In Praise of Negative Advertising and PR | Crawford

Another political season has come and (almost) gone. Once again, media pundits bewail the cost and use of negative ads/PR, questioning whether the strategy of casting barbs at political opponents works, or instead turns off voters. A program airing on NPR this weekend suggested we return to a more harmonious era of political jingles when music and positive messaging seemed enough to win the day for a candidate. The reality: There is no lost ?age of innocence? in U.S. politics. Negative campaigning harkens to the days of the founding fathers. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton were gifted at manipulating public opinion in the broadsides and pamphlets of their era. Their genius at stoking fears about America?s weakness and vulnerability at the time is one reason we have a U.S. Constitution and a strong central government today.

From that example one might argue that a touch of negativity in the right place can be a good thing, and not just in politics. The world of commerce is rife with counterpoint, most of it directed at competing products and services. Businesses like invective and innuendo because the tactic works. Smart companies understand that customers base purchase decisions not only on the positive aspects of a product or service, but also on negative perceptions ? as often as not influenced by competitors? carefully orchestrated advertising and publicity campaigns against their market opponents. A few popular examples:

• Which cola passes the taste test: Pepsi or Coke?
• What about your beer: Less filling and taste better?
• Do you ?Think Different? or are you a PC?
• You?re standing in line to upgrade your iPhone to a feature already on Androids?

These are harmless enough uses of critical messaging. As in politics, such campaigns are largely directed at the ?undecideds.? Popular brands have loyal armies of followers that aren?t likely to be swayed by a commercial. Tiresome though they may seem to some, even mild attack ads can serve the purpose of opening customers? eyes to issues, differences of problems they might not have been aware of. Creating better informed customers is a public service, and an act that can reward business coffers, as well.

Nowhere is the value of negative advertising/PR more potentially beneficial than when business interests collide in, or with, the public policy arena. In one instance we remember well, a large incumbent communications company proposed a rate hike on local network facilities it sold to smaller competitors. Government approval of the increase would empower the market giant to make these vital local links unaffordable to competitors ? driving them out of business.

A last ditch PR campaign by the little guys changed policymakers? minds, foiled the rate hike and saved competitors from closing up shop. It was a negative campaign culminating in national media coverage that exposed the monopoly?s intentions. I?m sure that the incumbent would have preferred, at the time, that we all live and work in a political and business environment where the worst threat to its plans is a campaign jingle.

Tomorrow when the last Super PAC attack ad airs, it will be understandable if most viewers shout out ?Thank God that?s over!? But perhaps a few will see value in the negative ad as a form of muckraking that at times might hold a glimmer of truth.

About James Crawford

Jim Crawford is the president and founder of Crawford PR. In Crawford blogs, he offers hard-earned perspective on public relations for the tech and broadband industries.

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Source: http://crawfordpr.com/2012/11/05/in-praise-o-negative-advertising-and-pr/

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