Here's A Quick Way To Make Controversy Work

Have you ever noticed how fast certain rumors and stories travel? The more salacious, the more distance the story can cover. The more insidious, the bigger the story will become. And if the story involves wealth or power or both, then you won’t want to hear another word of it before that story finally does go away. And why do you think that might be? It is because of the nature of humans and the nature of the story itself. But did you know that there can be a positive, still in the midst of the most twisted of tales?

In the hand of a truly skillful marketer, there is never a controversy that cannot be used in some small way. But before going any further, know this: There is a difference between controversy and blatant exploitation. A story about a CEO who got too greedy and was ousted from his company is controversy. A story about thousands of people killed in a natural disaster is exploitation. That story needs to be covered, but only so that people know about it, not for personal gain of any kind.

But how does controversy work for you? Think of it this way: A mild sex scandal story breaks. For the first few days, it is all that anyone talks about. They analyze it and they get new angles to discuss. Everyone chooses sides and battle lines are drawn. The story starts to fade away a little bit, and that is where you might be able to cash in. What if you bring up the controversy once again, refresh everyone’s memory of what happened in the first place? A few stories last longer because the controversy has a longer shelf life. Some might fade fairly rapidly if you don’t nudge them along.

The marketers have to be the ones controlling the story itself and that has to be done at the perfect time. Very early in a very hot story, it is just too hot to handle. Just as it starts to cool off a little bit is the finest time to take control and steer it in the direction that you want. That story should be where you want it to be, the story that everyone is talking about and the story that everyone is searching for. How you use that desire and that controversy is the fundamental part. The more you are able to market that story, package it with what you are selling, the better.

But the bottom line for controversy and marketers is this: Controversy works because people love to hear a solid story, especially if there are a few naughty details involved. People talk; that is what is in their nature to do. Stories grow because that is what is in their nature. You must control the nature of both.