Before we discuss the differences between bad and good public relations, we must have a clear understanding of what PR is all about. At its core, you can define public relations as a detailed communication procedure that aims to create between a company and the public. PR is all about convincing target audiences to support, buy, or promote a certain organization, brand, or product.
Public relations practices have been around since the twentieth century and it has been defined in numerous ways since that time. The initial definitions of PR put a great emphasis on publicity and press agency. Modern definitions, on the other hand, focus on the concepts of relationship building and engagement. While many people believe that any type of publicity is good, that simply is not the case.
Companies should take note of any type of bad publicity and go above and beyond to steer clear from it. That said, how does one discern the differences between bad and good public relations? Well, let’s find out.
How Good and Bad PR are vastly Different
Good public relations implement the basic public relations principles. As mentioned earlier, PR is an organized process of communication, aimed to develop trust between companies and their audiences. Organizations must take their time to plan this process properly, ensuring it improves their reputation. Merely raising brand awareness and sending press releases simply does not work, and organizations must go beyond that.
With good PR, companies can attract significantly boost sales and attract the attention of the media. Mentioned below, is a list of ways to implement Good PR.
– Public relations professionals should realize that while having a good media strategy is vital, offering good services and products is equally important. If not, then your PR strategy could go to waste and may even be bad for a company’s reputation
– Open communication is a vital part of a good PR campaign. Communicating openly with clients audiences what they want and need to hear
– Being responsive and proactive to any sort of crisis is vital when incorporation a pulic relations strategy
– Building brand support and sustaining it for a long period is vital for any PR campaign. Having good PR does not only include having a successful launch. Instead, it also includes maintaining a consistent flow of communication with the target audience and various media outlets
– Companies must focus on maintaining an organic relationship with their clients to ensure their PR campaign is successful. They must be open for any kind of input from the client and work on it, as long as it is reasonable
– Creating a good relationship and maintaining it is a vital part of PR. Doing so is a surefire way to boost a company’s reputation for the long and short term
Bad PR
More often than not, bad PR results from desperation. When companies are in a rush and want to get the word out, they often resort to desperate public relation strategies. While these strategies may work for a while but they fall flat eventually. Once that happens, the reputation of companies using such strategies takes a massive hit, which even affects their bottom line.
Remember, attracting media outlets and your target audience is a good thing, but there is a way to do it. The last thing you want to do is reach out to every media outlet there is, asking for publicity. It reeks of desperation and rarely works. So yes, bad PR exists and organizations should avoid it like the plague. Bad PR is a self explanatory term and here are some examples of poor public relations strategies.
– Timing is vital in the public relations landscape, especially when it comes to gaining the media’s attention for promoting a brand or business. One example of poor PR includes not being aware of the current market situation and publishing press releases with no consideration regardless
– It would be fair to say that press releases are arguably the most important part of the public relations process. Drafting press releases that contain misinformation and poor language does nothing for a company’s reputation and is a surefire way to lose the client’s and media’s trust
– Publications and journalists tend to have loads and loads of press releases every day. Companies risk losing out on media publicity if they fail to follow through on their press releases every day
– Another example of bad PR is not being aware of your target audience’s needs. Companies must go above and beyond to ensure they know what their audience is up to and tailor their press releases accordingly
– Being overly conventional is a bad public relations strategy. Organizations must think outside the box rather than confining themselves to only one approach
– Lack of planning is a surefire way to damage your reputation. Companies must remain pragmatic and plan everything in advance by staying on top of the current market situation
Strategizing is the Only Way Forward
Strategizing is a tried and tested way to steer clear from bad PR. Successful companies often acquire the services of a reliable communications agency to create a winning PR strategy. Companies can create a successful plan of action by taking inspiration from other organizations and implement whatever could work for them.
Remember, you do not have to do this all by yourself, as experts from the communication agency will also be there to provide you data and insight to help you move forward. These experts have experience with different industries and know their way around crises and other situations, making them a must for any organizations that wants good PR.
Finally, remember to steer clear from desperate PR tactics as they do nothing but harm reputations in the long run. When it comes to publicity, patient, and pragmatism is the only way forward.
