John Tantillo’s Winner and Loser of The Week

Brand Winner...	And Loser...

John Tantillo’s Winner and Loser of The Week:

Winner:  Juan Williams

Loser:  National Public Radio        

Winner: 

It’s a personal branding truth that often the best way to promote your brand is to simply be yourself. 

That’s what Juan Williams did on Bill O’Reilly last week and it worked wonders.

As a result of Williams saying what he felt –and what many people feel— NPR decided it had grounds to fire its long-time correspondent.

The result of NPR’s decision was an immediate outcry against the injustice.  After all, Williams wasn’t appearing on O’Reilly in his capacity as a reporter but as an analyst and even as a private citizen just voicing his opinion.

The immediate effect for Williams –other than the loss of a job— was the recognition of just how strong and well-liked his brand was.  People genuinely wanted to defend him not only because a wrong had been done but because the Juan Williams brand is something that many people value.

Why?

Because NPR’s take aside, Williams is seen as an honest broker, a thinker and journalist who delivers solid analysis that can cross party lines and see the big picture.

He also handled his dismissal with his usual coolness and charm.    

No question about it, Juan exited a bad week with a brand that was stronger than ever.  It’s often been said that you can tell a great deal about a personal brand not when things are going right but when things are going terribly wrong.  Juan has raised himself in almost everybody’s estimation after this incident.  That means his brand profile has more appeal than ever before.

Now the big question is what he will do with this appeal.  It’s critical to exploit the opportunity.  For Juan this means promptly figuring out what he should do next. 

The NPR door is closed.  He’s already well ensconced at Fox.  Probably the next thing is a) his own show and/or b) a book that gets to the heart of the current conservative/liberal battle and highlights strengths and appeal.  By doing this, he can position his brand for future growth and also cement our perception of it.

Loser:

NPR wasn’t as lucky as Juan. 

But then again, luck doesn’t have anything to do with it.  Bad brand management does.

Bottom line, if you are NPR, you simply can’t afford to be seen as reactionary.  The NPR brand is supposed to be about high-quality, non-partisan news gathering and analysis.  It’s mission is to stand above the political fray not to descend into it.

But that’s exactly what NPR by firing Juan Williams.  Even worse, it took a side in the political battle.  By going after him for something he said on Fox made them appear to be trying to quash the “other” side of the political debate. 

Worse for their brand, they gave their opponents plenty of ammunition to argue even more persuasively now that NPR should be defunded because it is too partisan.

What can NPR do to repair the brand damage?  It could hire a few well-known and credible conservatives to help strike the kind of editorial balance that would suggest that they really do represent all Americans.  They might even consider admitting their mistake and re-hiring Juan.

But, folks, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

The other thing that’s suffered here –and the reason many liberals groaned at NPR’s decision— was that it gives liberals a black eye.  Let’s be honest.  After all, Fox, long considered a conservative operation, hired Williams knowing his liberal-centrist pedigree, so NPR’s decision simply re-enforces the idea that liberals are intolerant of positions that differ from their own.  In this sense, it’s a very pubic tarring of their brand’s supposed openness.

And, remember, things are always easier when you keep marketing and branding in mind.