Strategies 5

William Benoit Image restoration strategies 5

6 steps of image restoration 6

Lance Armstrong Crisis in periods 7

Early career and the diagnosis of cancer 7

A legend was born 7

First Retirement and back to cycling again 9

The disclosure 10

Apologize 10

A legend or a Liar? 11

References 13

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INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this coursework is to inform about crisis management and how media can affect the sports industry. Especially it aims to analyse the case of Lance Armstrong, who was accused of doping, and how it affected his sport career. Media had a crucial impact through many PR strategies, which are going to be examined thoroughly throughout this coursework.

Crisis management is a term that was first used in the 1980s. It is a very important process in public relations because it deals with events that can endanger an organization and its shareholders, an individual member on the sport industry or even the public. A crisis is something that could cause an operation mess in an organization and harm its reputation, because it gives reason to the public to form a negative image of the company. That includes employees, suppliers and customers. An individual member in sports industry, as an athlete can disrupt both the group’s performance and reputation. A crisis incident may happen suddenly and cause surprise to the system of the organization and all of those included to it. That element of unexpected leads to short time decisions undertaking, which will underline the need for change.

Media have a huge impact in public opinions configuration. Nowadays, both news media and social media provide a huge amount of information easily accessible to public, such as crisis information for a company, a group or an individual. In addition, they can guide people to form a positive or negative image of the crisis incident. In that case, organizations and individuals adopt and use some strategies, such as denial, evading responsibility, reducing offensiveness, corrective action and mortification (they all will be presented thoroughly below), in order to restore their public image and reputation.

Lance Armstrong’s case can be used as an example of a crisis management and can show the relationship between sport and media.

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1. Lance Armstrong biography

Lance Armstrong was born on 1971, in Texas. He started as a professional triathlete at the age of 13, and when he reached the age of 16, he was named National Rookie of the Year in Triathlon. In October 1996, Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer. Then, at the same year, he founds Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer. After successfully chemotherapy and brain surgery, he was declared cancer free in 1997.

He worked hard in order to find a team that could offer him a contract, but all the professional cycling teams were reluctant to sign him because of the fear that his health issue could not help him reach his previous potential (Clayton Rose & Noah Fisher, p. 2)

However, he did not give up. Directly, he continued to work hard and in three years, he accomplished the unbelievable. He managed to win The Tour de France seven times in a row, from 1999 to 2005. He became a world icon, with millions of fans around the world. He published many books and started his Livestrong campaign through his Foundation in order to support cancer survivors. He was also in the 100 Most Influential People according to Time Magazine’s list. He had a good relationship with media, which favoured him.

In 2012, the U.S Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) suspended him from cycling for life after their investigation for doping. USADA also stripped his seven Tour de France titles and other honours he received from 1999 to 2005. There were suspicions against Armstrong of taking banned substances since 1999, after his first win in Tour de France. Since then it started an informal effort from Armstrong to protect his legend. Then a big question was born: Was that man a legend or a liar?

Below Lance Armstrong case will be presented. How he became a hero, how media treated him, how he managed to keep secret for many years cycling’s greatest fraud and how he handled the crisis after the disclosure.

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2. Image Restoration Strategies

Armstrong had built a great relationship with the media before being that known. He knew how to handle publicity according to timing and the audience he had to confront. Armstrong was aware of PR strategies and how to use them in each case.

2.1 William Benoit Image restoration strategies

In the event of a crisis that threatens an organization’s or an individual’s reputation, it starts an image’s restoration effort using certain strategies. According to William Benoit, these are the strategies:

Strategy Explanation

Denial The accused may deny that the act occurred, or deny their role in committing it.

Evading responsibility When unable to deny performing the act in question, the accused may attempt to evade responsibility. This strategy has four components.Scapegoating: the actor may claim that the act was committed in response to another wrongful act.Defeasibility: the actor pleads a lack of knowledge or control about important factors related to the offensive actMake an excuse based on accidents: the actor may make an excuse for factors beyond their controlSuggest the action was justified based on motives or intentions: the actor asks not to be held fully responsible based on their good, rather than evil motives in committing the act.

Reducing offensiveness The accused may attempt to reduce the degree of negative feeling experienced by the audience. This strategy has six components.Bolstering: used to mitigate the negative effects by strengthening the audience’s positive idea of the accused. They may remind the audience of previous good acts or good reputation.

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Minimization: attempts to convince the audience that the act in question is less serious as it appears.Differentiation: the act is distinguished from other more offensive acts to lessen the audience’s negative feelings by comparison.Transcendence: the act is placed in a broad context to place it in a different, less offensive frame of reference.Attacking accuser: the actor attacks their accusers, to question the credibility of the source of the accusationsCompensation: the actor offers to redress the victims of their action to offset negative feelings towards them.

Corrective action The accused claims that they will correct the problem. This can involve restoring the situation to its prior state, or promising to make changes to prevent its reoccurrence.

Mortification The accused admits responsibility and asks for forgiveness.

(William Benoit, 1994)

Any of the above strategies can be detected in Armstrong’s effort to maintain his empire invulnerable.

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2.2 6 steps of image restoration

3. Lance Armstrong Crisis in periods

In 1999, a new icon was arising. A cyclist, who defined cancer, cured from it and managed the unbelievable. A seven times victorious comeback in the sport he loved. This man became an inspiration for people fighting cancer and a hero to public. That was the image of Lance Armstrong through media. But was he really a noble man or was he a liar that could manipulate media to keep him untouchable of any allegations against him?

Armstrong and his relationship with the media can be categorized in six periods:

1984 – 1996: Early career and the diagnosis of cancer 1997 – 2005: A legend was born

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Signal detection

Probing / preventrion

Damage

RepairLearningRe-design

2005 – 2011: First Retirement and back to cycling again 2011 – 2012: The disclosure 2013: Apologize

In these periods the facts, media’s approach and Lance’s PR strategies used will be analysed.

3.1 Early career and the diagnosis of cancer

Lance Armstrong became known to media and public in 1991 by winning U.S National Amateur Championship. He did not interfere much with journalists. In 1992 signed a contract with Motorola cycling team and in 1993 won the U.S Pro Championship and stage 8 in Tour de France. In 1995, his friend Fabio Casartelli was killed during Tour de France. After that incident his presence in the media was increased and supported him more. In 1996, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and the media made his disease familiar to the audience. He also gave a press conference about it and touched everyone especially in America.

3.2 A legend was born

Lance recovered from his disease in 1997. He returned to cycling and founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation in order to raise funds and awareness for cancer treatments. That time he became a famous icon in the cancer community by helping the cancer programs with more than 400 million dollars. He signs a contract with the United States Postal Service in 1997. His comeback to cycling was not the expected, he had some crushes and many disappointing results that made him consider even retiring. In 1999, Lance Armstrong won his first Tour de France title. When he finished the race, he raised his hands in the sky as a gesture to honour his passed away former teammate Fabio Casartelli. Media liked him more because of that gesture and created the image of a sensitive person. Despite the image he had in public, many cyclists defied his ability to achieve a pure win and alleged that he was using banned substances.

Armstrong right after the incident spoke to the public and used media to deny these allegations by saying:

“The only we have to hide is our hard work’ and ‘It is crazy; I would not put my life in danger after my disease.” (Cycling's Greatest Fraud: Lance Armstrong,2013)

Clearly, in that event, Armstrong according to Benoit’s restoration image theory used simple denial and he said he did not perform this act and also attacks the accuser by reducing its credibility. Armstrong shows a steady image to the audience and uses more emotional ways to make people empathized with him through mentioning his disease Media and audience loved him since then because he made them believe the unbelievable. All these years more

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and more cyclist athletes judged him about his performance by asking him: ‘What are you on?’.

Armstrong’s highlighted response came in 2001 with a Nike advertisement in which he answered to his accusers by saying:

“You want to know what I am on? I am on my bike for six hours a day. What are you on?” (Google privacy: Lance Armstrong Nike Commercial, 2005)

That movement was clearly an attack to his critics and showed to the audience that he is a hard work athlete and those doping accusations are not reliable. In 2002 when he was asked again by a journalist for that topic he commented:

“Why would I take that risk? I have everything I need … I have my family’s name. Do you think I want my son to go to high school in 2012 and somebody to say Luke Armstrong your dad got busted.” (Cycling's Greatest Fraud: Lance Armstrong,2013)

Again, Armstrong uses the denial strategy by saying that he has everything he needs and mentions his family and especially his son by giving the impression that he would not do something with an impact to his son’s life. Armstrong still highlights the importance of more emotional things, like his family this time, and makes the audience and media to envisage him as a family role model.

Alongside he did a campaign in 2004 through Lance Armstrong Foundation to support cancer survivors, which was called ‘Livestrong’, and he became a nation’s vision philanthropist. Many famous people backed him and admired his deed. That made him likeable and took away the shadows of doping allegations.

In the same year, he made one more statement for this topic saying that:

“I am tired. These allegations are not true… Enough is enough!” (The Lance Chronicles Wrap Up Show, 2004),

Those strengthen his image and made his accusers look bad in audience’s eyes.

In 2005, Armstrong won Tour de France for seventh time. While being on the podium he addressed to those who kept accusing him of doping and said:

“… I am sorry for you. I am sorry you can’t dream big and I am sorry you can’t believe in miracles.”(Stop at Nothing: The Lance Armstrong Story, 2014)

Also that year Armstrong and his former teammates testified under oath before lawyers. There Armstrong clearly denied taking any banned substances, such as EPO and attacked straight to his accusers even in personal by underestimate their image, calling them liars and claimed that they hated him.

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(CNN: Larry King Live, 2005)

Armstrong since then has never failed a drug test, but that does not stop the critics (Lance Armstrong, 2004).

3.3 First Retirement and back to cycling again

In his peak of career surprised everyone by announcing in a formal press conference that he “I beat cancer and returned to professional cyclist. Mission accomplished game over, time to move on with my life. It is time for me to go home and be a full time dad’’(Carmichael& Armstrong, p.227). His retirement was something unexpected and gave him time to dissipate the accusations against him by showing of his sensitive, cancer hero survivor image. Armstrong was in publicity through many actions, like going on ING NY City Marathon, in Boston Marathon in 2008, through his ‘Livestrong’ campaign and the creation of the homonymous website. He also was included in Time’s Magazine ‘100 Most Influential People’. Armstrong knew how to handle his image and the media followed him and favoured him. He appeared in many television shows and charitably events, talked about his win against cancer and gave motivation to people who fight with cancer. Armstrong interfered with many famous people and politicians and started gaining more power. In 2008 through his own website announced his comeback and in 2009 he takes part in Tour de France and finishes third.

In 2010, Armstrong denied his former teammate, Floyd Landis, comeback to the team. That incident was the cause to start an USADA investigation against Lance in 2011, after Landis’s allegations for taking banned substances. Armstrong spoke to the media once again and denied everything. He also was very secure and stated that he has nothing to hide or run away from and hit hard personally to Landis assuming that he accused him in order to make profit out of it. By saying these words, he reduced his accuser’s credibility and made himself look good.

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3.4 The disclosure

When the investigation started in 2011, Lance Armstrong’s legend crumbled. He had to act quickly in order to protect his reputation. Therefore, Armstrong once again took advantage of the media, and especially social media this time. He used many image restoration’s strategies, such as attack to his accusers and bolstering. Since 2012, Lance was posting comments, which aimed to show that he had nothing to be afraid of and challenged USADA to test him whenever they wanted. Also he turned his social media followers’ attention to more personal issues of his life and by posting tweets that could reinforce his relationship with his fans. Armstrong acted quickly and used the power of media to protect his legend during the difficult time of the crisis that threatened his career. The special relationship he had created with the media was shown even when the disclosure was made for his seven times fraud win in Tour de France. Media did not emphasize much to Armstrong’s case and revealed it during more important news, like Obama’s election and the Super bowl.

3.5 Apologize

When the big disclosure was made about Lance Armstrong’s cycling fraud, he tried to maintain some of his reputation and restore his image to the public by using some PR strategies such as reducing offensiveness by bolstering. Armstrong kept posting in social media about his workouts, despite the USADA decision to ban him from cycling for a life. Also, he still engaged with his social followers by reminding them what a hard work athlete he was and all the things he achieved. Once again evoked his relationship with many famous people.

Armstrong realized that after the crisis and the action he took in order to protect his reputation after the revelation of his fraud, it was time to make a change at his attitude. Therefore, he tried to turn his negative public image by giving an apologetic interview to Oprah (Lance Armstrong interview with Oprah, 2013). During this interview, he used many image restoration strategies. He used mortification, apologized for his actions and admitted that he took banned substances, like EPO, steroids and testosterone, until 2005. He simply denied that he was doped after his comeback despite the opposite USADA evidence. Then, he shifted the blame by saying that after his treatment from cancer his comeback to cycling could not be much successful. Therefore, he had to take those substances in order to keep up and cope with the high expectations of his team. Armstrong also made an effort to justify his illegal action.

Another strategy that Armstrong used was provocation. He tried to evade the responsibility by associating his actions with his cancer disease. Armstrong also victimized himself by saying that he deserves to be punished but not with death penalty, meaning that he

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understood the seriousness of his actions but he should not be shout out from his occupation with his Foundation. That statement could cause audience’s empathy, which it will make him more likeable and feel sorry for him.

Two more strategies that Lance Armstrong used in an effort to restore his public image after the crisis with his cycling fraud, was conforming and retrospective regret (Marion E. Hambrick, Evan L. Frederick , Jimmy Sanderson,p.211). The first strategy was used in order to minimize his part in that doping case, by saying that he was not the one who brought up the banned substances to cycling; he just did not stop that action. He also stated that everyone was doing it. The second strategy made him look regretted and that he changed. He said that some of his posts against USADA were not that appropriate and that along the way he forgot that he was a leader of a Foundation and most important a humanitarian.

4. A legend or a Liar?

Lance Armstrong’s case was characterized as the biggest cycling fraud. Obviously can be consider as crisis because it threatened Armstrong’ and general cycling’s reputation. Armstrong was a willing and determined man who wanted to achieve the unbelievable. He beat cancer and then wanted to take his career in a high level. Many allegations were made against him after his first Tour de France win. Nevertheless, those allegations did not stunt to his successful career rising. Lance Armstrong understood the power of the media and tried to create a special relationship with them, in order to take advantage of them. This is how he gained money, publicity, millions of fans and tried to decrease the effect of the crisis in his career. He was aware of the strategies that could prevent the highlight of the crisis. In the beginning, he used simple denial and drew audience’s attention to other aspects of his life, such as his cancer campaign and his philanthropist deed. Also, he could bond more with his followers by mentioning his family and how important it is for him. When the allegations became more intensive he started attacking his accusers even personally and underestimate their public image. His decision to retire when he was at the top of his game made him more likeable and gave the impression of a modest man who cares more for spending time with his family than keep winning. The things he did while he was away from cycling action increased his cancer hero survivor icon. People were inspired from him. He gained many celebrities and politicians by his side and that helped the topic of the doping to be not that visible in public. After his announcement of getting back to action made people, believe the unbelievable. Their hero was back. Nevertheless, Armstrong did not consider seriously the case of the revelation of his fraud. After the incident with Landis and the USADA investigation against him for taking banned substances, Armstrong had to take quick decisions about a recovery of his image and reputation. He took advantage of the media in

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order to engage more with his followers especially in social media, by minimizing the event, reminding them his positive actions. He tried to reduce the offensiveness of the event by bolstering. Lance Armstrong realized that he should show to the audience that he changed and regretted for his actions. That is how he could minimize the cost of the impact in his career. Therefore, in an interview to Oprah, a celebrity with a worldwide impact, apologized for his actions, he used mortification and provocation to justify his actions. In addition, Armstrong shifted the blame, evaded the responsibility and victimized himself in order to awake audience’s empathy.

Despite his knowledge of the image restoration strategies, he did not manage to disappear the shadows of the doping topic. The audience felt betrayed. Many Americans were not persuaded by his apology and though there was a lack of emotion and that he should take the whole responsibility. However, Lance Armstrong is still considered as a legend and his ‘Livestrong’ campaign helps many people.

REFERENCES

Armstrong L. (2005) It's Not About the Bike, Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons.

Benoit W. (1994) Accounts, Excuses, and Apologies: A Theory of Image Restoration Strategies, State University of New York Press (5 Dec. 1994).

Google privacy: Lance Armstrong Nike Commercial (2005) You Tube video, added by jchau [online]. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIl5RxhLZ5U (Accessed 28/12/2015).

Cycling's Greatest Fraud: Lance Armstrong (2013) National Geographic Documentary.

The Lance Chronicles Wrap Up Show (2004) Chanel: OLN, USA Documentary

Stop at Nothing: The Lance Armstrong Story (2014), Directed By Alex Holmes, ABC Commercial.

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Larry King Live: Lance Armstrong speaks out (2005) Chanel: CNN

Lance Armstrong interview with Oprah (2013), Oprah Winfrey Network (U.S. TV channel)

Clayton Rose & Noah Fisher, (2013) Following Lance Armstrong: Excellence Corrupted [online] available at http://jupiter.ba.cmu.ac.th/wp-uploads/jupiter.ba.cmu.ac.th/2014/09/Lance-Case-Study.pdf [27/12/2015]

Marion E. Hambrick, Evan L. Frederick and Jimmy Sanderson (2015) From Yellow to Blue:Exploring LanceArmstrong’s ImageRepair StrategiesAcross Traditional andSocial Media [online] available at https://www.academia.edu/4682206/From_Yellow_to_Blue_Exploring_Lance_Armstrongs_Image_Repair_Across_Traditional_and_Social_Media [27/12/2015]

Bradley M. (2004) Lance Armstrong (Benchmark All-Stars), Cavendish Square Publishing (Nov. 2004)

Carmichael C. & Armstrong L. (2006) Lance Armstrong Performance Program, Published September 9th 2000 by Rodale Books

PRESENTATION (YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o56YIv10XUo )

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