Livestrong needs a new leader after Armstrong’s admission

Lance Armstrong made a career out of fighting against all odds. Last week he submitted to his newest challenge, allegations of doping while competing in his Tour de France victories.

If there ever were someone who could overcome career-ending circumstances such as these, it would be him. Armstrong has never been the most compassionate guy. He has a history of betrayal, solitude and single mindedness, which makes the fact that he has a brand as recognizable as Nike riding on his career all the more interesting.

Livestrong is a brand that was built on the back of Armstrong and his seven Tour de France titles. Armstrong started Livestrong, originally the Lance Armstrong Foundation, after his fight with cancer. Armstrong recently admitted to using an array of performance-enhancing drugs while competing in Tour de France. “I will spend the rest of my life trying to earn back trust and apologize to people- for the rest of my life,” said Armstrong in his interview with Oprah.

So what happens to the Livestrong brand? A brand that’s manifesto uses phrases like, “We believe in information. Not pity,” and “Founded and inspired by Lance Armstrong, one of the toughest cancer survivors on the planet.”

Transparency has been a buzzword in business since companies became aware of the benefits of an online presence. The more transparent a company is, that is the more information is available to a consumer and the easier it is for a consumer to engage with that company, the more likely a consumer will trust them. And one of the best ways to be more transparent is to build a solid brand.

When we think of some of the most memorable brands — like Disney, Nike and Apple – there are feelings and personality that come to mind. An established brand encourages consumers to engage with a brand and share it with their friends. Advertisers have long been aware of the value in this. A single phrase, person or event can change a company into a household name — or in this case, a really memorable brand. Nike was built on the “Just do it” campaign, Michael Jordan and tapping into consumer’s personal reasons for participating in sports.

Rebuilding the brand could be an ad agency’s worst nightmare or a major victory. And the same can be said for Armstrong’s career. Some might say his career is over and others might argue that a carefully executed social branding strategy could allow him to remain a figurehead for Livestrong, and could save him from withering from the limelight and be blown away like other fallen greats like Pete Rose, Darryl Strawberry, Michael Irvin and Jose Canseco.

So what does it take to lasso a falling star? Poker players call it calculated risk, others call it brand strategy.

Most rebranding, reinventing or repositioning starts with what we can see. An actress will stun the red carpet with a drastic new haircut, a brand will change its name or logo and Charlie Sheen will host a cooking show from his house.

According to a Business Insider article, “In the late 90s, Target was seen as just another low-brow discount retailer, indistinguishable from Wal-Mart or K-Mart.” But with smart initiatives by Ron Johnson, a former vice president of marketing, they became “the second largest discount retailer in the United States, after Wal-Mart.” In the Bloomberg Businessweek Executive profile on Johnson, it was said, “Mr. Johnson presided over a successful period of growth at Target, playing a key role in developing new initiatives for branding, marketing and merchandising. Mr. Johnson (headed) the team responsible for launching the Michael Graves exclusive line of products, as well as the addition of other key brands to the store’s selection.

Armstrong needs a Ron Johnson or a blog about cats. Anyone on the Internet can be noticed if they talk about or post enough pictures of cats. We’ll just have to wait and see what will happen to Livestrong and Armstrong. One thing is for certain: expect some major changes. I hope Livestrong survives this storm. Armstrong I can do without.