RSooner or later everyone has to deal with negative publicity, perhaps a competition releases or sponsors a negative report or an angry customer releases a bad review about your business. The popular saying goes “There’s no such thing as bad publicity”, but we know that negative publicity not properly handled can adversely affect anyone or business. It is vital to handle bad press with poise so it doesn’t spiral out of control and when handled properly you can turn it around for your benefit.
Here are three (3) effective tips in handling negative publicity:
1. Be honest and welcome feedback:
Where there
has been a misdoing, acknowledge the error, apologise or restitute where
necessary and welcome the opinion of others. It helps to take a reconciliatory
approach as this also helps connect with your audience and rebuild trust.
2. Respond, don’t react:
Reshape and
refocus the conversation by countering with good publicity. Drown out your
detractors by releasing press statements, social media posts etc. that show
your accomplishments. This helps to control the narrative in your favour.
3. Fix the problem:
Trace the
source of the issue and make the necessary decisions to address it. This also
helps the public know that you are listening and can be trusted.
It is important to know that any brand can have a positive comeback from a negative press, the difference between those who do and those who do not is in how they handle and respond to it.