“I’ll leave it to you guys to spin the story!”
“Ya, if your story can move our share price upwards, that would be perfect!”
“Write us a beautiful PR line…we can exclude the ‘unnecessary details’…”
Those who are well-versed in the magical world of public relations (PR) would know how wonderful and powerful this tool can be in shaping opinions amongst the targeted audiences. But that power comes with a vulnerability, as narratives can be manipulated and ‘spun’ for the benefits of some, much to the disadvantage of others.
Essentially, ‘spin’ is a form of ‘propaganda’ that utilises various deceptive methods of persuasion. It is a form of communication built on inaccuracies, exaggeration, half-truths or ‘emotional hostage’. As PR practitioners, we are often referred to as ‘spin doctors’. The moniker is not all bad, because the essence of our role is to ‘influence’ which is a great asset, only when used positively.
But every now and then, we PR practitioners are stumped for a few seconds after receiving a client’s brief. We venture into a sort of limbo, asking ourselves questions like… “Did they just ask us to do that?” or “Did I hear that right?”.
What Is That Fine Line Between Telling A Story With Transparency and Integrity, and “Spin”?
Getting retainer clients or working on multiple projects is always (and still is!) good, but not at the sacrifice of the integrity of our trade. It is important for us to be strongly rooted and guided by our principles, integrity and credibility, when we’re interacting with our clients or any stakeholders. Respect is earned through our words and action, and of course our counsel should always be to ‘Do the Right Thing, the Right Way’.
Here, I’d like to share simple tips on how we can safeguard the integrity of the content or messages we help clients to craft or seed out.
- Communicate with the mid-points and end in mind
Imagine you are taking an-inter-state drive for a holiday with your family. You begin the journey by communicating a goal, i.e. to get to the destination within 4 hours. Throughout the journey, you share various experiences – a simple meal at the rest stop, your kids may get car sick, or you may even make a short detour to enjoy a lakeside view. Finally, when you’ve reached your destination, you celebrate the ‘win’ that you’ve made it on time. And if you didn’t, you start finding out why…
Similarly, in communicating a client’s business goals, think of the start, the end, and everything else in between. Understand them, ask questions and cover all grounds. More often than not, the communication is only centred at the start – the grand plans, the expansion plans, the potential growth, the revenue projection or what they wish to sell and introduce. But rarely do we communicate the progress or the stumbling blocks faced along the pathway. When that happens, it’s easy to be sidetracked by the urgent responses being demanded and stray from our original purpose. We need to take time to be real about the purpose of our storytelling journey, so that we can be consistent and this retain the trust of our audiences. That is what will make brand-building and engaging and sustainable process.
Also read: Lay’s New Campaign: A Delicious Tug-of-War of Love and Flavor
- Be a positive ‘spin doctor’
Much as I’m opposed to using the words ‘spin doctor’, we must acknowledge that PR practitioners are in the business of influencing any given group of target audiences. This involves crafting strategies and messages to change or shift mindsets, using the right sets of data, insights and statistics to form the intended perspectives or perceptions.
One of the worst examples of propaganda to date would be where oil companies were alleged of using skillful PR strategies and manipulative language to mislead the public about climate change and its implications. [1] For more than 4 decades, the PR efforts were centered on casting doubts that burning fossil fuels were warming the planet. This deflected attention from them and eventually put the onus on consumers to ‘save the planet’. [2] Closer to home would be the lobbying by competitors accusing the palm oil industry of flouting environmental standards or making false claims that palm oil is unhealthy. [3]
Let’s use PR wisely and with integrity. Together, let’s propagate good and truthful messaging. It takes 2 to tango – the client and the PR counterpart. Sometimes it may be better to just walk away from a client that demands an irrational “spin”.
- Don’t hide
It’s ironic that most PR activations are centered on a ‘Communicate, Communicate & Communicate’ policy. Constantly and repeatedly communicating messages to our intended stakeholders to make it stick. But when media asks for clarifications to an issue or in the midst of a crisis, we often hide. We actually owe it to the media to respond. Always respond, even if we may not respond with the content they wish to have.
Understandbly, clients are working around many parameters that would eventually dictate the final action. So for the media, the request is for them to respect those responses, whatever it might be.
- Be prepared to walk away
If you know the whole story, but is asked to omit the certain details so that it can be “spun” in a certain way, then be prepared to choose integrity over revenue. I’ve encountered situations where I would insist certain information to be included in the messaging, because it reflects a more accurate, holistic context.
There is a fine line between what Client Needs versus what Agency Counsels. If it borders on ‘spinning a story’ that may not be entirely accurate…walk away. Although PR practitioners’ forte is in distilling messages and crafting a compelling storyline; being realistic, authentic and transparent are equally essential. We may not be in the position to have the full information despite signing the NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement), thus half the onus lies on the client to be a trusted partner in the journey.
USE PR “SPIN” WISELY
Indeed, PR is a very powerful tool.
When used wisely and strategically, it can move mountains (although not necessarily the share price!). From content to message delivery, TRUST is the fundamental principle that binds the entire process – be it with the client, media, influencers or any stakeholders.
Reputation management or brand building should be a journey rooted on credibility and integrity. Be accountable. And let’s not tarnish this age-old industry.
