Last week, I wrote a post about the Lance Armstrong scandal and how the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) stripped Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and banned him for life. Within the last week, things have gone from bad to considerably worse for Armstrong.
The International Cycling Union has ruled in favor of the USADA’s findings, officially stripping Armstrong of his titles and banning him from the sport for life. In addition to Nike, both Anheuser Busch and RadioShack have dropped their sponsorship to Armstrong. The athlete changed his Twitter biography, removing information about winning his Tour de France titles. His Livestrong charity is still doing remarkably well, though the website still contains information about Armstrong winning the titles. Donations to the Livestrong Foundation have increased in recent weeks despite Armstrong’s personal struggles. However, this could be due to the organization celebrating its 15th anniversary. There are some who want their donations back, saying Armstrong scammed the organization and is a disgrace.
Without cycling and Livestrong, what is left for Lance Armstrong? His personal brand was built around his career as an exceptional athlete, cancer survivor and philanthropist. His cycling career is now forever tarnished and he no longer runs his charity. Of course, he still beat cancer and can focus on aspects of his personal life, like raising his children. But in terms of his professional career, it seems like Armstrong caused irreversible damage to his brand.
One other big question remains: Will Armstrong ever admit to doping? As of right now, Armstrong strongly denies using any illegal substances. While some Armstrong supporters will always stand by him, the general public cannot refute 1,000 pages of evidence. If Armstrong admits to the findings and apologizes, will his brand recover? An apology would be a great start but Armstrong must rebuild the trust he once had with his fans, other athletes and supporters of his charity.
What do you think about Armstrong’s personal brand? Can he recover? Share your thoughts with me!
Tagged: Lance Armstrong, Livestrong, Personal Branding, Reputation
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