To err is corporate
Posted on 11. Nov, 2008 in Bike Racing, Sponsors
VeloNews.com is reporting that the folks at Barloworld have changed their minds about the decision to withdraw from their team sponsorship following a positive doping test during the Tour de France. As I wrote for ROAD, you can’t fault a sponsor for dropping or sticking with a team; both have their pros and cons. Here’s what I find really interesting about Barloworld:
“That decision [to drop the team] was made in the heat of the moment. Afterward, they had time to reflect and even before the Tour was over, they had intended to return,” team spokesman Claudio Masnata said Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.
I can’t think of another time that a company reversed such a visible decision that was neither causing a public outcry nor losing money. No one likes to admit that they made a mistake and companies are especially loathe to acknowledge a bad decision. But it happens and I hope that this decision by Barloworld is part of a larger trend (and I’m not just talking about bike racing sponsors).
Everyone has heard that to err is human, but the second part of the adage is less well known: “…to forgive is divine.” So I admire Barloworld for swallowing their pride, even if they were going to be writing the checks regardless.
