This past week, April Fools’ Day once again took the Internet by storm as brands unleashed jokes and hoaxes (here’s one of our favorites, complements of Petco). But not everyone was laughing—through all the pranks, we were most intrigued by an article from Entrepreneur’s editorial director, Ray Hennessey: “Entrepreneur editor: Prank us on April Fools’ and you’re banned.” In it, Hennessey warns PR pros against pitching fake press releases on April Fools’, threatening to ban those who do so “for life” and telling them to “please just go away.”
While we’ve debated this topic in the past (see here and here for some of our previous insights), Hennessey’s post brings an interesting new business perspective to the idea of issuing fake news. While his words might come off a bit harsh, he raises valid points PR pros should consider about the implications of attempting pranks on behalf of companies. And he’s not alone in his anti-April Fools’ spirit—take this article from The Next Web about how it wouldn’t be publishing any jokes this year out of respect for its audience’s “sanity.”
As Hennessey sees it, earned media should be just that—earned—and issuing fake news is a dishonor to journalists, audiences, and your clients alike. While marketing gags and hoaxes from brands are often met with laughs (Adweek put together a nice roundup here), facetious PR efforts and editorial coverage often presents a different story. The reason comes down to the fact that journalists hold their work at a high level of esteem, taking on the important role of educating the public about the issues that matter most. They know their readers count on them to deliver legitimate news about hardworking, interesting companies deserving of the coverage.
April Fools’ pranks just don’t rise to that caliber. Especially if done in poor taste, pitching fake press releases can often come off as making light of the valuable service that journalists provide and disrespecting all of the genuinely worthy companies they cover. On top of it, making jokes tied to real businesses with real objectives and impact has its implications. Take this year’s prank press release by Tesla about it launching an Apple Watch competitor—not only did Tesla’s stock jump, but it led to major outlets such as Reuters stating regrets over ever releasing the news.
As in this case, pranks made on behalf of legitimate businesses can quickly become more than just a joke. In the worst case, you risk annoying duped consumers or making a reporter look foolish by publishing your bogus story. In an industry built on trust and credibility, this can have major consequences in terms of damaging media relationships, your own reputation as a PR pro or, worse, your client’s image.
So should PR pros leverage April Fools’? We here at Communiqué are all for a good laugh and think pranks on behalf of companies certainly have a time and a place—such as on social media, for example—but serious journalistic outlets are more than likely not going to be one of them. If you do attempt a company prank, you’ll need to tread extremely carefully and think through the benefits versus the repercussions, make it glaringly obvious it’s a joke and, most likely, steer clear of proactively pitching it.
April Fools’ Day or not, it’s yet another reminder to respect journalists’ time and work and always know the reporter, outlet, and audience before pitching. For all you pranksters out there who just can’t resist, consider finding other creative ways to showcase your client’s humor and personality than just issuing gag releases. Smart, strategic PR is always a win and saves you—and your client—from ending up a fool.