5 Ways Of Reducing Negative Press Successfully At Your event

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Public Relations known as PR is seen as a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organisations and their public. For event managers working with clients, especially in the realm of entertainment, it is vital to consider a strong PR campaign. That said, no matter whether you have a strong campaign, there are many unforeseen circumstances that can land your client’s brand/organisation in the water. For example, look at what happened recently at the 2022 Oscars between Will and Chris, the results of which are still under fire and have caused mass outrage online and poor branding for a once well respected event. When something like this happens, an events manager must find solutions to extinguish flames and put out the negative press, below are some great ways you can implement into your events PR strategy.

Counterbalancing With Paid Media – Reason 5

News outlets will promote negative press to get a reaction out of its readers. Unavoidable yes, however what an individual can do is put money aside in the budgeting plan for advertising, for example create a press sheet of a product launch and submit it to an editorial department of an established magazine such as Forbes, this approach falls under paid media as it costs money however the content would be written accordingly to the brand’s values, in turn promoting them successfully, the disagreement to this solution is that it can often come across as biassed. 

Good image is  important after a brand has taken a hit, as you need to stay even more visible to win back your consumers. Sponsored branding of celebrities should be considered as people look up to those that they admire in the public eye. Having an A List influencer working alongside your brand can bring more traffic to you. One benefit besides trust and credibility is that it makes content stand out.

Implementing Change – Reason 4

Sometimes negative press cannot be reduced, however, event managers can indeed learn from the process and minimise the risk of the same fault happening twice. For example, if the negative press was down to the error of catering, one would look for a better caterer, for example reading reviews to find the best team for the role. You can only grow from bad opportunities, and sometimes being made aware of the issue is the only way to implement change. Most importantly how mistakes are viewed, can determine the reaction and what you do next to fix the issue.

Don’t Set Unrealistic Expectations – Reason 3 

One way to limit bad feedback is to not over promise your customers. Certainly do not limit yourself but do not tell them something which you can not deliver on, if selling an away day experience to corporate clients, less is more. Keep to the basics and then deliver more than was proposed will always positively impact a customer’s experience.

When You Think You’ve Planned Enough Plan More – Reason 2 

Create a crisis communication plan between the team, look at future issues and try to eliminate them before they come to light. It’s always best to be prepared for the worst as if they then happen, you can conduct yourself in a calm and collective manner. At an event when an events manager is acting out in distress, an audience will follow suit and panic will be created in turn tarnishing the image of the brand or events success.

Reach Out To Those That Tarnish You – Reason 1

Research into what went wrong, reach out to negative reviewers and arrange meetups with press to tell your side of the story. If a broadcaster has spoken badly about the client, as an events planner working jointly on the publicity side organise a meeting over the phone, often negative reviews are done when understanding is not clear. People do like to moan and although it’s good to reduce the fire by communicating compassion, you never want to play the role of a pacifier. Never offer incentives openly to win a customer back, as future consumers may see this as a way of getting free stock. One approach instead is for you to reach out to them personally.

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