Should Larry Rudolph give Britney Spears a second chance?

This Tuesday, E! News reported that Britney Spears is working again with former manager Larry Rudolph, whom she had fired last year. TMZ reported that Spears had fired Rudolph for having a hand in her short stay in rehab. Rudolph was Spears manager from the pop star’s beginning success. His MySpace page reports that he discovered Spears in 1995, and managed her for the majority of her career.

Should Rudolph represent Spears again? Rudolph has his own reputation to look out for as well. The client-publicist relationship is a symbiotic one. Not only does the publicist represent the client, but the client also influences the publicist’s reputation. Spears’ own erratic behavior can make Rudolph look bad.

Spears’ unpredictable behavior escalated in 2007. It began last February when she shaved her own head at a Los Angeles hair salon after the stylists refused to do so. Last March, Spears checked out of rehab and mysteriously broke a tooth. The rest of 2007 consisted of a custody battle between Spears and her former husband Kevin Federline. The custody battle escalated this January when Spears was hospitalized after refusing to turn her children over to Federline.

Perhaps Rudolph is an old friend who wants to help Spears get her life back on track. Rudolph has a lot of work cut out for him, regardless of his reasons for representing her. So how can Rudolph help Spears create a new image for herself?

Below are a few ideas for redeeming the pop star’s reputation:

1. Encourage Spears to go to a mental rehabilitation facility for “rest.” Help her understand that it is not rehab, but a sort of resort spa that she is going to.

2. After six months rest, put Spears in a media training program. Here she can learn how to present herself to the media, and learn to communicate a clear message that she is back and healthy.

3. Place Spears on Oprah where she can talk about the pressure the media put her under. Fame can result in strange behavior.

4. Get Spears a personal trainer so she can get in shape.

5. Tell Spears to stop wearing wigs, so she can have a natural look.

6. Get Spears back in the studio for a real “come back” album.

The downside to representing celebrities is that they’re sometimes unpredictable. There is no guarantee that Spears will agree to what her manager wants. Rudolph must set guidelines for doing business with Spears, and state exactly what he expects from her as a client.