Manti T’eo. Today, it's not about his prowess as a sportsman but about a social media hoax. As it stands no one knows for sure what happened. And Manti T’eo will probably never shake the specter of the story. It will follow him forever no matter the outcome.
It's not a common storyline, but horror stories with the same hint of deception are widespread. The person in the profile isn't even close to the real-life person.
So, while your reputation isn't likely to be damaged by a fake dead girlfriend, this story can teach us a few things about reputational risk and how you can protect your image online - something we at Gibson refer to as 'Personal Brand'
1) Honesty Really Is The Best Policy
People lied here. No one can be certain as to how much Manti knew, he says he was duped too, but lies were certainly told. For the most part, those lies were extremely successful. And they came back to haunt the liar. The lesson is that you can’t maintain untruths on social media.
When you post something, even if you delete it, it can be found or recovered by someone. Whenever you post something on social media, you need to be able to stand behind the content. The reputational risk management tip here is simple, don’t post anything that might come back to haunt you.
2) Social Media Is Two-Way Communication
The lies about Lennay Kekua came out because of the activity and images posted on fake twitter accounts. A number of accounts related to the hoax were deleted as soon as people questioned their credibility. The hoaxers never considered the fact that ordinary people would be able to talk to ‘Lennay’ and that not all of the conversations would be positive.
It's something every person and business needs to consider when using social media. You need to be prepared for anything your friends or followers throw at you. Deleting the account is not a recommended form of reputational risk management.
3) No Reputation Is Risk Proof
The main takeaway here is the sheer volume of interest in this story and the damage it has done to one of the brightest young talents in the country. Manti probably felt bulletproof for most of last year. He certainly appeared be building a truly legendary sporting story. Now he looks foolish at best and devious at worst. His personal brand is tarnished.
That same reputational risk hangs over each and every person and business. Manage your brand closely.
