Unless you live under a rock, you’ve likely heard the news this week that Jared Fogle, who famously lost weight while eating a diet full of Subway sandwiches, is in a pickle. On Tuesday morning the FBI raided his Indiana home. At this point, it’s unclear whether Fogle is a suspect or ignorant bystander in an ongoing child-porn investigation. According to Adweek, “By noon, Subway – for whom Fogle has appeared in more than 300 television commercials since losing more than 200 pounds on an all-Subway diet as a college freshman in 1998 – issued a statement expressing shock. ‘We are very concerned and will be monitoring the situation closely,’ the brand said through a spokesperson.”
While I’ve never believed eating what I consider to be subpar sandwiches a dieting win, I remain amazed by the longevity of Fogle’s relationship with Subway. I think I was only around 18 when I first saw Fogle on “Oprah” touting his weight loss and love of fast food subs. I’m 34 now and Fogle’s face is still closely associated with the brand. I’ve even seen him on my local news when he’s been in town speaking at school assemblies. A 2013 article from the New York Daily News states his gig as a brand ambassador for Subway is the only job he’s ever held.
There’s no arguing Fogle turned his Subway-fueled weight-loss into a lucrative career as a spokesperson for the brand. For more than 15 years, he’s worked hand-in-hand with the company in its longest running campaign. But given the news that broke this week, the long-term relationship is on hold.
Planning for a crisis is part of our job as PR professionals. We think through every possible scenario and consider responses and other ways to mitigate the damage to our clients. In this situation – one that should have been outlined in a crisis communications plan under “employee/executive/spokesperson scandal” – Subway’s PR team reacted swiftly and effectively. Fogle hasn’t been charged with a crime, so Subway technically has no grounds to officially terminate the relationship.
Unlike the rest of us, Subway’s communications professionals can’t sit back and wait to see how this unfolds. Public moves they’ve made include purging Fogle from the company website and releasing a statement that the parties have mutually agreed to suspend their relationship due to the investigation. But behind the scenes, Subway’s PR team should be spending considerable time looking at this from all angles and honing communications tactics for each potential outcome.
I’m impressed with the way Subway has handled the crisis to date and I’m interested to see what the brand communicates next about its relationship with Fogle. What do you think about the way the company has handled the issue with its most famous spokesperson?