Michigan’s Punter Teaches Us Valuable PR Lessons

As you may have heard, Michigan recently lost to rival Michigan State on one heck of a strange play in the final seconds of their recent matchup:But this post isn’t about debating the merits of punting in that situation vs. running another play – that’s been done to death – but instead to praise the way the punter handled his moment under the national microscope:Not many seasoned spokespersons could handle the situation with as much aplomb as Michigan’s 25-year-old punter. So what PR lessons can we learn?

• Own up to mistakes – shifting the blame elsewhere usually makes the situation worse

• Don’t let the mistakes define us – we all make mistakes, but they don’t have to become who we are; use them as a learning opportunity

• Spend the necessary time to collect thoughts and reign in emotions – don’t put off discussing mistakes indefinitely, but step away from emotional moments so when it’s time to address them, we can do so rationally

Blake O’Neil undoubtedly had a rough night following the game-ending miscue and likely learned a few things about himself, his teammates and all those around him. But by stepping up to the mic and handling the questions with grace, he taught us all a lesson in overcoming adversity. As PR pros, we strive to coach our clients how to handle tough media questions, but now we’ve got the perfect example to show them.