The traditional public relations mantra “there is no such thing as bad publicity” has been circulated and imitated in several forms since the 1800’s when P.T. Barnum, the ultimate self-promoter, first coined this phrase (or so legend has it). Here are some of the more common versions of the original:
All publicity is good publicity.
Unknown
The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.
Oscar Wilde, Irish playwright and novelist
There’s no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.
Brendan Behan, Irish poet and short story writer
But just because a thought has been repeated, revised, restated, reiterated and reinvented for a couple hundred years, does that make it true? Bill Cosby certainly would not agree nor would Justin Bieber nor would Tom Brady. On the corporate side, Volkswagen, Chipotle and Amtrak would be thrilled to forgo the publicity they’ve had in recent times.
So, where did this idea come to fruition and why has it remained a relevant phrase for so long. (How long? Think back to the time of the great California gold rush!) Let’s start with a little history to put things in perspective. In P.T. Barnum’s day it was a coup just to get the general public to notice you, the media being what it was. News did not travel fast. He became masterful at the art of deceptive advertising, half-truths, shocking previews and anything else to get people talking. Even if it resulted in some negative publicity, it still drew people to his shows and that was a profitable business strategy at the time.
The notion still holds some half-truths today, particularly with certain celebrities. Kanye West, Miley Cyrus, the Kardashians, Donald Trump, etc. seem to thrive and prosper on negative publicity. This is because part of their branding involves their acting as if from a different stratosphere and saying things so bizarre, often via tweets, it’s bound to get attention.
But all publicity is not good publicity, hence the booming crisis management industry. No restaurant wants to be in the news about salmonella, E.coli and Noro-virus outbreaks. No transportation business wants the public to remember their crashes or their cheating on emissions testing. However, if your business is ever on the wrong end of a publicity scandal, there is some good news. With all eyes on your company, you have a great opportunity to make it right. Come clean, apologize and take the necessary steps to correct it and make it right with your clients and customers, even if it means a cash outlay for safety assurances or customer promotions.
Please share your insight.
Coming soon to an LGK blog – Are All Clients Good Clients? When to Say No to New Business
Enjoy this video bio about the great promoter, Phineas Taylor Barnum:
For daily marketing communications news, subscribe to LGK’s free, online, MarCom Digest.
all publicity is good – even bad