Any Press is Good Press

Most  of  the  time.

If you can control the press then any press is good press. A Federal indictment does not fall in the category of controlled press.

Controlled press is what you see in our industry every day. Designed and controlled by the press itself. Your "TrustMe" ads printed alongside "bad press".What we need is some "bad press" that we control. Not too hard to do but, you must plan well in advance. Fail to plan and plan to fail.

P.T. Barnum was, arguably, the best marketer and promoter this country has ever seen. I am not an advocate of creating a marketing model designed around self promotion but, throw it in the mix and you could gain valuable exposure for your clients! Be careful though, this type of marketing is not for the faint of heart.

An example of Barnum's work that I recall is when he was sued by a circus goer who felt he had been deceived. His case claimed that Barnum's side shows were deceptive and fake. Specifically, he claimed that the Bearded Lady was actually a man. He brought suit against Barnum and the press immediately picked up the story. Headlines everywhere had Barnum's name emblazoned for all to see. Was Barnum headed for ultimate doom? The trial was covered in papers everywhere around the globe printing accounts of the days testimony. For weeks Barnum received "bad press".

The outcome....Barnum had been vindicated! Headlines everywhere printed accounts and the outcome of the case. Barnum was a hero. The bearded lady WAS REAL. The entire country could not wait for Barnum's Circus to get to their town.

Eventually it was made known that Barnum himself had hired the "Plaintiff" to bring suit.

Brilliant marketing. Marketing that would have been impossible to achieve even with Barnum's great wealth.

Now, I do not recommend that you bring suit against yourself to gain exposure. Things were quite different in Barnum's time. The opportunity does exist for you to think outside the box and find other ways to gain valuable, free exposure. The basic principles of marketing and promotion remain unchanged. Find your niche, design a controlled plan and then.... GO FOR IT. Spin your own story today. Have an idea about "press" we could create? share it!