As long as there are marketing budgets, the debate over PR and marketing stunts will continue. Organisations need to carefully consider their goals before spending big, with consumer-facing companies often the ones to have the big budgets for events and publicity stunts.
It doesn’t have to cost a lot
While there is often little hard evidence to convince executives whether the return on a stunt is worth the investment, some of the most memorable stunts can be the least costly, and can help raise the profile of small companies looking for public exposure. Social media has made it easier for cash-strapped groups to achieve great results without breaking the bank. A great idea conveyed through a self-made video uploaded to YouTube gone viral or a street-level guerrilla marketing campaign may not cost that much. Lower-budget stunts aren’t only for commercial companies either – grassroots and non-profit organisations have long relied on stunts to create awareness and exposure for their agendas.
Are you being strategic?
Unfortunately sometimes, regardless of budget, the most well-intentioned PR stunts can backfire. In 2012, McDonald’s #McDStories Twitter campaign asked followers to share their personal experiences at the company’s restaurants – customers responded with accounts of unsanitary conditions, tainted food and encounters with disgruntled staff.
In the era of the engaged consumer, it’s hard to pull off a stunt without context or strategy. A stunt simply for the sake of publicity can make an organisation look profligate and undisciplined; worse yet, it can alienate potential clients or customers who might feel duped.
In 2009, a low-budget video of a hopeful Australian female desperate to track down a man she met in café went viral when audiences questioned her effusive comments about his “really nice” jacket. An increasingly poor reception forced the actress and agency behind the video to reveal itself as a marketing hoax, causing indeterminate reputational damage to both the retailer and the marketing agency behind the stunt.
Stunts can work
If they are part of a comprehensive communications strategy. Goals and expectations need to be defined before any impactful program can begin. Here are some of the basic guidelines we look at before starting any campaign:
- Be honest and direct: Any event or campaign should genuinely reflect a company’s values and commitments; simply supporting a charitable cause isn’t sufficient. Companies which are perceived as hypocritical, whether rightly or wrongly, can be the target of a customer backlash. Moreover, stunts which are intended to draw attention away from a negative issue can exacerbate an already difficult situation.
- Be prepared to engage: Articles and photos which accompany a stunt or event are no longer static – they are posted to social media and can quickly take on a life of their own. Any organisers of a stunt need to understand the dynamics of social media and how to mitigate any potentially negative fallout.
- Don’t dodge the hard questions: Spokespeople need to be prepared with answers to questions which may be critical of their stunt. For example, a company which sponsors a diversity initiative may find itself under fire for not employing a sufficient number of minorities at management level. Spokespeople also need to be aware of any other issues facing the company and ensure they are not caught off guard.
Most importantly, any organisation which aligns its principles to its day-to-day business will minimise any unintended fallout from a PR stunt.
What are some of the most memorable Australian PR stunts you can recall? Let us know in the comments.
