![]() The first thing you should do is identify whether there is any truth to what your customer is saying. If you’ve been on the receiving end of a sensationalist attack, whether it’s through a negative review, some bad press, or even a string of social media posts about your brand, you need to be able to deal with it in the best way possible to avoid bad PR. What does sensationalism mean for brands? There are people who just like to create conflict – those are your trolls. Without fail, people will find other people to rage with, whether their opinions align or not. And it’s so easy to join in – the mob grows one click at a time with each favourite, like, share, etc. We have become so accustomed to getting what we want when we want it that if it’s not perfect then an online witch hunt gets started. In fact, sometimes, people just complain for the sake of complaining because it’s easy to go on the attack online when you’re safely (and relatively anonymously) behind a computer. It can be triggered by anything – slow to respond customer service channels, a policy someone doesn’t agree with, bad service, assumed guilt of a crime… You name it and it could set someone off. However, equally disturbing is the amount of “faux” rage happening on the internet. There are some pretty extreme cases of road rage happening these days. We’re living in the new media landscape where EVERYONE can publish – whether it’s factual or not. While sensationalism does happen in the media, and has throughout history, it also happens on social media and other channels your brand tries to build relationships with customers on. Stirring up controversy – Are you trying to create a distraction from the real problem or what?īeing deliberately obtuse – we all know you understand what you’re doing…ĭrawing unnecessary attention – AKA Drama Queen ![]() Omitting facts – intentionally (this is just as bad as lying, BTW)Īppealing to emotions – not a negative depending on your intentions ![]() There are behaviours associated with sensationalism, and you would be wise to monitor this type of behaviour to avoid potential pitfalls. But every coin has two sides, which means that your audience can do it as well. Brands can do it when they are trying to reach their audiences. Sensationalism is when you use “exciting or shocking stories or language at the expense of accuracy, in order to provoke public interest or excitement.” () If you are acting in a sensationalist way you’re likely trying to sway public opinion by presenting biased impressions. But what does sensationalism mean in terms of PR for your brand? We want our cake and we want to eat it too… Communications between people and people with brands has become so emotionally charged that we are living in a sensationalist world.
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