โCorrectโ isnโt necesยญsarยญily good pubยญlic relations.
Some people argue that their actions shouldยญnโt resยญult in bad pubยญlic relaยญtions because theyโre a) legยญally in the clear and b) facยญtuยญally correct.
Iโm sorry, but thatโs not the way PR works.
Here we go:
The Norman Axiom
Many years ago, I stumbled across this meme with โNormanโ comยญplainยญing about the noise from the nearby airfield.
I call this the Norman Axiom.
I tell the story about Norman to illusยญtrate two key points in pubยญlic relations:
If the paraยญdox of promยญinยญence is the quesยญtion, then the Norman Axiom is the answer.
Learn more: The Norman Axiom
Thank you. Please supยญport my blog by sharยญing artยญicles with othยญer comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtions- and marยญketยญing proยญfesยญsionยญals. Please also conยญsider my PR serยญvices or speakยญing engageยญments.
Psst! What should you read next?
Good PR vs Bad PR
In pubยญlic relaยญtions, sayยญing the right things will not be enough if you do the wrong things.
Doing the wrong things + sayยญing the wrong things = bad PR
Doing the wrong things + sayยญing the right things = bad PR
Doing the right things + sayยญing the wrong things = bad PR
Doing the right things + sayยญing the right things = good PR
Learn more: Good PR vs Bad PR
Psst! What should you read next?
The Paradox of Prominence
The โdark sideโ of what drives peopleโs engageยญment can be a true PR chalยญlenge. This pheยญnomenยญon, where every strength inherยญently posยญsesses a corยญresยญpondยญing downยญside, can be called the โParadox of Prominence.โ
An example of this paraยญdox is the halo effect, where physยญicยญal attractยญiveยญness becomes an asset for a spokesยญperยญson. Attractiveness often leads to posยญitยญive biases; attractยญive indiยญviduยญals are freยญquently perยญceived as more credยญible and comยญpetยญent. 1Eagly, A. H., Ashmore, R. D., Makhijani, M. G., & Longo, L. C. (1991). What is beauยญtiยญful is good, butโฆ: A meta-anaยญlytยญic review of research on the physยญicยญal attractยญiveยญness steยญreoยญtype. โฆ Continue readยญing 2Silfwer, J. (2023, December 17). The Halo Effect: Why Attractiveness Matters in PR. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โdocโtorโspinโ.net/โhโaโlโoโ-โeโfโfโeโct/
However, this same attribยญute can spark negยญatยญive reacยญtions. Critics might claim that the indiยญviduยญalโs sucยญcess or visยญibยญilยญity is primarยญily due to their looks, underยญminยญing their comยญpetยญenยญcies. This dualยญity illusยญtrates how the qualยญitยญies that draw posยญitยญive attenยญtion can simยญulยญtanยญeously attract criยญtiยญcism and scepticism.
Competence, anothยญer valuยญable trait, often encounยญters simยญilยญar pitยญfalls. Highly comยญpetยญent indiยญviduยญals inspire conยญfidยญence and admirยญaยญtion. Nevertheless, this comยญpetยญence can be perยญceived negยญatยญively when willยญfully interยญpreted as arrogยญance. Studies sugยญgest that while comยญpetยญence garners respect, it can also lead to social penยญalยญties, such as envy and resentยญment. 3Fiske, S. T., Cuddy, A. J. C., Glick, P., & Xu, J. (2002). A modยญel of (often mixed) steยญreoยญtype conยญtent: Competence and warmth respectยญively folยญlow from perยญceived status and comยญpetยญiยญtion. Journal of โฆ Continue readยญing
Examples of the Paradox of Prominence
The paraยญdox of promยญinยญence seems to be an inherยญent aspect of human interest dynamics.
Prominence | Positive Outcome | Negative Outcome |
---|---|---|
Physical attractยญiveยญness | Enhanced credยญibยญilยญity and trust | Accusations of superยญfiยญcial success |
High comยญpetยญence | Respected and trusยญted as an expert | Perceived as arrogยญant or unapproachable |
Charisma | Ability to inspire and attract followers | Viewed as manipยญuยญlatยญive or insincere |
Strong advocacy | Increased supยญport and mobilยญizยญaยญtion for a cause | Target of intense criยญtiยญcism from opponents |
Wealth | Seen as sucยญcessยญful and influential | Resentment and accusยญaยญtions of greed or unfairness |
Assertiveness | Effective leadยญerยญship and decision-making | Labeled as domยญinยญeerยญing or aggressive |
Innovation | Admired for creยญativยญity and forward-thinking | Resistance to change and criยญtiยญcism from traditionalists |
High visยญibยญilยญity | Greater recogยญniยญtion and influence | Increased scruยญtiny and loss of privacy |
Generosity | Viewed as kind-hearted and philanthropic | Suspected of ulteriยญor motives |
Success in comยญpetยญitยญive fields | Role modยญel and symยญbol of achievement | Envy and attempts to underยญmine accomplishments |
We must recogยญnise that with every increase in visยญibยญilยญity, there is a corยญresยญpondยญing increase in scruยญtiny and criticism.
Pick Your Opponents Wisely
Public awareยญness comes with inevยญitยญable costs.
In the quest for greatยญer visยญibยญilยญity and influยญence, it is critยญicยญal to acknowยญledge that โbeing uniยญverยญsally well-likedโ is a naรฏve and unrealยญistยญic goal.
By straยญtegicยญally harยญnessยญing this paraยญdox, pubยญlic relaยญtions proยญfesยญsionยญals can manยญage pubยญlic perยญcepยญtion by interยญnยญalยญising expecยญted โdownยญsidesโ as addiยญtionยญal awareยญness drivers.
Learn more: The Paradox of Prominence
Annotations
1 | Eagly, A. H., Ashmore, R. D., Makhijani, M. G., & Longo, L. C. (1991). What is beauยญtiยญful is good, butโฆ: A meta-anaยญlytยญic review of research on the physยญicยญal attractยญiveยญness steยญreoยญtype. Psychological Bulletin, 110(1), 109โโโ128. https://โdoiโ.org/โ1โ0โ.โ1โ0โ3โ7โ/โ0โ033โโโ2909.110.1.109 |
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2 | Silfwer, J. (2023, December 17). The Halo Effect: Why Attractiveness Matters in PR. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โdocโtorโspinโ.net/โhโaโlโoโ-โeโfโfโeโct/ |
3 | Fiske, S. T., Cuddy, A. J. C., Glick, P., & Xu, J. (2002). A modยญel of (often mixed) steยญreoยญtype conยญtent: Competence and warmth respectยญively folยญlow from perยญceived status and comยญpetยญiยญtion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(6), 878โโโ902. https://โdoiโ.org/โ1โ0โ.โ1โ0โ3โ7โ/โ0โ022โโโ3514.82.6.878 |