Brand Advice for Lance Armstrong: "Come Clean"

I tend to believe where there is smoke, there is indeed fire. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been said to have been a womanizer for years. Are we all that surprised he had an affair and consequently a love child? Similarly, we've listened to accusations against  Lance Armstrong regarding his use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) for quite some time. No matter how fast he is on his bike, the reality is he will not be able to outrun these accusations forever. The truth will eventually come out and each week the case against him grows stronger and stronger. Even his own teammates are starting to talk about how they witnessed him using PEDs. I know there is pride at stake. I know there are 7 Tour de France victories. And most importantly, there is the Livestrong brand that could be tarnished. Or not, depending on how Lance and his team decide to handle things. It's the Livestrong brand that can ultimately save Lance Armstrong from public ruin. Here's my advice.

Step 1. Swallow your pride and step aside. You messed up and it's now time to make this less about Lance Armstrong the cyclist and more about Lance Armstrong the philanthropist.

Step 2. Come clean. Craft a story around why you used PEDs. There are tons of directions you can take here. For example, you just overcame cancer. Cycling was your passion and you realized you could use it as your platform to raise awareness about cancer. You needed the extra help to be competitive and strong again. You weren't intending on using PEDs long. YOU MADE A MISTAKE. Keep it short. Don't point any fingers anywhere else. Move on.

Step 3. Build Livestrong brand awareness. Remind people how Livestrong was created to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. In addition to cancer related programs, Livestrong inspires all people to eat healthy and get fit. Stress how the Lance Armstrong Foundation has raised over 400 million dollars for the fight against cancer.

I believe if Lance were to be honest and follow these three steps, he'd be able to salvage the good he's already built through his foundation and the Livestrong brand. In time, he may even be able to rebuild his personal brand. If he continues to deny the accusations and they eventually find him guilty of using PEDs, he will not only damage his personal brand, but could take the Livestrong brand down with him. People won't trust him as a person and as a result, may not trust him with their charitable donations. In the end, everyone would lose. Come clean, focus everyone back on the good and let the healing begin.