I analyzed the shares of earned media interactions against each player,” Sadie said, gazing at the paperwork in her hand, waiting for Leonard to reply as he sat across from her, reviewing her statistics report.
“Let’s focus on the column where you report on the number of people our earned media efforts are reaching. Several of the players, Solomon Webster, Jag Patera, Carson Savage, and Nick Acevedo hit six digits—up ten to twenty percent in the last two weeks. However, Ty Baxley is down fifteen percent. Why?”
“The only logical explanation I have is we’re in the process of flushing out the social media followers who stick with Ty for one reason.”
“Being?”
“They’re scandal whores.”
Leonard stuck his finger in his ear and pretended to clear it. “Scandal whores?”
“Very funny. You know perfectly well what I mean. It’s been two weeks since he’s posted controversial content. Long enough for certain types to unfollow him and look for their entertainment somewhere else. We need to give him more time to recover from the drastic changes I’ve made, give new followers a chance to catch up with him.”
“Would the occasional bikini-wearing supermodel perched on his knee at a nightclub be such a bad thing if it keeps his followers engaged?”
Sadie sighed. “Leonard, you directed me to clean up the Warriors’ image—not to compromise. Ty Baxley is an outlier.”
“He lost a hundred thousand followers in two weeks.”
“And in three, he’ll gain double that number.”
Leonard scratched his head and tossed the papers aside. “Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.”
Disappointment flooded Sadie’s body. She’d absolutely done her best to ensure that Ty’s relaunch would be a success. Yes, the numbers were shocking if you looked at them the way Leonard was, but the data behind those numbers is what mattered the most. There was a damn good reason for the drastic changes in Ty’s metrics.
“Did you see his social engagement metrics?”
“No. What column?”
“Sixteen.”
“Up eight percent,” Leonard observed.
“The best he’s done in over a year.”
“How is his brand being amplified?”
“Though he’s lost a significant number of followers, the remaining fans, ones I consider long term, are engaged by the positive change in content. They’re sharing more, perhaps inviting friends to take a peek at Ty’s pages. This is a textbook case of quality over quantity.”
Leonard swiveled in his chair and grunted. “You might be right.”
“Might be?”
“I’ll have the research team take a closer look.”
“Thank you,” she said with relief.
“What about the farm?” Leonard asked.
“Carson has agreed to all of my terms.”
“Jesus Christ, Sadie. This is huge.”
“I know.” The most important proposal of her career—and if she delivered—it would catapult her career to the next level, perhaps a promotion and a significant raise. “Carson expects something in return, though.”
That piqued Lenny’s interest, and he transformed from her tight-mannered manager to his gossip-starved self. “Is it professional or personal?”
Sadie twirled a long strand of her hair around her fingers. “Personal.”
“And? Don’t leave me hanging, girlie.”
“I agreed to spend the weekend in Fairhope.”
“Ballsy,” he said.
“Necessary,” she corrected.
“So if it weren’t for the project, you would have said no?”
“You know how I feel about Fairhope. There’s nothing left there for me, not really.”
Lenny coughed and muttered, “Bullshit.”
“Hey!” she chastised. “Not everyone grew up with perfect parents in a perfect house, in the best town, surrounded by the best people. You even had the perfect dog.”
“So much for perfect,” he said. “Look what my mother and father ended up with. A bisexual son who thinks the ideal marriage would be to a man and woman.”
Sadie laughed at his self-doubt. Leonard was a Harvard grad with the best future prospects. It wouldn’t surprise her if he started his own firm five or ten years from now. “At least you know what you want.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, kid. From where I’m sitting, you’re closer to getting everything you were supposed to have. Just stop self-sabotaging. Don’t be a ball buster, Sadie.”
“Ball buster?”
“Give Carson Savage a chance to be the man you need.”
“I’ve never needed a man before.”
“Stop lying to yourself. Everyone needs someone, Sadie. In what capacity depends on the person. But for you…well, I’m sure he’s the only one out there that gets you. Want me to pull out that long list of guys you’ve tried to connect with?”
“No.”
“Now get out of my face and go work that quarterback, or I’ll get it done myself.”
Sadie laughed as she gathered her files and shoved them in her briefcase, more than ready to spend the weekend with Carson.