Evan Morgenstein, founder and CEO of several talent and corporate representation agencies including PMG Sports, CelebExperts and others has represented over 250 Olympic athletes who have won collectively over 150 Olympic medals including Mark Spitz, Dara Torres, Dominique Dawes and Phil Dalhausser. Morgenstein is a public speaker who has motivated entrepreneurs and small business executives about overcoming risk and fear as they build their futures.
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Let me start by saying I have known Ryan for the better part of 10 years plus and my personal opinion of him is that he is a very good guy, didn’t have the best people around him when he was younger and always needed to deal with his insecurities that lead him to treat people the way that he does.
Having said that, I can honestly see a pathway for Ryan to be successful and useful as a corporate spokesperson for various companies. He obviously made a mistake. But let’s evaluate that and decide if Ryan deserves a second chance. He was at an Olympics in Rio, got wasted with his buddies, on his way home needed to take a piss and failed to take his business indoors vs relieving himself in the open space of a corridor. Now on it’s face it is immature and stupid. But for God’s sake who hasn’t been drunk with your friends and just lost control of your senses. I have. And probably not as long ago as I would like to believe. Did he vandalize a sign, yes. Does he deserve public scorn for going on TV drunk and lying, no doubt.
But the question is, does Ryan Lochte have any juice left in the tank as a corporate spokesperson? No Question! Listen, Ryan represents all the millennials out there that don’t give a s*** about authority and want to stick it to the man for trying to control them. Now is Pine Bros a good move? I think ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! Truth is, it’s a stupid play for a company that sells almost exclusively to moms. Moms are not thinking Ryan Lochte is a good role model even if their kids love him for being quirky, funny and off the hook.
Companies like tech/electronics are a perfect play for Ryan and his peeps as well as any brand that is about kicking ass and taking no prisoners like maybe a energy drink that has post hangover benefits would be a good fit. I think Uber should scoop him up and talk about using their services vs. driving when you are out with your friends would be ballsy but big. I think there are a lot of possibilities for Ryan including focusing on social media shoutouts for companies.
Evan Morgenstein, CEO CelebExperts | CEO PMG Sports | Co-host at CEO Powercast|, Sports Marketing, Sports Agent, Celebrity Booking Agent, Corporate Consulting | PMG SPORTS
Ryan’s social media if significant, his voice is being heard and he absolutely has a fan base that looks, sounds and identifies with him. So he is a force to be dealt with if managed and marketed the right way. Time will tell if that is possible.
If Ryan cleans up his act, focuses on giving back (maybe a tour of swim clubs and YMCA’s doing free talks on making the right life choices) could elevate his brand to a new level. Let’s be clear, Ryan will never have an Olympic performance like he did in say London and win a ton of medals, those days have passed, but his viability as a corporate spokesperson is actually in his hands now and it will be interesting to see how he handles this opportunity.
Ryan, if you are reading this, or if someone is reading this to you, pick your head up. You are an American Olympic athlete that has made a mistake. Own it, deal with it, make yourself better and go out there and make us proud! Stop with the dumb*** antics. You have something special inside of you. It’s time to find that and use it to help others. You have been selfish long enough!
You can follow Evan Morgenstein on Twitter here.
I’m also a mom and I remember when he was injured at Mesa Pro Swim Series. He propped up his leg and spent the entire (hot) day signing and taking pictures with kids. I’m sorry but I like him. I wouldn’t call him a great roll model but neither are a lot of athletes out there. That’s ok, that’s what Neil DeGrasse Tyson is for. And if I remember correctly, after Phelps’ DUI, Lochte said that Phelps should have a driver like he does. Lochte wasn’t driving drunk. He was being an obnoxious celebrant. If I had to choose between drunken vandalism and DUI, well… I wish there was Ryan Lochte stock. Because I would buy right now. He’s definitely… Read more »
Well youre talking about him and the brand right now so id say thats effective enough exposure
I am mom and did buy cough drops exclusively because of this story. I want my kids know you will make mistakes and face consequences but it’s not the end of the world. Someday they may hear stories about mistakes I’ve made too. Look in the mirror people.
I am Mom, and will not be buying cough drops!
Bold statement. You won’t buy the cough drops you never heard of before Lochte was sponsored by them.
Pretty much everybody outside the US who has heard of Lochte hates him, and the same is true for the lefties in the US. American moderates figure if so many people hate Lochte then they can’t be wrong. Unless you’re willing to write off everyone except American right wingers I don’t see Lochte as a good choice for a corporate spokesman.
As far as all those millennials out there who want to stick it to the man, they are represented by Colin Kaepernick who woud be a much better choice as a corporate spokesman,
You can’t get any more “lefty” than Michael Moore, and he’s one of Lochte’s biggest and loudest defenders. He’s right, too, because true journalism, in its “fourth estate” role, was absent in the whole mess. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/aug/24/michael-moore-rips-ryan-lochtes-critics-matt-lauer/.
The fact that Forbes is profiling a Lochte defense bodes well for Lochte’s marketing future. http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2016/08/27/michael-moore-proven-right-and-matt-lauer-wrong-about-ryan-lochte-incident/#5f727167e6f5.
He’s going to do just fine. Hopefully he’ll swim fast, too.
Thanks for including these two links. Wish swim swam would put USA Today or these findings in an article to maybe get the swim community a little less angry with him
He’ll recover because a) the excitement of the olympics will wear off and swimming will no longer be in the media, and b) we live in a society where athletic performance can outweigh misconduct.
I’m all about forgiveness, and don’t think he, or anyone, should be forever punished or marked with a scarlet letter, but in my humble opinion, Lochte should do something that benefits society to make reparations, not scrambling to maintain sponsors or half-assed apologies.
Dancing with the Stars will be his redemption!
I think the USA Today investigative piece was his redemption.
Despite the fact the networks and most paper still they they destroyed the bathroom. Wish the USA Today findings could hit mainstream in U.S.
People will forget about Lochte’s indiscretions when he starts swimming like he did when he set the world record in 2011. He needs positive publicity in the pool not publicity through things that have nothing to do with swimming. I wonder who is advising him?
Non-swimmers will be very quick to forgive him and the ones he’s marketing to. They could care less whether he swims another fast time or not. He’s a quirky celebrity Olympian of some sort who gets roasted by Fallon at the VMAs yesterday with Phelps laughing in the audience, and in People magazine this week. His story has already been replaced by the Kaepernick controversy over not standing for the National Anthem. He’s not marketing to SwimSwam, and shouldn’t.