In today’s digital landscape, businesses are under constant pressure to stay relevant. Reactive PR is the act of responding quickly to current events or news stories and adapting them in a way that suits your brand to try and gain exposure. This can work very well and help give businesses more awareness when done right.
But just because something is trending, does that mean your brand should jump on it?
Not every trend or news story will be relevant to your brand, and they may not align with the values you wish to portray to your audience. Here’s some advice on how to approach reactive PR in a way that’s thoughtful, strategic and good for your brand.
The fine line between engagement and opportunism
Reactive PR offers an exciting chance to showcase your brand’s voice and values by engaging with current conversations. However, there is a fine line between authentic engagement with trends and simply seeing an opportunity and trying to jump on it to make your brand go viral.
Businesses that attempt to capitalise on every trend run the risk of appearing insincere or exploitative, doing this just for views and to try and cause a reaction. For example, commenting on serious social issues without a meaningful commitment or understanding can backfire, damaging trust rather than building it. This is why it is important to only hop on trends that are meaningful and resonate with your brand in some way.
The risk of diluting brand identity
If you constantly shift your messaging as a brand to follow every trend, it can lead to your brand identity diverging from its original values. A strong, consistent brand is built up over time and is based on clear principles, voice and purpose. When a brand does something that doesn’t align with those values, it weakens the brand’s identity and can lead to confusion amongst audiences who see this.
Ethical reactive PR involves balancing relevance with authenticity, carefully selecting which trends to engage with and ensuring each one aligns with your brand’s identity and core story. This approach not only maintains integrity but also builds deeper, more loyal connections with those who have built up trust in the brand over time.
The responsibility to respect sensitivity and context
Not all trends are appropriate for all brands, especially those that involve some sensitive topics or complex social issues. Ethical reactive PR requires a careful consideration of context and potential impact. Jumping into a trending topic without fully understanding it and thinking of the potential repercussions this could have can cause unintended harm or offence.
Brands have a responsibility to approach reactive PR with empathy and respect. This might mean sometimes choosing not to respond, or instead, crafting well-informed responses to these trends that add value to the conversation, making the trend work for your brand’s message and values. It is paramount that brands prioritise authenticity and consistency over the temptation to follow every trend.
If you need advice regarding knowing when it is appropriate to follow trends, get in touch.