Is all publicity truly good publicity?

“All publicity is good publicity” is a conventional saying that many abide by and believe in. It means, having any kind of attention or focus on your company is way better than being unnoticed. Well, publicity is important and much needed for the rapid advancement of your firm but any kind of publicity is not always beneficial.

Without publicity, a firm cannot forge ahead. Publicity is important because it is as simple as, the larger the number of people that know about your firm, the higher will be the visibility and public engagement. Publicity will always work and build a company’s credibility but make sure to not ignore the thin line between good and bad publicity.

Having a positive image about your company will of course streamline your brand and build up the importance of values your company is based on. Everyone will believe more in your company and at the same time, your clients will increase in number. However, bad publicity might grab attention for the time being but in the long run, it is detrimental. For instance, a press release gone wrong can ruin people's outlook towards you. They can term your company as non-competitive and not up to the mark.

Bad publicity can mean loss of trust which will lower consumers' expectations of you. Regaining trust can be the hardest obstacle to overcome and pump up business again. One of the main reasons behind negative sales is bad publicity. Loyal as well as potential customers will reduce buying products and this will, in turn, reduce profits drastically. Businesses that have been established in the long term can also face critical downfall in sales and profits.

Brand equity suffers damage due to bad publicity. For instance, even if one product garners bad publicity, the whole brand or company can be avoided by customers. Brand association too gets damaged as negative consumer reviews will lead to negative brand association which will of course reduce sales and give scope to competitors to enter the markets.

In short, don’t believe in the saying “All publicity is good publicity”. It is better to go unnoticed at times than have people calling you out and ruining your image. Make sure that whenever you wish for your firm to be under the spotlight, it is only for the good. Going slow and steady, hand in hand with good publicity is much more beneficial for you rather than your firm being highlighted negatively.