The expression ‘all press is good press’ is one of those classic phrases that everyone has heard at some point in their lives. But what does that really mean in reality? Well, historically, it’s been used to spin something negative into a positive outcome. However, is the phrase accurate? Is it simply a PR myth as so many have branded it? Today, we’re going to look into what that phrase means from a business and branding perspective.
Publicity
First and foremost, a major reason for the phrase's existence is publicity. From my research, the person that is credited with coming up with a similar phrase is P.T. Barnum, the businessman remembered for his founding of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, in which he remarks “there is no such thing as bad publicity” (Rowe, 2021). Publicity, put simply is anyone talking about your brand. People talking about your brand, whether negatively or positively, can often be spun positively when you react quick enough and on-message with your marketing style. When the publicity is negative, yes you can spin it as a positive, until it starts to affect your bottom line. Once it begins to affect your revenue, that becomes another issue altogether. For example, Disney over the five years or so have received no shortage of publicity, however, their stocks, profits, and quality of work has dropped exponentially, despite the strenuous budgets that go into their films (Thompson, 2023). Needless to say, the phrase rings true to a degree, but there is a tipping point where your customer starts to make their own decision for what is positive vs negativity and you will see their decision when your next financial statement comes out.
Response
What makes or breaks a company is their response to publicity. A good response to negative publicity can clarify the subject matter in a way that it no longer becomes controversial. However, a poor response can result in a boycott and lead to devastating losses. What needs to be considered is the brand identity. If you advertise yourselves as a company that serves a premium audience, you’ll want to approach the topic with class and transparency. Companies like Mercedes-Benz, Balenciaga, and BMW have all been subject to controversies of their own and eventually settled these disputes by the use of PR tactics or financial payouts. However, if you are a company where the brand is more humorous, sometimes using the controversy in future promotions and work will benefit the brand immensely. This is typically done in the entertainment sphere by artists, musicians, and creatives. It is a case by case situation. However, there are few responses that will properly subside a controversy when the loss of life is involved. In 2018, Southwest Airlines suffered greatly from a fatal mechanical failure of an engine, which resulted in one fatality and numerous injured passengers. In addition, it resulted in a public relations nightmare for the company attempting to assure potential customers that their airplanes were still safe and that Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 was an abnormality (Wiener-Bronner, 2018). In response, Southwest Airlines offered each passenger $5,000 checks as well as $1,000 vouchers for future travels (Schlangenstein, 2018). In a case like this, there really is no right answer, only wrong answers that are slightly better than others.
A PR Myth
As I begin to wrap up this article, I think it is only fair that I point out the conversation topic about the phrase being a PR myth circulated through the internal walls of corporate offices. Declan Wyatt of Forbes reported an article on the topic, in which he covered Nathan Miller, founder and CEO of Miller Ink, a strategic communications and crisis management firm. In this article, Miller is quoted as saying “Bad press absolutely exists—and it causes profound consequences for companies of all kinds” (Wyatt, 2024). As it stands today, most PR executives will reject the phrase as a myth nowadays (Comcowich, 2020). Moral of the story: don’t believe everything you hear.
I’ll admit this is a little bit outside my normal topics, but I thought it may prove to be an interesting experiment. I certainly learned a great deal about the conversation, which proved to be a deeper dive than I expected. Nor did I expect the topic to be such a contentious one. Really I learned that every business has had some controversy at one point or another, and the true character of its leaders comes out when they are forced to respond to controversy. We live in strange times to say the least, but how should you go about avoiding controversy with your own brand? The best way to avoid controversy with your brand is to be authentic and be honest with your audience. They might not always like what you have to say, but that’s life. I hope to have added something of value to your day.
All The Best,
Logan Clark
Works Cited
Comcowich, William. “Is Any Press Good Press? Analyzing the Impact of Positive and Negative PR.” glean.info, 23 January 2020, https://glean.info/is-any-press-good-press-analyzing-the-impact-of-positive-and-negative-pr-events/?doing_wp_cron=1716568645.1206390857696533203125. Accessed 24 May 2024.
Rowe, Mike. “P.T. Barnum once said, “There's no such thing as bad publicity.”” Mike Rowe, 10 April 2021, https://mikerowe.com/2021/04/p-t-barnum-once-said-theres-no-such-thing-as-bad-publicity/. Accessed 24 May 2024.
Schlangenstein, Mary. Bloomberg, 20 April 2018, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-20/southwest-airlines-gives-5-000-to-passengers-on-fatal-flight. Accessed 24 May 2024.
Thompson, Derek. “Disney's Downfall: The Rise and Fall of an Entertainment Giant.” The Ringer, 3 October 2023, https://www.theringer.com/2023/10/3/23900759/disney-downfall-streaming-rise-and-fall-of-an-entertainment-giant. Accessed 24 May 2024.
Wiener-Bronner, Danielle. “How major companies handle and botch public relations crises.” CNN, 23 April 2018, https://money.cnn.com/2018/04/22/news/companies/companies-public-relations-crises/index.html. Accessed 24 May 2024.
Wyatt, Declan. “Not All Press Is Good Press.” Forbes, 26 March 2024, https://www.forbes.com/sites/zengernews/2024/03/26/not-all-press-is-good-press/?sh=662d24de2755. Accessed 24 May 2024.