The rebel yell PR strategy is one of my favourites.
There are some brands we love a little bit more than others.
We love the brave. We love the rebels. We love the misfits. We love the underdogs. We love the smart minority. We love those who dare stick their neck out and risk their business.
The rebels we celebrate manage to come out in front of a significant shift in our societal value system. Yes, it’s a question about timing — and sometimes blind luck.
Sparking controversy as a PR strategy is often frowned upon. It’s seen as a cheap trick to attract attention.
Still, brands can reap significant benefits; controversy creates a rift in public opinion between them and us.
Rock and roll were considered devil music by the late majority for quite some time. Unethical, even. It was pushing the boundaries of what was socially acceptable. And more importantly, rock and roll are still around today.
After all — Elvis Presley was a rebel.
If being controversial is a powerful PR strategy, what’s the catch? Because there must be a catch, right?
In 1928 George Washington Hill, the president of the American Tobacco Company, hired Edward Bernays, today known as the father of public relations, to help him recruit women smokers.
The Father of PR: Edward Bernays
Edward Bernays (1891 – 1995) is considered the father of public relations. His uncle was the famous psychologist Sigmund Freud, and Bernays, too, was interested in behavioural psychology.
Bernays certainly was something of a character: His most famous book is titled “Propaganda” — in which he outlined how to manage the perceptions of crowds, much like modern Niccolo Machiavelli or Sun Tzu:
“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organised habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.”
— Edward Bernays
PR Case Study: Torches of Freedom
When helping Lucky Strike, Bernays realised that cigarette smoking was mostly a male habit. From a business perspective, there was a golden opportunity to add half the population to Lucky Strike’s list of potential customers.
No one had done this successfully, not because no one ever had that idea, but because it was a tough nut to crack. But Edward Bernays succeeded by tapping into another prevailing trend in society: The emancipation of women.
Bernays positioned cigarettes for women as “Torches of Freedom.” He placed the idea in articles, newspapers, celebrity endorsements, and events. He planted the public perception of women smoking not because it was enjoyable but as a symbol of female independence.
PR Case Study: Eggs and Bacon
Have you ever had eggs and bacon for breakfast at a hotel? Well, you can thank Bernays for that idea.
Another PR legend is how Bernays helped the farming industry convince people to eat more eggs and bacon. To make this happen, he wanted to change people’s perception of when it’s okay to eat eggs and bacon.
Bernays cooperated with food scientists to establish that eggs and bacon should be part of a healthy breakfast for every American. And to manifest this, he collaborated with chains of hotels to have them serve eggs and bacon for breakfast.
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As a way of displaying a burgeoning movement of women’s rights in the US, female celebrities and influencers started smoking cigarettes out in the open as a sign of emancipation since smoking cigarettes in public was something only “fallen” women did.
Bernays hired women to march while smoking their “torches of freedom” in the Easter Sunday Parade of 1929, a march traditionally well-covered by the media. Of course, this controversy sparked lots of publicity for the cause.
The campaign helped push the women’s movement forward. That’s good. But it persuaded more people to take up smoking. That isn’t good.
Don’t get me wrong. Someone might think that smoking is good or that grown-ups should be allowed to decide what’s best for themselves. I respect that.
But the critical point here is that it’s possible to spark controversy for controversy’s sake. It’s possible to scare people senseless. It’s possible to shock or gross people like American Apparel, who face lots of public outrage for their sexist ads.
Yes, it’s controversial, but there’s nothing rebellious about reinforcing old stereotypes or making people feel bad about themselves.
I could argue that American Apparel is deploying a controversial PR strategy. They want to piss off an establishment of prudes that we shouldn’t be so afraid of sexual innuendo.
Such arguments don’t hold up; women have been objectified in the media for as long as mass media have been around.
Rock and roll was a step forward. Objectifying women — isn’t.
This is especially regrettable since there are thousands and thousands of meaningful rebellions for brands to participate in.
Why not come out before gay marriage — because the company doesn’t even want money from homophobic customers anyway? The middle class is taking over everything, from living to thinking. Why not rebel against this?
There’s consumerism to rebel against. Capitalism. Communism. Climate. Religion, even. Heck, you could even rebel against technology taking over our lives. Whatever.
But here’s the key to using controversy as a powerful strategy:
You fight with someone stronger than you to create your desired future. Not by exploiting what’s already wrong with society.
Please support my blog by sharing it with other PR- and communication professionals. For questions or PR support, contact me via jerry@spinfactory.com.
PR Resource: The Rebel Yell Statement
The Rebel Yell Statement
Copywriter Kevin Rogers published this simple yet effective script to improve your storytelling, the rebel yell statement, named after the legendary rock anthem by Billy Idol.
Here’s the rebel yell statement script for you to try:
My name is _________, I love _________ but was fed up with _________. So I created _________ that _________.
Here’s an example by Rogers on Steve Jobs:
My name is Steve, I love computers but was fed up with the snail’s pace of commercial technology. So I created a user-friendly computer that processes information faster than anything else out there today.
Here’s the rebel yell statement I wrote for this blog, Doctor Spin:
My name is Jerry, I love PR, but was fed up with “social media experts” giving clients bullshit advice. So I created Doctor Spin to share actionable insights based on academic research, hands-on experience, and passion.
Learn more: 3 Ways to Improve Your Storytelling (in 15 Minutes)
PR Resource: How To Identify a Good PR Strategy
How To Identify a Good PR Strategy
Your PR strategy should answer one simple question:
If your PR strategy fails to answer this question, it’s just ornamentation (i.e. corporate cringe).
Learn more: Your Bullshit PR Strategy is Cringe, Sorry
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PR Resource: More PR Strategies
Doctor Spin’s PR Strategies
Make sure to explore a wide variety of PR strategies for every different type of situation and challenge:
Learn more: How to Create a PR Strategy That Actually Works
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