Last week, I wrote a post about Komen’s decision to sever ties with Planned Parenthood, citing timing as the biggest reason for its PR failure.  In just a few days, a tremendous backlash on social media sites and in the news forced Komen to buckle.  But did Komen’s reversal fix its image problem?

The reversal put out the fire, but the remains are charred.  Komen’s image has been marred, at least in the near term, by the foundation’s perceived folding under political pressure, and even though Komen appeased irate Planned Parenthood supporters, its brand has been weakened.  Komen appears to have bowed to pressure twice in a short period of time, conveying the image of an easily influenced, weakly principled organization.

Is there anything Komen can do now to rehabilitate its image?  Komen’s CEO Nancy Brinker maintains that the decision was never political, but people don’t seem to be buying it.  Can Komen change that?  Probably not.  Overtures to Planned Parenthood, at least in the short term, will appear manufactured, and any other efforts to prove that the initial decision was not politically motivated likely wouldn’t change minds but rather would serve to perpetuate the memory of its blunder.

Komen did something right by listening to people’s reactions.  One could argue that its reversal was wishy-washy, but there is a fundamental difference between the first decision and its reversal: Komen’s initial decision appeared to be forced by Congress and lobbyists, whereas the reversal seemed to be driven by social media and donors.  You could also argue that Komen really had no choice.  But, really, you always have a choice, and more than one organization has hanged itself in the past for not admitting fault.  At least Komen listened and reacted.

All Komen can do now to move forward is to carry out its noble mission to the best of its abilities and let its good work heal its image over time.