There is such a thing as 'bad publicity'
“There’s no such thing as bad publicity”. This is a statement we’ve heard time and time again and has been the philosophy for many businesses since virtually the creation of marketing and PR itself. While it may have held true back when the saying was created, and maybe even up to just a decade ago, but has the emergence of technology- and most importantly, the internet, change this?
I think we all can agree that it has. The advancements of technology today have completely changed the game in all aspects of business and you bet publicity is one of them. With the existence of the internet, it just takes a customer to have one bad experience, or one ill thought against a retailer for their negative sentiments to spread like wildfire across social media platforms, blogs, videos, or even the hundreds of review websites that exist.
An article on e-releases goes on to explain how negative publicity can damage a brand online:
1. “SEO hijacking”
Today we’ve been hearing all about this talk around the importance of SEO optimization, which is essentially making sure your brand appears on search engine results when a consumer searches for a topic that is relevant to it. Just think how detrimental it would be to a retailer if instead of their website or positive publicity appearing in a consumer’s search results, they are bombarded with negative reviews and comments about their brand. This is a constant reality and thus concern for retailers today as such results could translate into irreparable damage to the brand’s image.
2. “Social Media Chatter”
Of course social media is another huge concern as disgruntled customers can easily voice their negative opinions on a brand and have it seen by their entire friends list, who’s perceptions could in turn be tainted. What’s even worse is that such posts can be shared by the customer’s friends, and then friends of friends and so on, which could eventually lead it to go viral. With the ability for negative sentiments to spread so easily, just think about the huge effect that a few comments can have on a brand’s image.
3. “Poor Reviews”
Websites like Yelp or Amazon’s product view section are becoming increasingly more popular as consumers want to know the value that a brand’s products afford before they commit to a purchase today. With this, any negative reviews on such websites or programs could not only result in loss of sales but also substantially taint a brand’s image as more and more people look to these sites for purchasing guidance.
With this, it is now more important than ever that a brand is aware and careful as to how it interacts with its consumers. After all, with the reach that the internet affords, it just takes one bad experience to multiply into hundreds or thousands of negative views. With this, an article on Cision offers another frequently used saying, suggesting that retailers may be wise to follow it today instead: “The customer’s always right”. With this, it is best for brands to monitor any negative sentiments and do their best to make it right, instead of simply being complacent with that fact that the brand is getting any publicity at all.
Resources:
http://www.ereleases.com/pr-fuel/true-cost-bad-publicity/
http://www.cision.com/us/2012/02/bad-publicity-myth/
