Kitabı oxu: «Darkness Public Relations»

Acknowledgements:

Makarov Ivan

© Anton Vuima, 2020

ISBN 978-5-0051-8282-1

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Darkness PUBLIC RELATIONS

Author: Anton Vuima

PR Agency Supreme PR www.PR.HELP

Introduction

First of all let’s look what exactly black PR is. In foreign literature, this term is very rare and it can be said that the term «black PR» is Russian invention. If you ask any Western Public Relations practitioner, if he is engaged in black PR, he will deffinetely be offended. But, overseas black PR is even more developed, perhaps even more strongly than in Russia. Spreading a negative information in politics and economic is a tool of competition. But there is no one who uses the term black PR. But they call it:

Fighting for fair competition;

Telling the truth about the candidates;

Fighting for human rights;

Fighting for social justice;

Fighting for democracy;

Fighting for a cleaner environment;

Fighting for the rights of consumers;

Fighting for freedom and justice;

Protection of human rights;

Etc.

That is always a fight for something socially useful and good. And, of course, no one will ever tell you that this fight is for the market. From the outside it looks very noble. However, the way it should be – it’s a real PR.

I would say that all the major companies of the world are practicing black PR-technologies. In a modern capitalism unable to lead PR-world battle just to survive.

What do we mean by Black PR? Any information attacks which are destroying the business, image, corporate bonds, etc.

Many people think that black PR is the prerogative of the white PR for big business and politicians. However, even in small businesses black PR can take a place. And it does not need to have a lot of money to make it. It is spread everywhere and at all levels. But even in Russia still not all are able to use it. But an information war can be at any level.

Black PR is often contributes to the protection of consumer rights, protecting them from the low-quality goods. It promotes the efficiency of the authorities and often protects people from tyranny and lawlessness of various government agencies. Yes it is destructive, but more inclined to destroy the sick and rotten than the healthy and beautiful.

Note that the term «Black PR”is much more famous and popular in Russia than normal PR. For many, the concept of normal PR is still not clear and understandable. Some call this activity as «jeans’ or freebie, some public relations, one understands PR as a form of advertising. But the black PR more than understandable to all in Russia. When you say «PR», many react like this: «A PR… Black PR. Yes, that is clear. "So, we have a phenomenal popularity of the term.

But where did the term itself took from? The fact is that in the post-perestroika period, many people gave up doing PR. But the press was not in a hurry to take the news for free.That is when, the press has suddenly become totally corrupt and the PR practitioner did not need a creative approach to post news. Why? Because it is paid. And the press at that time did not care about take – dirty watering or neat advertising.

So very soon we formed two fields: the custom promotional articles (which do not dare to call the PR, and in fact it has more «advertisement» sense), and also custom abusive articles that could not be called advertisements, as the customer usually modest Fade. And all that was called PR. Since journalists tried" to «merge dirt» and please the customer, these activities couldn’t be called as an another way than black PR.

I must say that this kind of black PR has no relation to the real professional black PR. In professional PR you create newsworthy, but it is so much fun for the press willingly publish the information free of charge.

But in Russia, all the processes in this period developed in a bit extreme way. So, fair competition replaced by gang violence. And for the development of production you only needed to privatize formerly state-owned enterprises very quickly. And a few days later a poor, but clever entrepreneur could become the owner of several factories and ships.

Basically, in Western Countries PR was formed in the same way, but now it has come up to a stage, where the black PR campaign perceived as an exclusive benefit. In the West, Black PR was developing much longer, but it’s much more professional and much more dangerous. Incidentally, this is felt by those who tried to get their goods to their market. There black PR practitioner can quickly completely destroy someone’s business. That is why black PR is no less effective than an aggressive competition.

And, at the end, who does often benefit from this information warfare? Off course, consumers. For example, there is a place of false facts in the competitor’s advertisement. And if a company is prone to false information in advertising, therefore, it can not produce a quality product. Consumer begins to doubt and what is worse buys goods from fraudulent company. All this suggests that companies closely monitor product quality and integrity of their advertising.

Let’s take a look on advertising in Russia. For example, in advertising tape they constantly overestimated their technical characteristics. Instead of 200 watts. Power Player can play only 150 watts. etc. But in the advertising write inflated figures, because they know that in Russia, this won’t bring any problems.

Even in foreign factories, which are located in Russia, the quality control is not less stringent than in a similar plants in their homeland. Why? Because if this product may fall into the hands of Western Public Relations specialist, any inaccurate information will lead to a magnificent black PR against a reputation of that company.

Russian variety of black PR leads to very interesting results. Even people stopped going to the elections, because of the government members reputattion as «thieves.» And what is the reason to chose one «thief’ from the pack of «thieves»?

Black PR is quite a positive activity, as it stimulates an increase in the quality of products and services.

Lets try to define the black PR. So Black PR – is a targeted dissemination of negative information concerning any animate or inanimate object.

The purpose of this activity is either the destruction of the business, or the undermining of business relationships, or something else.

And I do not see a serious moral difference squeezing competitors out of the market by price dumping by trial or by black PR. All this tough competition. Consequently, a weak leaves the market, and a strong win.

Black PR professional can not be related in any way to an unfair competition. Although at first glance it may seem that it can be so interpreted. Black PR can disclose evidence to support the poor quality of products and service of a competitor, as well as to point out the hidden mistake, and consumer fraud.

Naturally black PR – is a business tool. And depending on whose hands it falls, it can bring benefit or be a stronghold of evil. If it falls into the hands of an honest businessman, he can protect himself and his consumers from unfair competition and bureaucratic arbitrariness. Black PR in his hands destroys substandard products, weak business and achieves peak of something healthy and strong. In this case, the best wins and we will only win.

Black PR in the hands of the villain turns into evil. He begins to destroy useful goods, destroy an honest business, etc. It becomes harmful to society activities. Moreover, successful companies can not protect themselves by not having a staff of PR-powerful group. This book helps how to teach entrepreneurs to create a black PR campaign and to how to address it. Only by creating a perfect method of attack and defense, you can be successful in this kind of activity and to promote fair and honest business.

Often you may find that some company did not fulfill the conditions of the contract, but got the money. You can work on it in court or in other ways, but you can apply a black PR as well. And the truth is on your side.

Black PR – is not a science, as an evil, it is the method of how to use negative publicity to seek justice, integrity and excellence in the market.

Where can I use black PR? This book outlines how political and commercial organizations use black PR. But, I want to notice, that it is still more emphasis on commercial use. Here they are:

For competition. Black PR can be used to fight out competitors. You can reduce the sale of goods of a competitor. You can just destroy a business of a competitor or just weaken his position.

To influence the government. Russian officials are usually not good enough at their jobs. In this case, top management either did not know about it, or turn a blind eye on it. Drawing public attention to a data breach can change the situation dramatically. And this is one of the most effective methods. Top management wants the officials to work well, or at least wants to make the society tends to think that they want it. Therefore, when the information falls into the mainstream media, it may lead to action of the upper authorities. There is a global problem in different areas of business, which for some reason is not being revealed, but, nevertheless, in the case of publicity they could be resolved. The scheme is about the actions. Population demands a solution. Held shares. Information gets to the press. Top management proceed. Problem in one form or another is solved. Effectiveness of the solution, by the way, is also dependent on the PR. However, in the case of exposure to power it can not only be solved, but also contribute to the problem. It all depends on the correct way of your strategy.

You can have an impact on partners and suppliers. Partners and suppliers can fulfill the agreement, but can not perform properly or not to perform at all. This situation can be influenced by the court, but you may use PR technologies as well. Especially when litigation does nothing.

To neutralize the negative sentiment groups or organizations.

You can also use black PR for your own self advertising. You make a black pr campaign against yourself and your business, but you do it in a way, so that instead of destroying, the popularity of the company and the products increases.

All of these methods are widely used in practice in Russia and the world, but when you are facing a black PR, it is not always clear to understand that you’re dealing with it. Professional black PR campaign is usually well disguised even before random spontaneous event. That is why, they mimic some external factors, suddenly took up arms against you. Sort of bad luck begins to haunt the company. And while you struggle with fate or destiny, your opponents successfully implement their evil plans.

For example, imagine that a group of women who are indecent kind comes to your office suddenly.And they come the next day as well. And when you leave the office and come back, you are finding out that the crowd indecent women is changed by group of grandmothers, who are picketing your office, confirming that you have a brothel here or something like that. You are obviously hindering live. TV arrives and makes a report about a brothel, which you have organized, a decent view of the enterprise and of grandmothers who are outraged by this. You are trying to sort out by telling that this is misunderstanding. But then half-naked woman suddenly claims that you did not pay for her indecent services. Off course, you will be taken to the police. Then you discover that your office is sealed and there is some test is running. As a result of a chain of such actions, you can completely lose the image and all clients. Then all will be like some kind of phantasmagoria. A kind of game of fate. And as if by accident. A misunderstanding? But it is not…

Chapter 1

The use of Black PR to attack a business of a competitor.

According to statistics, the use of black PR to attack business rivals – is the most common phenomenon in the world. This activity does not contain anything ethical and illegal. Any best reputated firm has the right to engage in black PR. Do not think that you will stain black PR. Of course if the black PR is not professionally, you can smear a strong opponent, but you’re also going to do it at the highest level, right?

A quality black PR – it’s a healthy competition, it is unnecessary to avoid and fear. It does not only help to improve the situation on the market, but also provides an indispensable service to consumers.

Let us consider some of the basic principles of this activity. No need to criticize a competitor in his forehead.Frontal abuse, where you did not use it, whether it is a personal quarrel, talk on the phone or geopolitical PR – almost always is rejected, a kind way of rejection. People do not tend to believe abuse. They often do not like when one person says bad about the other. You just give the facts and to spread them to the targetted audience, and audience, in turn, transforms these facts, think out and come to some conclusions. But these findings will contain information as abusive.

In the black PR is a basic principle. No need to curse, but only need to make sure. No need to «pour dirt» and use adjectives, and report only one fact, it makes the target audience to doubt. Moreover, can even be praised, not blamed.

From another side there is a need to attack the most important properties of a competitor. Only attacking the main properties of business of a competitor can bring the results. For example, imagine that you have to attack any building campaign and the targetted audience for attacks are potential buyers of apartments. What are the main features in this case? Quality of apartments, quality of homes, environmental cleanliness of construction site and the materials used, adequate price of flats, etc. Then black PR campaign must be based on this defects of these properties. The target audience is not interested in is the construction company produced its initial capital or where the director of the cosntruction company was on Sunday, etc, if all this does not affect the quality of construction.

The third principle is the validity of the information. You can not report false information, you can always find quite truthful information regarding a competitor, or create one. Using the correct information you’ll get way better results than spreading false information. It is always easy to fight against on the wrong part of your data and it is very difficult to fight back if the entire campaign is built on truth.

What sequence should be usually presented in the actions of the black PR campaign?

Determine what you are going to attack. You can attack the company and its customers, Or attack the company itself and its staff. Attack director, accountant and their relatives. Attack power structures that affect the business of a competitor. Attacking partners and suppliers. Attack is focused on various components of the business of a competitor. You need to analyze all of them and understand the specifics of the attacks. Understand what is the best way to attack the industry, where you can cost-effectively achieve the maximum results. Attack must be clearly focused on the object and specified so far as it is possible. If the object of attack is a product, then you need to understand what specific product you’re attacking. Not always possible to attack the whole product line of products, sometimes it is only one of the products is the subject to attack in the best way.

Next step is, you need to identify the target audience of people for whom the information is intended. Usually it is the people who are in direct contact with the object of attack. If you attack a product of the company, the target audience may be as a group of customers, and the employees who work with the product (for example, you can, spread the word about the harmfulness of production),If this accounting, the target audience is likely to tax inspection, etc. It is important to focus on the attack. If the clients of the firm consists of 10 members, it is not necessary to influence them through television. These 10 people can get information from a group of hired actors who under the guise of bystanders will meet them on the street. You can also use the letters, faxes, etc. Aim for a minimum quantity of information to attack people. That is the minimum that can help to solve the issue.

Find the necessary negative information for PR campaign. And here there are a lot of problems. It must be truthfull and sensational. It should cover the main features of the attacked object. That is why, you can either find a negative information, or to force the opponent to create it, or reframe white information. Reframation is a very interesting process. It allows us to prove that the black – it is white and white is black. However, because the enemy of retaliation may also use creative reframing, so either you have to make a reframing that can not be fight off, or find a more efficient information. What is quite interesting, the finding a real black information concerning many companies in Russia is a very easy process. Russian enterprises are not spoiled with a professional black PR and therefore they are not prepared for such attacks. In many enterprises in Russia there are clearly visible defects and flaws in the system of a business.And no matter where the service is, or any products, the Russian companies can often find a lot of flaws. Moreover, they do not even try to fix these deffects. A typical example of this area is the conversation I had with one of the leaders of the Yandex advertising. I complained about disadvantages of their advertising service. The fact is that even though they promise that the advertising message will only be seen by someone who bought the word, in fact it is not often seen by people you need. I pointed out to them how this defect can be corrected, and received this reply: «Well, because our service is just advertising, and advertising is always hanging anywhere and anyhow who watch it. Did other forms of advertising guarantee you hit the target audience?». Indeed often advertising in Russia does not guarantee getting into the audience due to the fact that the creators of the advertisement does not seek to do so. You can order advertising in the elite magazine, but it turns out that in addition to the homeless nobody reads it, because they are the first ones who take all the editions. And always, In innocence, I thought that getting into the target audience is the main objective of advertising.

Overseas production quality is watched much more. Here are a few cases of subsidiaries of large international companies in Russia.

One of my student previously worked at Philip Morris. His function was to control machines operating with the foil used in the packaging of cigarettes. The machine with which he has worked, scratched foil for cigarette and struck her logos. Once the machine, for some reason, stopped working properly. This person has corrected the defects, uploaded foil and started the process. Then he went for lunch. After having lunch and a rest for a about two hours, he returned and found that the entire conveyor was stopped. The fact is that the quality control department found a deffect in a final product. Logo on the foil was stamped on the back, instead of being stamped on front. This is hardly noticeable and do not influence the quality of the cigarettes, but still the whole lot was destroyed. And for two hours the machine had produced more than 50,000 packages. Thus, the error of my student brought to the deffect for a total of $ 15,000. No one did not take the money from him, but he was fired.

I’ll tell you another case illustrating the level of quality control in the western industry. My student was working in the logistics department at the Ford factory in Vsevolozhsk (city in Russia). They were trying to produce the Ford Focus for two years. They have done about 50 cars per month, sending the whole lot to the press. Sometimes the machines have been such a fate only because of negligible quality defects. For example, in one car after driving 50,000 kilometers there is a cranky few screws on the instrument panel.

However, even this Western system allows you to find negative information about the company. For example, take some quality expensive car. The quality is difficult to find fault in. However, you can, for example, to find statistics on car crash about this car. Simply collect and publish data on tens of road accidents associated with it. For example, after the death of Princess Diana, the Mercedes sales fell for a while. Indeed, the firm was proud of airbags, and other means of protection of passengers, but none from it saved the princess.

Another way to find fault with the perfect car would be a simple car repair statistics. You can collect data: the owners, who most often come to repair their cars. Or just calculate from the statistics of the same year of production. Sometimes it gives the most unexpected results. Especially because most owners of Lada repair their cars in the garage by themself.

After gathering the information it is necessary to carry out its reframing. That is why, need to choose a perspective view of the facts, to make them be in the most effective position. As a rule, the same problem can be seen from dozens of different points. Some of them modify the problem in a private internal corporate event. Other way is to make the issue of smart news that concerns the whole of society, but do not suggest to take any action to wok out an issue. But it is only one point of view which will work, that is, considering the facts from the point of view, when the problem becomes very relevant, important, comprehensive and demanding action. Such actions that will lead, ultimately to your desired result, for example, the destruction of the image of a competitor, bankruptcy, etc. And it is absolutely true that at the wrong reframing it can become a lie. Very often people believe in the truth less than in a lie. What’s more important, if truth is not given in a proper way, it is is perceived as false.

Develop a chain of events which will be your PR campaign. Single action can be very effective, but as a rule, to achieve a significant effect you must implement a set of several stocks. Therefore, it must be immediately to develop a system of consecutive events. They may be consist of one main and several side. May be also consist of a series of similar sides, but in any case, this complex of events must be focused on one task.

For example, initially a competitor hurt your client and the client started a hunger strike in front of the city administration. Then a group of customers joining the same meeting, and then jumps into the water from the bridge to protest or burns competing products. One such event would attract little attention of the press, and all together they will cause strong repercussions. And all this during the main event may actually be a lawsuit against the group of consumers of your competitor. Of course, the claim must be based on real facts and real shortcomings of the product of the enemy. Typically, these events are not made on behalf of the customer, and on behalf of a public organization or person from people. In rare cases, the black PR can be conducted on behalf of the parent company.

–

Example. Enemy powder

–

In 1994, Procter & Gamble faced some problems due to the advent of washing powder Persil Power from the company Unilever. The effectiveness of this new powder was significantly higher than that of the same powder of P & G. Powder Power was much more economical. It allows a small portion of washed off as much clothes as much a big portion of the powder Ariel with the same value. P & G had to do something.

Ed Arttst head P & G has nicknamed the Prince of Darkness, has taken swift action against the new trends in the market and aggressive competitive actions of the company Unilever. Having studied in our laboratories new powder of a competitor P & G, he found a Manganese catalyst inside of it, which can harm the fabric too much. In March 31, 1994 P & G, Unilever issued an ultimatum and warned that they will have to take active steps if Unilever will not remove from the market a new powder.

After refusing the complain by Unilever, P & G began an active black PR campaign. In April 27, 1994 in the Danish press reports that the powder Power can destroy a fabric. This message came from the person from P & G company. In April 29 Unilever held a press conference denying all the complaints of P & G and reported that they were going to sue P & G.

In response, P & G hired a Rowland Company for massive PR campaign. The latter came into contact with all the European Association for the rights of consumers, manufacturers of washing machines, a variety of retailers and other public organizations.

Many of these organizations have been doing actively the briefings, press conferences and show the samples of fabric damaged by Power powder. As a result, photos of damaged fabric reached many major newspapers and magazines. Sales volumes of new powder began to fall with a great speed.

Environmentalists accused in Sweden Power, that he had put the national dress in a danger.

After all these PR campaigns, which was stretching for several years, P & G were able to achieve the destruction of the powder and the Power was withdrawn from the market.

It is not important whether the Power is actually harmful to the fabric or it is an invention of chemists from P & G, but he remained an important fact, that finding the real incriminating facts can literally give away a competitor, causing consumers to question the validity of the quality of the products of competitors.

–

Very often PR companies are used by dependent or independent civil society. They can be used to share and create information and PR-with these same organizations tend to create newsworthy information. Sometimes public organization established specifically for specific PR-campaign.

We can say that most of the public institutions, even in its title implies fighting for something or someone’s rights protection, and thus a tool of black PR. Let us remember their names: Society for Consumer Protection, Environmental Protection Society, a society «Soldiers’ Mothers», Society for the Protection of women’s rights, etc. Yes they are just created for black PR. Many, very many such associations are fighting for something and, as a rule, information methods. It is just that the statute does not write: «The implementation of black PR».

There is a funny coincidence. The most common translation of words into Russian PR – Public Relations. But can it exist without communication with the public social organizations? And in white and black, they are essential.

The target audience in the Black PR.

An extremely important issue in black PR is choosing the target audience. Attacked object usually surrounded by the following audiences:

His clients.

Its competitors.

His companions.

State institutions with which objects interact.

Its staff.

Its suppliers.

Residents living near the company or somehow forced to interact with it.

Relatives of employees of the enterprise.

In fact, if the objective is the destruction of business of a competitor, you can attack any of the following target groups or all together.

A common mistake is to launch an attack on any one of the targets without analyzing all possible attacks. As a rule, before the attack, unless you have a particular interest (for example, reduce the number of customers from a competitor). That is why, if the purpose of your next attack does not dictate to you strictly a certain audience, you have to analyze all the available audience and how to attack them and how hey will attack in reply.

Of course, you can analyze the audience by inference and analysis of your knowledge, but it is better still to conduct a thorough investigation of the audience. How to do it? In fact, no need to immediately rush to do surveys or anything like that. Remember, all you need is to know more about the target audience surrounding the object of your attack and it can be hundreds of different ways, including those that are not described in any of the existing books.

Still, I recommend you a few ways to study target audiences:

· Open source and database. It is often about your competitor and his interactions with customers, competitors, and all other target groups. It can be found in the Internet. You just go there and consistently seek data on each of the target audiences of competitor, it is basically everything that they write about him. This data can be in the forums, in newspapers, magazines, etc. As the search engines, I recommend metabot.ru. Also, there are many databases and periodical directories. Typically, you can find a lot of information in the public domain, and this information may be sufficient for effective PR-campaign.

· Part of classified information. If the analysis of the open source did not give significant results, and you feel that for effective black PR campaign there is clearly not enough data, you can proceed to a more detailed analysis of the audience and competitors. The easiest way to study part-public information activities in the «skin’ of a customer. Nothing prevents you from becoming a potential customer or a competitor and build information from the first hand. Very often operate under the client can find the most unexpected things. Apart from the role of «client» you can act under a journalist or writer. Find the one legend that will give you access to the maximum amount of information. There are many versions of these legends and most of them are illegal. Who can interact them from outside the company? Think about who can apply there without any formal authority? Naturally, being a representative of law enforcement or tax authorities can get access to all information, but it is illegal if you are not an employee of one of these organizations. However, nothing prevents you to be:

– Job seeker in the firm,

– courier to deliver pizzas by mistake (if you want it to do quite officially, create a firm delivered the pizza)

– chance to get acquainted with any of the companies on vacation

– sales agent for advertising space,

– the wholesale dealer

– Partner Director of bowling (ie, how would you do with it once played)

– representative of the company, which investigates public opinion

– representative of a company that wants to offer something

etc.

Next source is classified information. Typically, such information is not entirely legal. However, detective agencies, and various other offices can collect them and readily provide. You can also arrange your agent to the target audience in order to gather information. By the way, developing advertising campaigns by a company, often adopting the so-called cool hunter (cool hunters) in youth and other target audiences. These people are being introduced to the youth party and trying to figure out fashion, and what is in terms of the audience’s great, and what is not so. By the way, this is very good for business, because the error in this activity often leads to the tragic consequences. Distracted from the topic, said that several years ago, a French firm just had to stop running on the fact that she starred an advertising roller, which was like a stylishly dressed, but from the point of view of young people on it were not the «antlers» pants, so it was not so fashionable. As a result, advertising did not to succeed.

When you are conducting a research, do not place any particular purpose. For example, do not look for «what would I find this to discredit a competitor.» Look just for more information.

Method of attack in the Black PR.

The method of compromising.

You run some information that raises doubt in the target audience of the competence of your opponent. Moreover, with this method it is necessary to cause doubt in the competence of the enemy, and not doubt in the competence of the charges.

To use this method you should: create an event that will attract the attention of the target audience and make it available through the media.

The main difficulty of this method is to search for and edit the most compromising information. Disseminated information must meet the following criteria:

Be truthful. What is the truth? What they think is true.

Be irrefutable. The enemy must deny the opportunity to refuse the information. When it comes to material facts, they are usually difficult to be challenged. However, if you talk about virtual concepts such as love, confidence, duty, honor, understanding, solidarity, acceptance and rejection, hostility, etc.,their opponent could turn upside down and your truth becomes a lie. The same thing he can do is convince key people to your campaign in the opposite way. For example, someone says that he does not like your opponent, but under the influence of financial grants someone can change his mind and your assertion that the target audience does not like your opponent will be a lie.

Be understandable. If your information is well founded, but it is based on some obscure concepts to the general public – it is better to give up the information or edit it. Confusing and difficult to transmit facts as bad as false information. They are very difficult to interest of the press, and it is difficult to convince the public for anything. If the information can not apply simple – better not to use it. However, when the target audience is made up of intellectually developed people, it is possible to use a complex information.

To be relevant. Just your information must be relevant to the interests of the target audience for which it is designed.

Be safe. Use of compromising information may be a subject to lawsuits and other negative consequences. You should consider the risks. And use this information only if the risk is justified.

How to distribute compromising and talking to the press, I’ll discuss in the following sections of the book.

Method of a Bad Praise

This method involves to publicly praise the opponent, but the result of the public must be negative. How? This is achieved by overpraising. Praise by the excessive use of epithets, unverified. And by mentioning the hidden praise of negative information (or negative in terms of the target audience).

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Example.

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Once a group of deputies wanted to speak at a gala event organized by the head of one of the districts. But some assembled people wanted to act against this chief of staff. Naturally they did not want to do it by themself, since the head could easily guess their intentions. So they turned to me, and I gave one man, who was entered in the rules of the event. Officially, he was declared as one of the local businesses.

The event started. Everyone was giving a speech. It was in the style of Soviet times. But… After the speech, and the orchestra one of my team came on stage. He said that the head of that district is so good that we have such a «remarkable chief of staff, who cares about the development of the area and building a new houses and a cafes.» Next he’s using laudatory adjectives listed to the houses, which will soon be built in the neighborhood and people soon began to realize that their neighborhood is gradually transforming in a new area. Many smiles just disappeared from the faces and celebratory mood was finished.

Also, the holiday spirit has disappeared from the face of head of the district, but the result has been achieved, the population was opposed to the district head and future developers have come to expect serious problems with the public.

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By dual audience

This method involves the sequential exposure to multiple target audiences. And the first audience is used to share the second-oriented audience. For example, at first, it will be the excited publics, then the media, and then the government. Natural sequence of actions in all cases are different. But the final audience of all PR-campaigns is always powerful government. However, going through the sequence is more strongly effective, rather than if you go direct to the authorities.

Campaigns based on this method, line up of several successive campaigns, usually united by one issue. This method is effective if you need a powerful PR. These campaigns can be implemented even on a very small budget.

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Example. Nationalism is worse than stealing.

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So, I had to attack one company that had almost a perfect reputation. I found very less information which I can use to attack. My agent, joining with them in interaction, by accident found on a group of general managers-nationalists.

From the side, these innocent people does not look like the nationalists, but in private, they often spoke about one of the nations in a very rude way. They actively criticized intelligence of representatives of this nation.

I found incontrovertible evidence of their nationalism, as well as text and audio recording, which were confirming this fact.

We appealed to the regional national community, then in hundreds of companies, where directors were just representatives of this nationality. It turned out that the managers of the nationalists actually constantly interact with companies, where management positions held by the representatives of this nationality.

Many influential members of the national community suddenly turned to the negative attitude towards them. As a result, the audience itself initiated a hostile action and black PR, focused on all the target audience of the company. Their active black PR activity has led to the fact that the company, led by manager-nationalists, for the year came to a complete bankrupt, ensuring the success of my client.

Nationalism is the weakness of people who want to feel more important, who has problems with the confidence. However, this weakness is served, and will serve the cause of black PR. Do not create it by your own hands. This weakness can kill you and your company.

Even if you do not have around influential people from any nationality or religion – do not scold them. Even your staff (if it is of that nationality) can ruin your business. Business in today’s society is too dependent on environment

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This method is also good if you find any audience, which suffers from improper actions by competitors and the audience putting an action against a competitor, but at the same time it is targeting a completely different audience. That is why, it is not necessary to have the facts, compromising the company, for example, in the face of customers. It suffices to find an audience which will be an intermediate between customers and the company and to attack it, and the audience itself will be then attacked by customers.

The method of virtual concept

This method is fully based on the theory of virtual concepts.

The image of any company is based on multiple virtual concepts. Often this concept: reputation, luxury, versatility, trendy, love to the buyer, the popularity among customers, value, etc.

Easy to guess that all of these concepts are enclosed only in our mind, but as a rule, have certain physical evidence, contributing to a better understanding of these concepts. So prestige, for example, may be confirmed by the price of goods, the use of expensive materials, use of the some subject known by many people. At the same time all this is a myth, because often the real cost of lifestyle products is much lower. However, this product sellers want to lay the additional value that the buyer and could take this thing to demonstrate its superiority over other people. By the way, the price of the object actually has no great significance. Often to achieve a high price item it is complemented by unnecessary or almost unnecessary elements. Note that often excavator is more expensive than a sports car, but the prestige of riding on it is questionable, unless someone makes VIP-excavator. But, even it is comfortable to ride such transport, because it safe, so that if you crashed into a house you can break its walls, but not the car. But it is not prestigious.That is why excavator can not be at a high price, but sports car can, because it has a sufficient value of prestige in the eyes of the consumer.

To destroy the myth of the value of the goods you have to consistently attack all components of the virtual concept of «prestige», namely the material constituting the object, the behavior of people associated with it, positive or negative evaluation of the subject, especially the subject of ownership.

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Example. Homeless people in the elite club.

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One of my friends got an order to reduce the level of prestige of a Moscow restaurant-club, which has an excellent reputation among the metropolitan elite. Naturally at the entrance to the club there were face-control and some burly bouncers. And, even simple cars like Lada could not be allowed there.

My friend needed to neutralize the image and prestige of the place.

What did my friend do? One Saturday, when the club met the main visitors, his men, dressed in the VIP-persons clothes, came on a luxury car to the club, then went inside. At the height of the evening they had gone to the bathroom and changed into a homeless people clothes, which means dirty and smelly clothes. The smell was generated specifically for this event. Smelling from head to toe, they went into the room and sat down on the seats. People have started to feel too uncomfortable besides them. Strangely enough, the security did not immediately realize what to do, because these people were already in and ordered dinner, and some have already eaten the dinner. It was too late to do something, because most of the elite has left the restaurant immediately. Their administrators fussed about these «homeless» and wondered how they could entrance the a club.Then they politely asked them to leave the club. A one of the guards tried to heat one of the «homeless’ poeple, but then suddenly two newspaper reporters appeared and had photographed the moment.

On the next day the newspapers had uploaded the pictures of the homeless in the area of the club, and was told that the public looks at expensive restaurants often unconventional. It was also an interview with one of the «homeless» who claimed to have received a great charity, and decided to relax in the restaurant.

The next days to maintain the image, a special person was bringing to the club a special flavour which was able to allocate an unpleasant odor for a long time. They were hiding it in a different places of the club and constantly reminded visitors of the homeless.

When the administration found out a system of tracking visitors with that smell, it was too late already – all the elite of the club moved to another restaurant.

This is certainly not the most beautiful example, but it shows the method in action.

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The method of virtual concepts can be used to create new concepts that will destroy the old concepts and, as a result, your competitors.

Method catcalls

Since ancient times, in the theatres when people couldn’t accept the play, they were throwing tomatoes or eggs on a stage.In addition to the protest these actions hindered the actors to perform the play. Something like that can be used in today’s PR.

For example, you want to paralyze the work of a large supermarket. You can run a large crowd of people there that will create a queue at the box office. Let these people just come to the box office with an impressive amount of goods, knock out huge checks, and then say that they forgot their wallet. Similarly, you can run the crowd, which has something to complain about, or stand in a line to the bathroom.

During demonstrations of similar actions your people can rustle their feet, clapping without any reason (eg: some exact rythm), the inclusion of a siren, etc. Such methods can easily disrupt any speeches. Often when security is trying to break up the protests by using force, it will again just prove, that upper power just doesn’t want this information to be published and they have soething to hide. So, it is necessary for them to prevent the dissemination of information. To do this, you can drown out the speeches siren, which is much cheaper than the speakers used in the rally. Posters can pour paint from a helicopter or light bright searchlight.

The method of administrative resources

This method is probably is the least relevant to the PR, but lobbying of administrative resources is much more often used for black PR. In this case, just the administrative structures are set against a company and with the help of these structures, the company is destructed.

Having someone in the tax office and other authorities can be easily used to ruin your competitor. Many are trying to convince the authorities by using a corruption. This is one of the most common methods of black economic PR in Russia.

In my view this is the most messy PR, not worthy of self-respecting PR – method.

The method of hooks and bait

This method is relatively simple. Information is created to make a trap for the future victim of black PR. Object needs to be lured there and the object creates a dirt by himself. A typical example of such a company had a history in U.S. President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Initially, Clinton’s meeting with her and their romance was organized by the third party. Then another woman accused Clinton in a sexual harassment. This charge was baseless, but the court has asked: «Did you, Mr. President, have an intimate relationship with any women other than your wife?». He replied: «No». He got in a trap from which he could not escape. Then it was proved that he had a relationship with Monica and, it meant that he lied in court under oath, what is illegal.

Very often people create incriminating evidence against themselve in an interview.In the court, the lawyers of defendants recommend them to keep silence, but in contrast to PR you have to speak – and speak properly.

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Example. The construction company is killing it’s workers.

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Director of a large construction company was faced with a whole set of unexpected problems after the accidental death of one of the workers on the construction site.

So, it happenned that there was an accident as a result of bark killed one worker. Typically, these accidents are not a reason to start a black PR campaign, but in this case, someone ordered a black PR against the leadership.

An experienced journalist caem to the director of a company. The journalist could put in the mouth of the interviewee any text. How did he do it? He has asked the questions that already contains the right answer. Trying to answer it, CEO began to repeat certain words and phrases from the questions. As a result of the interview which was published, there were no questions of a journalist left, but only the answers. From this interview, it was possible to conclude that the leaders of the construction company do not care for the lives of their workers, and the availability of cheap labor and other cities do not allow them to grieve the death of a single working stupid worker and do not care about safety measures at the construction sites.

As a result, a negative attitude of customers who buy an apartments, authorities, and employees of the construction company was developed. They attacked them with all sorts of checks, and much of the staff quit their jobs and demanded to compensate various penalties in the court.

They could not soon recover from this blow.

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The essence of the method of «bait and hook» is:

First, you need to develop a separate campaign goal, which will let a competitor to be in a situation where he has to create a dirt for himself. And he can make a real damning action, and independently distribute compromising information about themselves by saying the wrong things.

Then you will receive the necessary compromate and can start your black PR-campaign, based on this blackmail.