Let’s be honest – when it comes to developing buzz-worthy PR campaigns that genuinely disrupt and captivate audiences, we’ve become a bit too obsessed with chasing that elusive viral moment. Countless articles and think pieces fixate on the holy grail of “going viral” as the ultimate measure of success.
But here’s the hard truth: Virality is a fickle, unpredictable beast that can never truly be promised or engineered. Even the most meticulously data-driven campaigns with all the right demographic targets and optimized content can still fall flat.
If we want to escape this mindset of desperate viral chasing, we need a fundamental shift in how we approach PR campaigns from the very start. It’s time to move beyond fleeting moments of famein favor of cultivating something much more enduring – reputation and authentic community connections.
The Business of Attention… and Then What?
First, let’s get this out of the way: Capturing audience attention is still a crucial objective for any effective PR initiative. Unlike interruptive advertising though, we can’t just buy eyeballs or disrupt someone’s content experience. PR must expertly command attention through more strategic means.
And here’s the pivotal difference – attention is merely PR’s entry point, not the final destination. Our higher callings are fueling brand reputation, igniting powerful conversations, and building communities of passionate advocates over the long haul.
This is an awfully tall order for any modern PR campaign aiming to disrupt the status quo. Clearly, we need to rethink our fundamental strategies and approaches. Chasing virality alone simply won’t cut it.
Here’s an idea for you: Why not use old school lessons from the elements of news?
To chart a new disruptive path forward, I propose we revisit one of the most time-honored frameworks from the journalism world – the very same “elements of news” criteria that have guided editors for decades in determining truly buzzworthy stories.
While analytics and data-driven marketing have their place, these bedrock elements of proximity, prominence, conflict, oddity, and human truth are what have captivated audiences since long before digital metrics and dashboards even existed.
By incorporating these elements into our PR campaigns from the ground up, we significantly increase our chances of not just accruing pageviews or impressions, but fundamentally altering brand reputations and galvanizing communities.
For instance –
Proximity
In our hyper-connected age of personalized searches and mobile everything, proximity to an audience’s immediate location and real-time interests is paramount. Thoughtfully tailoring content, activations, and narratives around vicinity and context breeds resonance.
Prominence
Who better to elevate your brand narratives and command instant audience attention than influencers and industry authorities? Strategically collaborating with high-profile personalities lends instant credibility and expands reach.
Oddity
We’re inundated daily with an avalanche of brand messaging and carefully polished marketing lingo. Sometimes, embracing counterintuitive thinking and wacky, offbeat creative ideas is the most effective way to puncture through the clutter.
Human Truth
At the end of the day, we’re all human beings wired to emotionally connect through shared experiences and universal passions. Telling honest, relatable stories grounded in genuine human insights cultivates deeper attitudinal connections.
The goal here is a gradual paradigm shift in how those who matter most view your brand, not just a brief blip of traction. By artfully applying these journalistic elements of newsworthiness, we increase the odds of crafting narratives substantive enough to permeate consciousness and linger.
Will every campaign facilitated through this lens achieve world-stopping viral glory? Of course not – nothing is ever guaranteed in this wildly unpredictable game. But viewers will undoubtedly take notice when you adeptly merge elements like proximity and prominence, or seamlessly fuse the unconventional with authentic human truth.
Those are the real moments that spark rapturous word-of-mouth, mobilize communities into powerful advocacy forces, and ultimately enshrine brand reputations for years to come. Now that’s true disruption at work.