Just like white and black hat Search Engine Optimization practices, Public Relations also has its own version of negative campaigning. Dark Public Relations, also known as DPR, is the pre-meditated attempt of destroying a competitor’s reputation/brand.
This practice is most commonly used in Political Campaigns. Rather than emphasizing one’s own positive attributes or preferred policies, campaigners will purposely promote negative aspects of their opponent.
Common techniques of DPR in campaigning include:
- Producing misleading facts about a competitor
- Publically running negative ads that attack the competitor’s identity
- Leaking secret information to the public in an attempt to discredit the competitor