The Art of the Apology

Like a lot of people, I have been following the Gulf oil spill... and the related apologies - from BP, from the regulatory agencies, from Tony Hayward and other executives, and the list goes on. And it is not only the oil spill. Recently I've heard apologies from General McChrystal, Val Kilmer, Dave Weigel, JD Hayworth, Akio Toyoda, Joe Barton, Subway Sandwiches... oh hell, just Google "apologizes" and see what I mean.

So here it is folks, a marketer's guide to spin contr- er, apologies. I hope you’ll never need it.

1. You are sorry. A brief statement to open the apology that states the offense and expresses remorse and modesty. Shame is also useful if addressing issues of moral turpitude. Express interest in regaining trust/keeping customers.
2. You know what you did. A paragraph dedicated to a complete, albeit brief, restatement of the event or behavior.
3. You are responsible. Capitulate to your role in the incident and shift no blame, even if in fact it was shared. Your audience, not you, will assign blame among multiple parties. Acknowledge the injury done to effected parties.
4. You won't do it again. Detail your commitment to change and show customers/the public the actions you are taking to ensure that this type of situation will not happen again. (This is where celebrities announce their intention to go to rehab.)
5. You'll 'do the time'. If appropriate, offer details on information on restitution and compensation.
   

And if Tony Hayward is any guide, don’t worry, you don't have to mean it. As Jean Giraudoux once sagely stated, “The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.”