By: Kristen Paquet, Account Executive, Leonard & Finco Public Relations
That
is what I would ask the Olympic swimming star if I met him. I have no idea who
thought that giving Lochte his own reality show (What Would Ryan Lochte Do? which airs on E!) was a good idea, but
it has to be one of the worst decisions…ever.
The
show got plenty of attention ahead of its debut. Lochte made several public
appearances and did a lot of interviews, but on premier night, the show tanked
in the ratings. This makes me think that no one was ever really interested in
the show. They were more interested in watching the train wreck that happened
each time Lochte did an interview to promote the show. Here is one that went
viral to give you some perspective:
So
what does this mean from a public relations perspective? Some experts have said
that Lochte’s exposure to the public – positive or negative – has been good for
the sport of swimming. Others have said that it just makes him look like an
idiot and that more people now associate Lochte with his foolish and awkward
interviews rather than being a gold medal Olympic swimmer. From my perspective
one thing is true: he is just a mess.
But,
the truth is that he is getting buzz. Good or bad, it's buzz. The Lochte name
is alive and well, and the next Olymics is still three years away. But the
question remains if we will see any back peddling or a more interview savvy
Lochte in the future. If his show had been an immediate success, this probably
wouldn’t be an issue. But now that the show doesn’t seem to be as successful as
originally hoped, I’m wondering if the not-so-favorable media attention will
have Lochte wishing he would have approached things differently.
Let
me ask you this: Is there still hope for Lochte after all of this? Do you think
he can reinvent himself to save face? Should he?
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