Bit of a rant incoming but Iâve been struggling to put this to words
The problem Mercedes have had in the past couple months is theyâve hit an unstoppable force (fan frustration at their behaviour) and decided to be an immovable object (refuse to accept their view and thus do anything to change their behaviour), an insane stance when anyone who watched the McLaren debacle from last year would know it doesnât work.
The frustration Mercedes has, is to them, theyâve done nothing wrong. And itâs logically, itâs likely true, favouring a driver does them almost no favours, and teams donât make mistakes on purpose because it costs them money. If youâre Bradley Lord, deputy team boss, you cannot fathom people thinking you would willingly lose the chance at the constructors prize at the end of the year. Mercedes LOVES money. Theyâve also cultured George for years, and there IS a lot going on behind the scenes we will never get to see, in terms of inner support.
But because to them, what fans are saying isnât true, theyâve completely refused to engage with the fact itâs the way THEY BEHAVED that made fans feel that way, and theyâve refused to make any changes to curtail it, and just keep talking down to them. Double empathy is hardâ itâs hard for people to empathise with others who have had a different experience to them, and we donât want to empathise with them when they donât ever take steps to empathise with us. Continuing to tell fans âyouâre wrongâ doesnât tackle the root feeling, and just makes them madder.
You canât keep telling fans âhey youâre insane for thinking we donât like Georgeâ when your team principle slags him off in interviews, you canât keep a story straight about the problems with his car (is it wind is it battery deployment is it balance is it George), heâs both unlucky but suddenly his luck has only been bad once compared to poor Kimi, you let Kimi mouth off to Italian media and then let said Italian media insult George in ways that damn near justify a boycott, you donât show up VISIBLY for podiums, you send your team principle out on Antonelliâs Win but for Georgeâs win he doesnât even get the guy he requested, Georgeâs home race merch collection is the other drivers colours, Kimi is made a focus at Georgeâs home race, and your social media strategy is so bad because itâs trying to be a quirky brand pop star account and not what it needs to be right now, more locked down than a politicians mid election.
None of these things mean that Mercedes hate George, but theyâre the ONLY public image theyâre presenting. When the only puzzle pieces your hand fans are the worst parts, you canât be surprised when they put them together and assume thatâs the entire picture. Telling them theyâre idiots for not getting that thereâs more that you never showed them, doesnât get them to go âgosh youâre right mister, gee wizzâ, it gets them telling you to fuck off under every post.
As someone whose previous title was head of communications, youâd think Bradley would KNOW all this.
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