The PR business is the most happening and lucrative business these days, especially in the age of social media, a wondrous world made up of brands, influencers, bloggers and all things seemingly happy and shiny. However, a dark side emerges as always as competitive streaks run a bit amuck in the game. Something once held as creative use of graphics, an inventive use of imagery and words, now certainly raises a big question mark as far as ethics are concerned. Talking to a few big names in the industry revealed a little more than one was comfortable about.
A recent campaign against a brand led in terms of their integrity was an indirect hit on their business. As the PR campaign couldn’t take on the business directly, they went through the welfare and rights on the workers of that business by creating false hype. All they had to do was get a few influencers and run a point highlighted on the rights of workers which apparently were not given and the influencer pocketed a hefty amount to create a stir on twitter. It was smart and intelligent but quite a low blow so to speak, as once looked into, there was nothing to the story that was “leaked”. It just sounded true because the influencer claimed it to be so. A point was certainly made but just as soon as it erupted on social media it went away as there was no truth to it. The back track went into the friends of friends of the family itself who helped launch the PR attack over a personal matter. Noticeably so, industries such as the garments, textiles, hospitality and service-oriented brands do tend to face these things quite a bit. The usual route is to create a controversy. If all else fails, the best way to hit at somebody is by creating a sink hole in the brands’ integrity especially in the way of them doing business. However, the fact remains that all of it is “paid for” and it is just a smear campaign. The thing to watch out is the number of bloggers or celebs/ influencers who are running this campaign. Noticeably so the same blogger selling last week fairness creams to the general public was suddenly aware of human rights this week. Another happily sang the praises on a food group for each and every restaurant he happened to visit as a “food blogger”. There is no benchmark left if everything is absolutely, as he said, “amazing”. On a humorous note, my favorite which has always caused much amusement to the viewers was the one where an influencer took to using the word “beguiling” for everything. There was a point in time she used it for promoting both shoes and sushi.
Politics has had its fair share of the same and running a smear campaign against opponents is an old strategy. Once in the public image, the opposition would go after everything including every man, woman, child and relative connected to the family. While this is not right, we do know this happens. Years ago, when I was working in advertising, it used to be a lot less complicated. One took an assignment and tried to create a dynamic campaign based on one’s own creativity. With PR influencers now literally being hired to “rant” about a competitor brand there is certainly a fine line drawn on principles here. And the line between the pretend and superficial is very much blurred. If you can promote a chocolate and a cell phone or hire bloggers to pose at the opening of a launch, then you can certainly pay them to negatively bash somebody’s business as well.
A top marketing guru and influencer who is working for a reputable firm tells me that it’s not everybody who would take on such projects. Eventually their reputation would be destroyed. Ethical values do exist because the country is made up of talent, however one does find the average ones or those trying to get ahead in the game trying these tactics because they feel it pays. Most brands do take on their competitors through with and humor but very carefully. The ones you would find randomly on the internet floating a controversy are likened to cheap tactics and are what they are worth. One feels that people do have the recognition to distinguish between false hype and the reality but did agree that there are people out there who are manipulating data by throwing out the negative comments online time and again. However, that would be a lesser rated PR agency who would be using their friends and acquaintances unwittingly to do that.
One does feel that influencers are not at fault either and most who are hired to speak about something they are told about the campaigns slightly before the actual launch. Their background research would be minimal especially as fast as social media postings are happening with news travelling fast and updating itself every few minutes. As the current trend is to take on welfare causes (as it also adds to their public image) most would go for the information given without thinking about it. Plus, if a friend in the industry passed it on, then one would always suppose there is a truth to it. Who would not want to be part of something for the greater good and put their timelines to good use towards a worthy cause?
However, every breaking story is not necessarily true. Twitter and Facebook have unfortunately been greatly misused to sell slander and have it forwarded onwards. The wary would wait before pressing the button. It is just like spreading a rumor, but this one is well paid for and manipulated well so it indirectly creeps onto timelines. A discerning eye would be needed to understand a personal hit versus a campaign for a cause or just one to promote something beneficial. One should try to remember that in the media, what one sees or hears may not be true and could just be what it is a paid “advert” and a smear campaign, nothing else.
