Situations and issues may arise as you work with your client. As a professional, a solid understanding of reactive PR strategies will allow your client to understand that you will be prepared to respond effectively and professionally. PR strategies are guidelines enabling professionals to dig deep into design methods that will help them generate more press and create a better brand identity. When a professional develop a response due to an issue, this is called a reactive strategy. There is a multitude of reactive strategies. Whatever issue might be at hand needs to be responded to with a reactive strategy related to the crisis. Two tactics within reactive strategies known for getting ahead of the problem and taking control over the message are preemptive strikes and offensive action.
Prep, Prep, Preemptive!
According to Strategic Planning for Public Relations by Ronald D. Smith, a preemptive strike is a "defensive action taken before opponents launch a first charge against an organization." This is necessary because word spreads like wildfire when a bad event happens. When bad news comes, a response must be developed to inform the audience of the information the organization is facing. This is known as a prebuttal, a tactic within the pre-emptive action strategy. It is essential to have a strong prebuttal due to living in a digital world where everything is so fast-paced, and responses can generate within seconds. Ronald D. Smith, in Strategic Planning for Public Relations, describes the importance of a prebuttal because it is "the first one to tell the story sets the tone, against which all alternative versions must compete." For example, when you were a child playing outside at recess and another student pushed you to the ground, the first story told the teacher about who did what sets the tone. The other student's version of the story competes with the original claim.
Are You Being Offensive?
When s*** hits the fan, and there is not much you can do, a PR professional will develop a harsh response. This does not mean their tone and communication are rude, but rather their statement aligns with an aggressive initiative. There are five methods/tactics within offensive PR strategy: threat, embarrassment, attack, shock, and double down. These are used when an organization faces criticism from a current or recent event.
An offensive attack is as straight up as it sounds. When there is an attacker, the attack is on the person causing chaos. This method strives to take control of the situation and hopes the opponent will take a step down. This method shows the public and the audience how their claims are simply inappropriate and are considered an attack. Next, the embarrassment tactic uses language that will develop feelings of shame. The opponent might feel humiliated, which might alleviate the severity of the issue. The shock method can capture your audiences' attention in such a way that will violate their beliefs, moral sensibilities, and social values. It tends to bring controversy by overstepping the audience's religious, political, social, and traditional norms. This method will allow the organization to remain unforgettable. A threat communicates there will be harm to the offender. There can be a price to pay if this method is used unethically. Lastly, the double-down tactic is the definition of self-control and maturity. An organization stands firm in its beliefs, values, and actions. They will continue to communicate those with the audience. The double down method can be used when the situation does not necessarily have a negative issue.
A preemptive strike and offensive strategies are highly effective. An organization wishes to control the story as they face a crisis. Control and power remain necessary while facing a conflict. When a PR professional cannot take charge of a situation and message being communicated, there is hope for coming out of a crisis.
Sources:
Cruz-Eusebio, J. (2021, April 5). How to use Shocking Ads to Raise Sales and Brand Awareness. Www.brax.io. https://www.brax.io/blog/raise-sales-and-brand-awareness-with-shocking-ads#:~:text=Using%20Native%20Advertising-
Smith, R. D. (2020). Strategic Planning for Public Relations (6th ed.). Taylor & Francis.
Technium Consulting. (2022, June 27). What Is a Public Relations Strategy: Examples & Tactics. Digital Ceuticals; Technium Consulting Inc. https://digitalceuticals.com/pr-strategies/
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