As a Media student you must have come across the term PR. But what is Good PR vs. Bad PR? And whether PR can be opted for a career choice. In short, PR can be the driving force behind a brand’s success, while bad PR can tarnish reputations and damage relationships.

In this guide, let’s understand key differences between Good PR vs. Bad PR

What is Public Relations?

Public relations involves strategically managing communication to build and maintain positive relationships between an organisation and its stakeholders. It encompasses various activities such as media relations, crisis management, reputation building, and strategic communication planning to enhance brand reputation and credibility. Let’s understand the key differences between a Good PR vs. Bad PR

What is Good PR?

Good PR involves building positive relationships, enhancing brand reputation, and fostering trust among stakeholders. It focuses on transparent communication, authenticity, and ethical practices. Moreover, good PR strategies aim to create meaningful connections with target audiences, generate positive media coverage, and mitigate potential crises effectively.

(Read more: Amazing PR Campaigns)

Key Characteristics of Good PR:

Transparency and Authenticity: Good PR practitioners prioritise honesty and authenticity in all communications.

Relationship Building: Building strong relationships with stakeholders, including media, clients, and the community, is paramount.

Strategic Communication: Good PR strategies are carefully planned and executed to achieve specific objectives aligned with organisational goals.

Crisis Management: Effective crisis communication strategies are integral to good PR, ensuring timely and transparent responses to crises.

Reputation Management: Additionally, good PR professionals proactively manage brand reputation, monitoring online sentiment and addressing issues promptly.

(Read more: List of Best Public Relations Campaigns in India)

What is Bad PR?

Bad PR, on the other hand, involves communication mishaps, ethical breaches, or ineffective strategies that damage brand reputation and erode trust. Additionally, it can result from misleading information, poor crisis management, or unethical behavior. Consequently, bad PR can lead to negative media coverage, public backlash, and loss of credibility for organisations.

Key Characteristics of Bad PR:

Misleading Information: Bad PR often stems from misleading or inaccurate information, undermining trust and credibility.

Poor Crisis Management: Moreover, ineffective handling of crises can escalate situations and exacerbate reputational damage.

Ethical Breaches: In addition to violating ethical standards, such as privacy breaches or deceptive practices, can lead to public outrage and legal repercussions.

Reactive Communication: Bad PR practitioners may resort to reactive communication rather than proactive strategies, exacerbating issues.

Lack of Transparency: Concealing information or being evasive in communication can fuel speculation and mistrust among stakeholders.

The most recent example of bad PR that stirred a nationwide debate on ethics and integrity involved a fake death announcement of an Indian celebrity as part of an awareness program for Cervical Cancer. Initially, the celebrity’s PR agency posted a note on her Instagram handle claiming her death. However, just two days later, the actor herself posted a video confirming she was alive and well, stating that the ‘campaign’ was aimed at raising awareness about cervical cancer. This ill-conceived campaign raised serious questions about morality and deeply hurt those who have lost loved ones to cancer.

(Read more: Social media time-bombs can explode on hard-won reputations)

Things to do to avoid bad PR:

Social Media Blunders: If a social media agency is involved, ensure they have been given a good brief. Always be on your toes when planning a post. The creative, whether a video or a simple post, should have everything aligned: the text, script, brand colors, zero background noise, brand guidelines, and other hygiene checks. Even after the post is uploaded, thoroughly check it to ensure the entire video is uploaded, the text is written well, and any links are clickable. One must also respond to comments, and if there are any negative responses, promptly hide them, as they can lead to public backlash and brand boycotts.

Product/ Brand Mishandling:

It takes less than a minute to upload a comment, tweet, video, picture, or review on a product. However, nothing can avert a crisis, but what can stop bad PR is addressing the situation before it escalates into a major crisis. The best way to handle this is to acknowledge mistakes promptly. However, if the crisis is serious, it may be advisable to issue a press release and publish positive stories about the brand.

In the realm of Public Relations, the distinction between good and bad PR lies in transparency, authenticity, and ethical conduct. As aspiring PR professionals, it’s essential to prioritise building positive relationships, strategic communication, and effective crisis management.

At School of Communications and Reputation, our experienced faculty members, representing PR Professionals and Corporate leaders, guide students. SCoRe teaches the latest PR campaigns and assigns tasks to help students learn how to create, draft, and execute campaigns effectively.

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