While public sentiment on the news of Schooling’s drug use has been mixed, Mr Voedisch noted that some comments online were neutral or even positive to a certain extent.
“The public saw that he came out and admitted to it, so it wasn’t like he was officially exposed,” he said. “They saw him taking the first step, which creates a new possible narrative of a phoenix rising from the ashes.”
Communications expert Steeve Cupaiolo said while apologising and admitting was a good first step, what is needed next is for Schooling to explain why he did it.
“Athletes are often held to higher standards than the rest of us and they have to be accountable to the public because they are often seen as national icons,” said Mr Cupaiolo, who is the chief executive officer of marketing agency Silk Road Sports Consulting.
“It was brave for Joseph Schooling to admit it because it’s not easy to say that you made a mistake, especially when it’s so public.
“But to avoid a big crisis, he should also be as a transparent as possible, and explain why he did it,” added Mr Cupiaolo.
WHAT NEXT FOR HIS SPONSORSHIPS?
Since shooting to fame in 2016 with his Olympic gold, several brands including Hugo Boss, Nestle, and Yakult have placed their support behind Schooling.
But news of his confession to drug use has sparked discussion around whether brands should distance themselves from the athlete.
DBS bank told CNA that its partnership with Schooling ended last year prior to him enlisting for NS in January.
Responding to queries from CNA, Hugo Boss said its partnership and support for Schooling remains “strong and unwavered”.
“Joseph has made a mistake but what’s important is that he has taken ownership of it,” said the fashion house’s Southeast Asia managing director Steven Lam.
“Over the years, he has always been a positive influence in and out of the pool. He has inspired many kids to believe in themselves, to work hard and to chase their dreams.”
Mr Lam added: “We have taught future generations that it’s ok to make mistakes, to own up, but you will have to take responsibility and more importantly, fix it.
“It will be a long road ahead for Joseph but we believe he will now show us how he will make good his promise to rebuild the trust with the people who believe in him.”
CNA has reached out to other brands associated with Schooling.
The communications experts CNA spoke to said the fate of his current sponsorship deals would depend on the individual brands and their values.
In some cases, brands may decide to terminate a contract with an athlete or a celebrity out of concern that their reputation might affect the company’s image, said Mr Voedisch, who is the managing director of public relations firm PRecious Communications.
“The companies have to decide what is the alignment they want, is it about certain values or access to the athlete or celebrity’s target audience,” he said.
“A company whose primary focus is on young children, for example, might be more sensitive to incidents like the one that happened with Joseph Schooling – compared to a beer company.”
But terminating a contract to save a company’s image might also end up backfiring.
“The company that drops partners at the first sign of thunder might also be seen as not sustainable or not really committed or even hypocrites because only the person who doesn’t make mistakes should cast the first stone,” said Mr Voedisch.
Experts highlighted that for some brands, the ongoing saga could even make Schooling more attractive as a partner, as it could render him more relatable and approachable to the public.
“Right now, he’s like a hot iron that no new brands would want to touch,” said Mr Voedisch. “But for the brands that he’s currently working with, what happened might actually increase his value because he becomes more human.
“Most heroes become more close to our hearts when we see them making mistakes and they are not those untouchable supergods,” he added. “They have flaws like you and me.”