One of the by-products of the decline of advertising is the experimentation with so many other ways to reach consumers. It often seems, however, that marketers have put risk ahead of common sense, or even silliness over strategy. The result is a regular flow of campaigns that end up triggering outrage or derision, forcing an apology from the offending company.

There is also a cumulative effect to be considered on the image of the marketing industry. Guerilla marketing is a well established method of reaching an audience, for example, but is not always used appropriately. An article recently in the Toronto Star discussed various guerilla campaigns that backfired on the sponsor. Painting images on private property without permission is illegal and bound to get someone in trouble. But it is regrettable that a large article questioning the entire guerilla category appeared.

While sometimes it is intentional to create debate or even outrage, my view is that the instincts of public relations professionals could save a lot of the pain and still ensure lots of gain. Since there is no longer one agency reigning above all others (except in the minds of some ad veterans), the best approach for clients is to have each of their marketing partners at the table and let the best thinking rule the day.

This team style will create more ideas to be considered and will also allow people to catch the mistakes before they occur. I am thinking now of an auto manufacturer’s ad that seemed to invite people to speed recklessly (apology and pulled), a health company’s ad that appeared to ridicule new moms who carry babies in a snuggly (apology and pulled) and a beer company contest that seemed to promote underage drinking at universities (apology and cancelled). Across North America, there is a new example every week.

Distinction also needs to be made about the campaigns that are designed deliberately to spark debate or discussion. There is a role for these if they reflect the brand and the interests of the market audience and can be supported by logic. The valuable role here for PR professionals is to be prepared for the debate and ensure the marketer stands firm with rationale and reason. A campaign by our agency a few years ago inviting people named “Dunlop” to legally change their name to “Dunlop-Tire” provides a good example.

The notion of branding people was not without controversy, but we prepared our client to address the issues without apology. The result was a huge and fun profile for an old brand seeking to reinvigorate itself while connecting to a younger image. On-target and on-strategy: just the way marketing should be.