Sponsorship

what the whole event has missed since the potential PR disaster first began to loom on the horizon was a clear communications strategy. Not until the 11th hour, with the intervention of chief minister Sheila Dikshit, has there been a "face" to clarify, cajole and explain the difficult situation.

Rugby has a proud repuation for fairness and sportsmanship. Indeed it trumpets this loud over its rival "thuggish" sport soccer. However, what will this scandal do to that hard-won reputation?

Well, the UK's sporting press got very excited yesterday when Liverpool's star striker Fernando Torres was spotted celebrating Spain's World Cup victory in a Liverpool scarf.

media relations is not a one way street. It is about relationships and dialogue. This afternoon, the world's greatest golfer, the master of his own destiny and his own mind, may well find that his single-minded stubborness to accept defeat in any area of his life is not his greatest strength but his biggest weakness.

Whatever happens, Terry has caused this problem for himself. Like Tiger Woods before him he has been exposed as the antithesis of what he portrays. It is that portrayal which has, along with his undoubted talent, elevated him to where he is today. It is that portrayal which may ultimately be his downfall.

The media offers the ultimate tool to raise awareness of campaigns - be they cynical or philanthropic. PR consultants and their clients have the skills, contacts and ability to utilise this tool. Whether that be for pure commercial gain, charitable causes or a combination of both, I'd argue that the question should always be "which came first?" The PR campaign or the urge to help?

Tiger would have been better served by coming out and making a statement to the media immediately. Instead, he sat back, probably worried about saying or doing the wrong thing. The resultantvacuum of silence was then filled by a voracious media, determined to get their pound of flesh and now the leeches are forming on the underbelly of the popular press, feeding their faces at the banquet before the platters are removed.