How to Handle Negative Press or Negative Public Relations

October 4, 2022 | Category: Blog, Crisis PR, Media Relations, Public Relations, Social Media

crisis communications, crisis PR, public relations, public relations agency, Red banyan, Red Banyan Group, Red Banyan PR

Getting the good news out about your brand is what PR is all about. But what do you do when bad news in the form of negative press is spread about your brand? Knowing how to handle negative press is essential. Social media guarantees that bad news travels fast and falsehoods that go unchallenged can destroy or discredit a business or individual and cause long-term reputation damage to a corporate image. So, what should you do about negative public relations?

Ignoring false information that is being spread about your brand is never a good idea. Online shaming and negative public relations can create a landslide of problems. One obvious shortcoming is that negative press can be a deterrent that scares off potential job candidates. Without corporate pushback, companies that receive bad publicity can miss out on good talent as a result of smear campaigns.

Other problems that can result from negative publicity are higher employee turnover, low employee morale and a drop in sales. Learning how to handle negative PR is half the battle. Ignoring untruths that are spread about your brand does nothing to correct the problem. Coming up with a plan to tackle the negativity and take control of the narrative is the best way to fight back.

The statement that “negative press is good press” may be true for small brands that are seeking almost any kind of publicity to create buzz, but established brands never want their images tarnished by negativity. All publicity is publicity is simply not true. Companies want their goods and services portrayed in a positive light. Bad news can travel with lightning speed on social media and the harm can be hard to call back if it is shared too many times.

Negative Publicity Comes in Many Forms

Companies that find themselves the target of negative PR need to take action fast. It is never a good idea to let someone else control the narrative and when the narrative is harmful, speed is essential.

But what to look for? Negative publicity can come in many forms, including “fake news,” mistakes by employees, unfavorable reviews, disclosing corporate “dirt,” and the sharing of misleading facts.

All these examples of negative publicity can be harmful, and all must be addressed in the appropriate manner. Correcting falsehoods and clarifying misleading statements are two essential actions that are necessary to recover from slur campaigns.

Responding quickly is the key to recovering with minimal harm. What people say about you, or your brand online can make or break your business. Getting it right is key to surviving and thriving.

How you address falsehoods and misleading statements that are generated by negative publicity can impact your credibility. Audit your social media channels and set up alerts so you are immediately notified if someone posts something about your organization. Knowing what is being said about your brand is a big part of protecting your brand’s online reputation.

How to Handle Negative PR or Negative Press Releases

Organizations that find themselves the target of negative publicity campaigns, negative press releases or fake news must address false or misleading claims head-on. A company that does not correct falsehoods that are causing reputation damage is missing a chance to press the truth while also promoting good qualities about the brand.

Six Actions a Business Can Take to Combat Negative Publicity:

Correct false information or misinformation that is being shared so the falsehoods do not become permanently associated with the brand
Use facts to bolster credibility
Do not appear defensive, which can have a negative impact on your brand
Push positives about your brand. Spend time promoting your product instead of defending it.
Use social media to share your message quickly
Turn negative PR into a marketing opportunity

When companies let customers know that published information is false or misleading, they are establishing a line of communication with clients that is honest and authentic. Good communication helps build consumer confidence and loyalty, which is essential to maintaining a client base when a business is targeted by negative publicity.

Use Negative PR to Promote Your Brand as a Problem Solver

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, or so the saying goes. The motto can easily be applied to business: when your company is targeted by negative PR, promote your brand as a problem-solver. Use a setback as an opportunity to collect feedback, interact with customers and show your target audience how much you want to improve their customer experience. Review every bit of negative news posted about your or your business and figure out ways to correct the problem and make the customer experience better than it ever was before.

Dissatisfied customers who get great customer service are often willing to forgive and forget. Mistakes happen. It is how the mistake is handled that either drives customers away or convinces them to remain loyal.

Solving problems for clients helps businesses build better customer relationships while giving a positive spin to negative publicity.

If you or your business becomes the focus of negative publicity or a negative press release, take immediate control of the narrative by apologizing for any inconveniences or problems and offering to do whatever it takes to make your customers whole.

Customers want to be heard, so respond to comments on social media, listen carefully to what is being said about your brand and put your energy into righting any wrongs that may have occurred. Negative publicity should be a motivator to become an even better, more reliable and sought-after brand.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is negative publicity?

Negative publicity is the practice of spreading negative news about a brand. Some of the most common discrediting techniques are fake news, negative reviews and disclosure of corporate dirty secrets. Negative PR can cause lasting damage to a brand’s reputation and corporate identity.

2. What is positive and negative PR?

Positive public relations tells prospective customers that you’re a company they can trust and have confidence in, while negative public relations essentially tells people to stay away. Crafting a strong public relations strategy requires you to approach the public and make them aware of the good your company does.