WSAD? (What Should Ariel Do?)

As a communication expert, we always need to be prepared for crisis communication or disaster management. If a company suffered a bad publication, or when bad things happened, like with BP’s oil spill or Toyota’s cars, the communication people need to work very hard to communicate the right message (while some other people work on to make things right) and to win the public favour again.

In theory, companies need to be prepared for crisis way in advance; however not many companies did that. I believe, Ariel had also never thought that such drama would happen, but yeah, here it is, and he has to face it!

So, here is my humble opinion regarding what he needs to do to clear the air:

Scenario 1: Launch a single/album

Celebrities, especially musicians, usually would create a drama or scandal to increase their popularity in order to promote the next movie, single, or album that would be launched. What Ariel could do is to write a song (or an album) as soon as possible and launch it! And theeen, people would think that all the tapes that leaked were “faked” to boost his popularity.

Scenario 2: Pay the 3 billions

As the rumour goes, Ariel was asked to pay 3 billions rupiahs in order to get this laptop (and harddisc) back. As much as I still want to see more videos, he could pay this ransom in order to stop the drama temporarily. YET, I am almost sure that the culprit has already copied the whole files. He would use these again as soon as he finished the 3 billions. Thus, be careful!

Scenario 3: Go to the police

As much as I believe that the tapes are original, I guess Indonesian people would be quite happy to hear that the tapes are actually faked and Ariel would sue whoever did and spread the tapes. He then would go to the police, report it, and bla bla bla. After some months of so called “investigation”, people would eventually forget about this drama. After all, Indonesians are quite familiar with the reputation that Indonesian polices have: the bad guys can never be captured (remember Eddy Tansil, Munir’s killer, and other corruption cases)and they procrastinate.

Scenario 4: Make an adult movie called “My 30 Something Girls” (don’t take this tip seriously)

It is silly, I know. But Ariel can say that the tapes were actually originated from the upcoming adult movie he is working on :P

Scenario 5: Create another drama

What makes headline on newspapers, magazine, infotainment, or television programs? Drama. The worse your drama, the more chance you have to be on the headline. Create another drama that would beat this one. For instance, go to a doctor, make the infotainment journalists follow you, and ask the doctor to fake a statement that you had serious illness or something. And the focus then will be you and your illness. People will feel sorry that you are very ill or you are dying, and shift the focus from those sex tapes.

Scenario 6: Be a gentleman! (this is serious)

My mom used to say that you will be held accountable for everything you do. So, be a man, admit what you have done, and apologise. Apologise to the people you have hurt, like the 30-something girls, your parents, your fans, and the public. Say in the end of your statement that you are sorry and this will never happen again. Also say that you are ready to go to any rehabilitation (if you actually suffered from sex-addiction). Best practise regarding this scenario: Tiger Woods.

Scenario 7: Hiring the best PR person he could ever find!

Hire the best PR person, pay the price, and just shut up, let that person handle this matter.

Scenario 8: Hire the A-Team

At least, this is what @newsplatter suggested :P

Scenario 9: Go to Timbuktu

If he realised that he screwed up so bad that there is nothing else he could do, just flee to Timbuktu and don’t even think to come back for this time being.

Good luck, Mr. Ariel