All bad press is good press. Is this true?

I couldn't help myself writing this as i stumble across a Facebook posting. 

Long before I even got into the corporate game, I’d always heard people say “there’s no such thing as bad publicity.”  The theory is that as long as people are talking about you, it’s a good thing. Even if they’re saying awful things about you or your company, the publicity is supposed to still be good because your name is on the top of people’s minds, keeping you relevant.

And in some cases, this is true. Just the other day, we talked about how Kanye West is the king of controversy. The hip hop superstar seems to always be on the receiving end of negative media coverage, but in his case, it’s actually served to help his career. It seems like the more negative attention he gets, the more people buy his albums. In short, he thrives on the “bad publicity.”

But Kanye is the exception, not the rule. The idea that there’s no such thing as bad publicity is laughable. It’s totally insane.

Just ask BP. Do you think they enjoyed being in the spotlight for the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf? Do you think they enjoyed having people boycott their fueling stations?  Do you think they thought it was cool that there was a BP oil spill Halloween costume?

Of course they didn't. The company took a massive hit thanks to all of the negative publicity. They've already spent millions trying to rebuild their image through a PPC campaign, TV commercials, and more.

And what about Toyota? How do you think all of those recalls over faulty, dangerous vehicles worked out for them? Last time I checked, their sales were down nearly 10%, and their competitors were making huge gains.

Oh, and let’s not forget about Tiger Woods. It’s been exactly now a couple of years since his scandal, and the public hasn't viewed the athlete the same ever since. Thanks to the negative publicity, Tiger Woods lost numerous sponsors, including Accenture and AT&T. You think he enjoyed the negative media attention? You think Tiger feels there’s no such thing as bad publicity?

Somehow, I doubt it.

I could go on and on with examples of how bad publicity has hurt brands of all sizes, but I think you’re starting to get the point. The truth is there is such a thing as bad publicity. And while all of the brands I mentioned can and likely will eventually recover, the bad publicity they've received has done some serious damage for at least the short term and maybe longer.

What do you think? Do you believe that all publicity is good publicity? Why or why not?
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