In case everyone thinks this is just boring American gridiron talk – well, a lot of this article is, but bear with us – it’s also an interesting PR study.
Sometimes it's better to hold off on hitting "Tweet".
Nutshell: The San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns apparently held talks about the Browns obtaining 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh in exchange for draft picks and cash. This is a big story because star coaches like Harbaugh are rarely traded, and such talks would mean that Harbaugh and his superiors in San Francisco probably aren't getting along.
Check out the following excerpt, which outlines how 49ers CEO Jed York tweeted a denial of the talks, only to be inadvertently outed later on by Browns owner Jimmy Haslam:
“Pro Football Talk reported on Friday that Cleveland ‘nearly pulled off a trade’ to send multiple draft picks to the Niners for Harbaugh, but that Harbaugh decided to stay. Other reporters jumped to quash the rumor, citing their sources denying it ever happened. (One of those sources was undoubtedly CEO Jed York, who tweeted the report ‘isn't true.’) (Emphasis added.)
But a funny thing happened. After Browns owner Jimmy Haslam went on the record to say ‘there was an opportunity there, and it didn't materialize,’ York walked back his denial. He told SI today that ‘the Browns reached out to me, and we had no interest in pursuing it.’"
It’s possible Jim Harbaugh himself sprung the leak. He's no dummy; it would gain him a lot of leverage in his upcoming contract negotiations with the Niners. The point, though, is that York could have looked less foolish with some decent PR advice.
Lessons learned:
- When discussing a deal, companies need to keep their comms people firmly in the loop during highly sensitive negotiations, to manage information AND prevent leaks.
- Twitter can be dangerous in all but the most skilled and/ or cautious executive hands.
- Always, ALWAYS assume that a big story – big enough that it requires a cover-up – is going to get out. And when it gets out, you'd better have a plan.