This week's PR Roundup examines the crisis over at Sticker Mule, a new report on disinformation following the assassination attempt and the endurance of trade publications.
A Sticky Situation
What happened: For several years now, an ongoing discourse continues within the PR industry as to whether or not brands or brand leadership should take stands when it comes to polarizing topics.
Political topics have become increasingly fraught this year with the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Many organizations choose to stay quiet or engage all sides of the issue by encouraging civic participation and voting.
However, some of those walls broke down this week after former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Anthony Constantino, a co-founder at Sticker Mule, a popular custom printing sticker company, proclaimed his support for Donald Trump not only on the company’s social media accounts, but through a direct email sent to customers with a subject line titled “Trump 2024.” The email also included a promo for a shirt sale, alongside a plea that “The political hate needs to stop.” (The email can be found making the rounds on social media, or you can get the gist from the X, formerly known as Twitter, post below.)
Donald Trump was shot.
I don’t care what your political views are but the hate for Trump and his supporters has gone too far.
People are terrified to admit they support Trump. I’ve been scared myself.
Americans shouldn’t live in fear.
I support Trump. Many at Sticker Mule… pic.twitter.com/mydQpM8GVV
— Sticker Mule (@stickermule) July 14, 2024
Needless to say, some of the customer base did not support this messaging, and they responded overwhelmingly on social media and through email responses.
Some of Sticker Mule’s competitors trolled the company with messages on social media welcoming disenchanted customers.
James Colistra, Head of PR for Sticker Mule, only started at the company a week ago, but he’s been working overtime to counsel Constantino on messaging and response. He graciously reached out to PRNEWS on LinkedIn, explaining how the company came to such a decision.
“When Anthony decided to make a statement about Donald Trump… I made it clear to him what the risks were to the business,” Colistra says. “His stance was that he is willing to take the heat because he thought speaking out would help make the world a happier place. He made it clear to me that he valued my input, but ultimately makes his own decisions based on feedback from a variety of people he trusts. According to Anthony, he was surprised that his left-leaning advisors were more supportive of the message than his advisors on the right, who were terrified he'd hurt the business. On that basis he made the call. When the backlash hit, he swiftly decided to issue a $2,500 bonus to all 79 people doing support to say "thank you for their resilience" in his words.”
Colistra continues to work with Constantino to field press inquiries this week.
Communication takeaways: When a leader has a position they want to take and a stance they want to make, it is quite difficult to get them to back down. However, these positions can cause customers to feel alienated, especially those who do not agree with such a stance.
Gini Dietrich, founder of Spin Sucks, and creator of the PESO Model©, had quite a bit to say in response to the backlash. She says it pays to consider what your brand is and the overall context, when offering an opinion.
“It's no surprise that more and more brands are standing up for what they believe,” Dietrich says. “Most consumers require it, and most won't buy from companies whose values don't align with their own. But sometimes it's OK not to say anything at all. If you make stickers or toothpaste or toilet paper or cleaning products, you don't need to have a public view on an assassination attempt.”
Dietrich says if an executive wants to make a stand, there are always two questions to be asked.
- Does your brand already support this in a way that attracts like-minded people with the same values?
- Does your brand make or sell anything that provides a greater good to society?
“If the answer is yes to both of those, we work through scenario planning with them to determine if and when they say something publicly,” she says. “If the answer is no to either or both, we dig in to figure out the why behind the request. There are always exceptions, of course, but if they can't answer yes, we almost always recommend they stay silent.”
Dietrich also has some advice for PR pros who find themselves dealing with a rogue CEO or client.
“If your CEO or client publicly makes a statement without consulting you first, quit your job! I jest, I jest, but it does demonstrate their lack of confidence in the communications function, and your ability to help them navigate rough waters (or their sheer arrogance),” she notes. “Depending on the situation, it's good to do a post-mortem with them to discuss how you can help to prevent backlash and lost sales in the future. If they're not willing to do that, I go back to my original statement.”
Disinformation Spreads After Trump Shooting
What happened: Naturally, we can no longer go through a major public event, usually political, without rushes to judgment and conspiracy theories spreading quickly through social media.
This week disinformation security company Cyabra conducted an analysis which uncovered a massive influence of fake profiles on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. The profiles spread false narratives seen by hundreds of millions of accounts in the first few hours following the assassination attempt on former President Trump.
The report discovered:
- The primary false narrative spread by fake accounts on social media involved claims that Trump planned the shooting to gather votes before the elections.
- A massive 45% of the accounts engaging with this claim were fake, using numerous hashtags such as #fakeassassination and #stagedshooting to spread the claim (for comparison, the average percentage of fake accounts on social media is between 4-6%).
- This theory had the potential to reach 595 million views, with these posts receiving 404,000 engagements, and with many influential authentic accounts amplifying the content of fake accounts across social media.
Communication takeaways: Chilling, right? In its day-to-day work, Cyabra uses its AI programs to fight brand reputation risks and disinformation by uncovering malicious actors, bot networks and GenAI content for brands and the public sector.
Rafi Mendelsohn, VP of Marketing for Cyabra, says the report shows just how fast a public figure or organization can lose control of a narrative. For communicators, knowing how to monitor this is key.
“The rapid and coordinated spread of false narratives through fake accounts underscores a critical lesson for communicators: the imperative of vigilance and preparedness,” Mendelsohn says. “Disinformation can surge unexpectedly and reach wide audiences. To effectively counter these threats, communicators must implement continuous monitoring systems and have ready-to-deploy response plans in place.”
If this summer’s news cycle has taught communicators anything, it’s most certainly to be prepared. We’ve got a long election season to go.
Trade Media Stays Strong
What happened: For those finding brick walls when it comes to pitching, during what feels like a never-ending breaking news cycle, we present: Trade media.
According to new research from Broadsheet Communications’ “Q2 State of the Media Report,” the role of trade media continues to be indispensable for providing accurate and timely industry information. It’s essential reading for industry professionals wanting to stay informed and helps them make strategic decisions.
Findings from the report:
- Trade media is crucial for competitive insights: 87% of respondents use trade media to gather competitive intelligence, highlighting its vital role in strategic planning.
- Trade media influences purchases: 82% of those surveyed report that trade media has a direct effect on enterprise purchasing decisions.
- Trade media promotes growth: 67% of executives confirm that a presence in trade media positively impacts sales and revenue growth, with one-third noting a significant effect on their sales figures.
- Trade media enhances brand equity: 59% of respondents believe that being featured in trade media directly improves their brand’s market position and identity.
- Trade media provides key industry information: Almost 70% of participants regard trade publications and newsletters as their main source of industry news.
Of course, PRNEWS is excited and humbled by this news, given our representation in the sector.
For more information on the values of trade media check out the full report.
Nicole Schuman is Managing Editor at PRNEWS.