Publicity vs. Public Relations

[LegendWoodsman]

Webcomics has had its share of drama. Drama is never a good thing but sometimes there is the weird result of added publicity. A controversial topic comes up and Subject A's name gets mentioned over-and-over, raising the "public awareness" of the "brand". The end result is Subject A is famous/infamous, and you either love her or hate her.

Public Relations is that factor where drama is dialed down. Controversies are clarified and the line in the sand is dusted away. PR is done to maintain a positive public image but if the image is too squeaky-clean, nobody pays any attention to it. Even Picard had to get stabbed before he could become Captain *nerd alert*.

Where do you side on the Publicity vs. PR? Are you afraid to sling mud and keep a clean image or do you throw caution to the wind and find your picture on the cover of the tabloids?

[Gibson]

Somewhere in between. I'm not afraid of being someone thought of as an asshole, but at the same time I want it balanced with people who think I'm a sweetheart. Really, though, public relations isn't just the dialing down of flare-ups, it's however you choose to handle them. If publicity is someone shouting "Look at me!" then PR is just someone shouting "Look at me from this angle!"

[Nuke]

I haven't really bumped in to any drama yet. My comic actually touches on some pretty contentious topics - religion, belief, politics - but I've only had one real instance of people getting upset over an ideal that a character has expressed. I matter-of-factly told the offended that this was my character's opinion, he's going to keep it at least until the character develops more, and if they don't like it they're free to quit reading the comic and spare themselves the 'trauma'.

I kind of throw caution to the wind in terms of content, but I'm pretty amiable and understanding, and fairly tolerant of opposing views - so long as no one's trying to directly force them on me.

[TTallan]

All the advice I have ever heard about PR all comes back to the same point: don't be a jerk. (Or insert pejorative word of your choice.) And especially, don't be a jerk on the internet, where once you post it you can't erase it, ever, and it becomes instantly searchable and can spread like wildfire.

There have been some people who have benefited from notoriety, but it's not what you want to be remembered for. Building a brand is a slow process, but the payoff you get from brand loyalty is worth much more than the 15 minutes of fame that controversy will give you. On the other hand, honesty is also rewarded. If you have an opinion that happens to be controversial, and you're willing to stand by it and accept the consequences, readers who share that opinion will feel a closer association with you. Which, actually, is just another way of building a brand.

 

[Gibson]

don't be a jerk on the internet

Unless, of course, you can be a jerk with eloquence. I built my first level of fan base by being a well-spoken (or written) prick and gaining a reputation for knowing my way around a sentence. You know, crazy stuff like not calling people n00bs or ghey or anything and using reason and logic instead. Still, most folks should avoid the assholery, it's a skill not everyone has. If there's a rule about it, I would say it's this: Don't be a jerk on the internet unless you're really good at being a jerk.

[Nuke]

The being a jerk with eloquence, I think, necessitates avoiding ad hominem and immature attacks. If you have a problem with someone's position or actions, argue against those things rather than the person specifically. Using immature language is not only going to limit your audience, but it's going to limit it to immature people. Using slurs based on nationality, race, religion, et cetera, is likely to cut those people out of your audience, as well.

[klingers]

I find generalized and equal-opportunity discrimination can be a useful weapon as long as you keep it pretty mild.

If you can get a mirthful little chuckle from the cynics without rocking the boat too hard for those with some varying kind of insect lodged in their nether-regions then you're golden.

[LegendWoodsman]

There have been some people who have benefited from notoriety, but it's not what you want to be remembered for. Building a brand is a slow process, but the payoff you get from brand loyalty is worth much more than the 15 minutes of fame that controversy will give you.

Maybe the ends justify the means? Some people may not want to be remembered for the notoriety that they built but if it puts food on the table and helps pay the bills, is your dignity a small price to pay?

On the other hand, honesty is also rewarded. If you have an opinion that happens to be controversial, and you're willing to stand by it and accept the consequences, readers who share that opinion will feel a closer association with you. Which, actually, is just another way of building a brand.

Yes! That is a great point. Honesty is mentioned in the marketing books as being a very positive thing for "influencers". People can respect honest opinions for not trying to mislead/fool them. If there is a good mix of positive to negative opinion, one can surmise that the speaker is not trying to sell you snake oil.

The one issue would be when people state that ad hominem attacks are honest (eg. but he is honestly fat and stupid).

Still, most folks should avoid the assholery, it's a skill not everyone has. If there's a rule about it, I would say it's this: Don't be a jerk on the internet unless you're really good at being a jerk.

Ah, yes. "All men are created equal. Some are more equal than others." 

[Gibson]

Still, most folks should avoid the assholery, it's a skill not everyone has. If there's a rule about it, I would say it's this: Don't be a jerk on the internet unless you're really good at being a jerk.

Ah, yes. "All men are created equal. Some are more equal than others." 

[/quote]

Not at all like that. More like "Don't try what you're about to see at home. We're what you call experts."

[Rob]

I just got into the most epic flame war of my entire e-life at Devaintart. I took all comers and even though I probably looked like a mean asshole I cooked those suckers (even a former member from here). I was on. I mean on. It was one of the most liberating, cathartic and hilarious experiences in recent memory. I finally got to say all the things I've wanted to say to a certain kind of artist for years.

I don't know what the fallout will be... if any. But at this moment in time. TOTALLY. WORTH. IT. 

[ran]

Not at all like that. More like "Don't try what you're about to see at home. We're what you call experts."

Haha, yeah. Those were the good old days. =)

I just got into the most epic flame war of my entire e-life at Devaintart. I took all comers and even though I probably looked like a mean asshole I cooked those suckers (even a former member from here). I was on. I mean on. It was one of the most liberating, cathartic and hilarious experiences in recent memory. I finally got to say all the things I've wanted to say to a certain kind of artist for years.

I don't know what the fallout will be... if any. But at this moment in time. TOTALLY. WORTH. IT. 

Er, if you're talking about that giant thread on dA that got locked because you posted it in the wrong place, I'm not sure that you were as 'on' as you thought you were. You'll probably take this the wrong way, or accuse me of attacking you, but on the (extremely) off chance that you'll do some self-examination and have a change of attitude, I'll risk saying it.

I do what I do because I love it. Do I want to make money off of it? Yep. But the reason I do it for free is because there is no one to pay me, and subsequently, no one to detract from my profit when I start making some. If I were doing pages for other people, I would absolutely want to be reasonably compensated for my time and effort, and would, at the very, very least, demand minimum wage (in my province, $10.25/hr).  Does that make me, and other artists like me entitled? Whiny?

No, it means that I don't undersell myself. While I understand that it's easy to throw beans at a starving artist and have them bite, that doesn't mean that you should. I was downright appalled by some of the things you said in that thread, and just based on how you spoke to artists there, I can't imagine ever working with you, even for pay. To be very blunt, I have to wonder if you feel that people like me are to be used as steps whose backs you'll trod on up the stairway to success. It sure seems like it.

Regardless, I've seen you interact with other people on other websites in other situations before, and this always happens. You find yourself having to defend things you've said, people 'troll' you, and so on. The common denominator here is you, and how you present yourself, every single time. You'll catch more flies with honey, and you'll probably alienate waaaaay less people along the way if, when someone disagrees with you, you do the adult thing by saying 'I have no obligation to answer to you. All serious replies, please send me an email' and just leave it at that.

I say this now, because it is likely that I won't come back. I don't want to argue with you, but I do wish you'd see any other side of an argument before you declare yourself the winner and dismiss everyone else as retarded, you know?