Usually, business owners are advised to steer well clear of controversy. Everyone assumes that it is much better to be honest, transparent and well behaved. If a company does do anything to upset people, they normally murmur a humble apology and keep a low profile for a while. However, it occured to me today that a tiny bit of controversy can actually be a good thing.....
As me and my little red 1990 MX5 battled our way through roads masquarading as lakes this morning, I tuned in to The Edge radio station. The hosts were talking about Disney sweetheart, Miley Cyrus, and her alleged aligment with LifeStyles condoms. It is blatently obvious that Miley's advisors would never allow her to make such an alliance and LifeStyles have created quite a stir by offering her a lifetime supply of their product. I don't believe that there was ever any chance of Miley taking up this offer. I think that LifeStyles leaked the story for their own PR purposes. And guess what? It worked. Everybody, everywhere, is now talking about LifeStyles condoms.
Sloggi have also been the subject of many a blog recently with their search for 'The World's Best Bottom'. The outrage this has caused in certain circles (mainly Swedish ones) has no doubt boosted the profile of their lighthearted campaign. It certainly hasn't hurt it. Check out how many people have already submitted a photo of their derriere.
Closer to home, you only have to open the nearest newspaper to see what our own local brands have been doing to get people talking. Dear Steve Crow and his parade of bouncing bosoms are one such example. Crow is highly skilled at using those people that dislike what he does to boost publicity for his event, Erotica Lifestyles Expo. What the politicians and protestors don't seem to realise is that when they kick up a fuss, Steve Crow and his event get an larger slice of the media pie and even more people hear about his expo. Exactly what he wants!
The story in today's Herald states that: 'Despite political opposition, the event has become hugely popular, watched by tens of thousands of people.'
I would argue that this event has attracted so much attention because of political opposition and the subsequent media coverage.
All in all, the above examples go to show that sometimes a bit of debate over a product, service or event can actually be a great public relations tool. It can raise awareness of a brand and drive more people to carry out the action that you would like them to. It should definitely remind us all to think outside of the box a little and not to shy away from a little bit of controversy, if we come across the kind of client that might benefit from it...
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