Even Kings Need Media Training
By now, we’ve all watched/heard/read about the public relations disaster/victory that was LeBron James’ hour-long special on ESPN announcing his decision on where to dock his free agency ship.
And while much could be said – and has been said – about the soundness of the method for announcing the decision, there is no denying the quality of media training that James received prior to the episode.
Even Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, simply said, “Media training,” when asked by paparazzi for his thoughts on LeBron’s interview. Some say that Cuban meant LeBron needed media training, but in this author’s opinion, Cuban might have actually recognized how well LeBron was prepared to perform on camera.
Owning the interview
From a PR perspective, LeBron was on his game in answering the slew of questions shot (or maybe bounce-passed) at him by ESPN reporters. He knew his key message points like they were written on Jim Gray’s forehead: that this decision was difficult, that he was thankful to the Cleveland Cavaliers and their fans, that he is excited to join the Heat and bring a championship to Miami, that he places high priority on being a good player on and off the court, that he is looking forward to sharing the spotlight with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and that he ultimately made the decision that was right for him.
Following right along in the media training textbook under the chapter about blocking and bridging, LeBron remained open with reporters but also was careful to positively rephrase answers to questions that could have lead him in an undesired direction. He repeated his key messages over and over. He stuck to his points and didn’t stray. He was poised, came off humble and was engaging.
Gotta admit, he was good
Regardless of your opinions about LeBron, he is a prime example of a well-trained and well-practiced spokesperson. He showed us that media training is not an option but a necessity when preparing for interviews, and is key to characterizing and protecting a brand.
About the Author: Ashley White
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2 comments so far
Melinda says:
While he may have owned this interview, he could have avoided bad publicity by leaving the Cavs in a more respectful manner. They obivously spent all of their time on the media training.
Data recovery says:
I agree with this point that media training is necessary.