April Fools’ Day is tomorrow and along with it will come a flood of pranks and hoaxes from many well-known brands and companies. You can always count on some brilliant spoofs from Google and one of my favorites from last year was Scope’s bacon mouthwash. When executed well, April Fools’ Day pranks are a great way to build buzz and to get people talking about your company or brand.
We love a good joke at Communiqué PR, but when it comes to corporate pranks, we advise our clients to proceed with caution. A lot of caution. We’ve blogged about PR and April Fools’ Day pranks in the past (check out the links below to those posts) and thought it would be worth revisiting the topic. Here are some additional tips to consider if you’re planning your own April 1 hijinks:
Make it unbelievable. The point of the prank is to make people laugh, but there’s a thin line between fiction and reality. To ensure that people will eventually realize that you’re pulling their leg, you almost want to make your prank so unbelievable it can’t be true, such as this April Fools’ 2013 post from Southwest Airlines. But beware: Promoting untruths about your company’s financials and other key metrics could land you in hot water. Also consider adding a disclaimer to your blog post, graphic or whatever medium you use to deliver your prank, just in case people miss the punch line.
Skip the press release. Wire services will be on extra high alert so don’t expect your fake press release to make it past their editors. Plus, the last thing you want to do is dupe a reporter. Instead, use your blog or social media as your platform, which also makes it easier for others to share the fun.
Be prepared for the backlash. Even the best laid plans can go awry and not everyone has your sense of humor. Monitor social media and be prepared to quickly address any negative reaction.
Looking for inspiration for April 1? Take a look at AdWeek’s list of the top April Fools’ Day pranks from 2013.
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