“There is no such thing as bad publicity!”
This is one such phrase that possibly everyone has heard of. Some people believe that staying away from the limelight and avoiding any publicity will grant them a peaceful life. Well, it’s true to some extent. But after a point, no publicity starts turning into bad publicity, contrary to what the phrase says.
Origin of ‘There is no such thing as bad publicity!’
This phrase is often associated with P.T. Barnum, the 19th-century American showman and circus owner. Barnum was a self-publicist of the first order and never missed an opportunity to present his wares to the public. As with many other supposed quotations, there's no hard evidence to link the 'bad publicity' quotation to him.
The phrase grew in popularity in the 20th century with the rise of glamour and celebrities, but more along the lines of Oscar Wilde's quote which was "the only thing worse than being talked about, is not being talked about!" This quote became quite popular and aligned with a lot of mindsets.
More than anything else, this phrase was mostly applicable to the glamorous film industry. In the entertainment world, it is the public opinion and criticism that matters the most. Once someone stops talking about you, either you are dead or your career is. These are the only possibilities that exist.
Not only good work and appreciation, but even a scandal, or rumor of a scandal still keeps your name in the paper, and it will keep people talking about you. You will still be invited to parties and conferences and the curious media will come after you. Isn’t this also a form of publicity? It is! Even when you are being defamed, you are still in the news, still many people know you and you are still “popular”.
The Bad Publicity Concept
Let us look at one of the most common examples of the bad publicity concept, Mr. Donald Trump! Of course, you know him, don’t you? All of us have heard about him, be it something good or bad. He is one of the most renowned personalities. The internet is filled with hate and mean comments about him, but does that affect his popularity? It doesn’t! Ultimately, this emphasizes that even by just highlighting something to the broader public, not only in glory, can lead to increased publicity.
Even if they’re saying awful things about you or your brand, the publicity is supposed to still be good because your name is on the top of people’s minds, keeping you relevant. Eventually, the negative impression fades, increased awareness may remain, which can actually boost the chances that a product will be purchased.
When something goes wrong, it’s almost always best to throw your hands up and admit that mistakes have been made. Explain how you got into the situation and what the brand’s original intentions were. If you lie, deny, or ignore the problem, you can bet that your audience will see through it, and punish you accordingly. Honesty might not be ‘easy’, but it encourages empathy from the public and the media. Showing a genuine and human approach can strike a chord with people’s emotions.
Have a look at this well-explained article about the consequences of bad publicity
The Downside of Bad Publicity
On the contrary to what’s mentioned above, many people believe that bad publicity is really bad! If you have no concern about your image and all you want is to be in the public eye, then I guess any kind of publicity would be good for you. However, if image and reputation are important to you, then bad publicity will definitely still be bad publicity. Bad publicity is real and it can play havoc with real people and real organizations.
With an example of some products, say, automobiles, if you hear something bad about it, would you want to buy it? No, no one would. In this case, however bad the publicity is, it won’t be of any use for the brand. Instead, the company would have to take multiple steps to turn this negative image to a better one. Companies that are virtually unknown can at times experience a boom in business after bad publicity of big brands, but they are the exception.
In general, bad publicity damages the long-term success of larger established businesses. Product accessibility can also decrease with bad publicity, and potential consumers might have fewer opportunities to purchase products. When buyers and store owners have negative opinions, their choices ultimately affect their customers' options.
Bad Publicity is an Obvious Disadvantage to Brands
Brand affiliation alludes to the profound cultivated perspectives and emotions a client has toward an item or organization. At the point when brand affiliation is negative, negative mentalities are bound to come into a buyer's psyche before certain ones. Terrible experiences can add to the negative brand image, which can hence decrease deals after some time.
Changing mentalities and brand affiliations can take a lot of time and can likewise be expensive, as an organization may be compelled to put resources into extra promoting and missions to address negative perspectives. Harmed brand affiliation likewise leaves space for a rivalry to move in on a client base, which can likewise diminish deals. Read more about how bad publicity affects business here.
It mostly depends on the base that a particular product holds in the market. For well-established brands, it is tough for bad publicity to affect them deeply. They might face short term losses but not much as they already have a place in numerous customers’ hearts. On the other hand, for some small brands just growing, this negative publicity can have a deep impact. It is like the business will drown even before standing properly.
It is also possible that this publicity even though bad, can lead to a boom. More and more people would want to try out and know for themselves. This will just increase the brands’ sales leading to a profitable deal. But this is not always the case.
Conclusion
Publicity is undoubtedly a double-edged blade, and it truly relies upon how lenient people, in general, is towards each antagonistic news. So how can it be that the general population is so lenient towards certain people and organizations, while so rebuffing towards others? Bad publicity is never invited. In any case, it is the means by which an individual or organization handles it that could be the making – or breaking – of a business bargain or a squeezing circumstance.
An individual needs to design and get ready for bad publicity as it can happen to anyone and everyone. Essentially being ready for unfriendly reviews can keep an awful story from turning into a horrendous one.
Interested in knowing how to deal with criticism? Read this article on how to positively deal with criticism!
Written By - Riya Garg
Edited By - Neha Kundu
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