To starters, the answer to this question may seem controversial: it depends. When talking about communications – and considering the globalized world we live in – defining bad publicity and its impact can be complicated. Many factors influence the final outcome, and one of the main ones is your audience.
When it comes to Public Relations, the process is the same. The type of audience you want your client to become known by determines the publications which will write about it, along with the content and the consistency of one’s pitches.
Perhaps nowadays, in the midst of a pandemic, the famous phrase “There is no bad thing as bad publicity” no longer rings true. No longer is it a case of “the more the better”- and quality of content has become increasingly important. To better understand the issues surrounding this topic, check out the three important points below.
To find out the answer, researchers from the USA’s Stanford University carried out an analysis into how The New York Times’ reviews influence book sales. The result was shocking. The analysis highlighted three main scenarios – and in one of them, bad publicity can indeed sell more.
In general – as expected – good publicity has positive effects. To analyse whether good reviews influenced sales, researchers compared the amount of books sold four weeks prior to publication in The New York Times, against the four weeks immediately afterwards. The increase in sales ranged from 32% to 52%.
On the other hand, an analysis of unknown authors revealed different results. In their case, any review which put their name into the market, even negatively, resulted in an average increase in sales of 45%.
But for anyone with an established name in the market, the reality of bad publicity or bad communication can be deeply concerning. According to the survey, those who fit into this category suffered a 15% drop in sales.
With this data in mind, consider the following: is it worth risking your reputation through uncertain communication? Bad publicity isn’t necessarily all bad, but neither does it attract a loyal customer base. Determining the nature and impact of bad publicity requires a much deeper analysis than the isolated, final outcome of a given campaign.
The current wealth of available publications means there are inexhaustible sources for online advertising, even for small entrepreneurs. We have evolved beyond Google Ads and Facebook Ads, and the possibilities have become even more endless. So does simply beaming a story out into the ether have any effect? Maybe not, and that’s why segmentation is so important. In a way, the internet has become a gigantic amorphous mass, so you need to stand out.
It is essential to study thoroughly and determine exactly who your target audience is. To do so, start with the important questions: who do I want to know about my business? Who will directly engage with, or indeed impact my business? Once you have the answers, try to narrow down certain specifics such as age, gender, education and region. All of these characteristics, which may appear superficial at first, will determine exactly which channels and which language to use when communicating with your audience. For PR campaigns, the principle should remain the same: which outlets are the audience that I want to reach reading?
Focusing on an audience in a way that will make them notice your business, pay attention to your communication and not miss a beat, can be a sure shot.
One thing bad publicity definitely does not do is generate brand awareness. Whether it’s a brand or a company which wants to make a name for itself in the market, taking the easy road does not tend to bring good results. Thrilling, thought-provoking insights which take the consumer out of the ordinary, leading them to develop sympathy and begin to understand your messages emotionally, in conjunction with discounts or offers – this is what builds customer loyalty.
The same goes for Public Relations. Getting clients involved in relevant, provocative and innovative content is necessary to associate a consistent and reliable image with that client’s name. In the future, when journalists need sources for a story, they are much more likely to look for a specialist or company with this kind of reputation.
This takes time, skill and creativity. Three essential characteristics which “bad” communication simply doesn’t have. The path to long-term success is often long, but I guarantee it will be worth it. Being attentive, and knowing how to identify and filter out bad publicity, is the first step towards building something really meaningful. If you want to make your brand or company stand out, adding a purpose to what you do will change your audience retention entirely.
