PR nightmares don’t just happen; there is a cause at the root of each one. In the context of business, the most common triggers for a viral post include controversial campaigns and practices, failures in communication, defective products, or failing to meet the client’s expectations. Complaints that go viral usually center on dissatisfied customers or a reaction to an offensive or immoral action by the company.
The process always starts with a single post or comment. Using dialog-oriented communication channels, consumers can make their criticism visible to the public; this alone is an indication of the power consumers have. With the company’s social media profiles on the front line, PR nightmares occur when a criticism gains traction with other members of the community voicing a similar opinion. When this happens, the situation can snowball rapidly, and within minutes, the original comment can gather the support of a large group of people. However, one of the biggest problems with viral social media posts is that comments can often drift from the subject of the original post, and honest criticism can descend into vicious and senseless attacks.
Media coverage also plays a major role in the development of a PR nightmare. Without the media’s influence, a wave of negative comments can quickly be resolved, deleted, or forgotten without a great impact on the company or its communication channels. However, these situations become true nightmares for the company if the viral post catches the interest of the mass media. This will create additional pressure for the addressee to respond to the criticism.
Phase models can help to visualize the natural progression of a viral post. The social media monitoring company, BIG (Business Intelligence Group) divides the process into three phases; these mark the start, turning point and end of a viral complaint:
- Pre-phase: in the pre-phase, the volume of comments is at a normal level – the number and tone of the posts show no abnormalities.
- Acute phase: the acute phase is when the post begins to attract an unusually high number of negative comments. In this phase, the frequency of negative posts is at its highest. This often coincides with the post attracting the attention of the mass media, which draws even more attention to the viral post. If there are no further events that continue to provoke the public (i.e. failures in communication), a downturn will occur bringing the acute phase to an end.
- Post phase: the post-phase is the aftermath of a PR nightmare. Even when the uproar begins to die down, and comments return to their normal rate, the fact remains: when something makes waves online, the evidence remains forever.
PR nightmares are mostly driven by the sharp increase in critical comments during the acute phase, which is why these attacks are known for being so brutally aggressive. On social media platforms in particular, protests and outrage can spread like wildfire. This means that topics can often be taken out of context and opinions can be biased. With the speed of online communication, it is often impossible for the addressee to quell small waves of criticism before it turns into a tsunami.
If an individual targets a business with a grievance, it can gain support from other individuals very quickly. This is known as the ‘David versus Goliath’ principle; this is where supposedly weak individuals rise up against large enterprise that is perceived as overly powerful. PR nightmares can, therefore, occur without the company being at fault in any way.