How to Rescue Yourself from a PR Nightmare

Common wisdom says that there’s no bad press, but some designers have discovered the painful price that can come from some kinds of media exposure.

Whether you’re dealing with a minor dustup or a major PR catastrophe, knowing how to navigate the waters of media crisis means you can contain a problem before it becomes an outright disaster. Best of all? You can do so without the considerable expense of retaining a PR crisis expert.

The problem: Someone else is taking credit for your design work in a publication.

The strategy: Yes, you can take on the credit-claimer directly, starting with phone calls or emails and escalating to cease and desist missives—or even lawyering up. This approach, however, can not only drain your bank account, it can also suck you into a rabbit hole of rage. Instead, a far more effective approach is to go directly to the source. And in this case, the “source” is the editor of the publication.

Published projects often bear the work of not just one, but many players. Whether another designer, a stylist, or even the homeowner is claiming to be the brains behind a beautiful room, remember that editors and writers have one goal: to present accurate information.

Email the editor and make sure it’s concise and calm (i.e. not written in the heat of the moment or spurred on by Sauvignon Blanc). Most importantly: Be specific. Did you help select architectural finishes that were prominently photographed but had nothing to do with the decor? Make that clear.

In most cases, having your name added as a creator—as opposed to replacing the other designer—is an excellent solution. Now, that media placement goes on your trophy wall as well (score) without a major bridge burned (double score). And an editor will not only appreciate a well-crafted, succinct letter written by a rational human, they may very well also come back to that same no-drama designer the next time they’re looking for a beautiful project.

The problem: Your design client has been implicated in a scandal.

The strategy: You’ve just had the project photographed—a five-figure, multi-day endeavor. And just as the home was poised for glory in the glossies, you’ve discovered that the owner of said home is making news themselves—none of it positive. Can the project be salvaged from a PR perspective? Unless you are willing to risk sacrificing your own reputation, the answer is most often no.

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“Even if you think that a celebrity is amazing, you do not want to align yourself with them if there’s a true scandal,” says Courtney Pisarik, CEO of Ink PR and Marketing Group, which specializes in the architecture and design industry. “And it’s advisable to keep a distance on all fronts: On your website, your portfolio, and, of course, your social media.” Is it an entirely lost cause? Not necessarily, says Pisarik. “Be attuned to the possibility of forgiveness in the public eye. If that happens, you may have the ability to get the project published after all.” At the very least, you will have a beautiful record of a project that you can refer to without mentioning the homeowner.

The problem: You’ve made a gaffe on social media and are at risk of being canceled.

The strategy: Whether a small slip is snowballing into a storm of negative comments or a more significant social media blunder is threatening to cancel you altogether, it’s time to go into PR crisis mode.

The first step: Immediately remove the offending content. Next, step into—not away from—the problem.

“If you have made an error, you should apologize sincerely,” says crisis communications consultant Matthew Kagan. “This means a clear acknowledgement of what you did and the harm you caused, as well as a description of the steps you plan to take to ameliorate the damage done.”

Be prepared to do some reflection. Sincerity is critical to the process, Kagan says: “If you’re in hot water, then you should prepare to apologize and mean it. If you don’t mean it, don’t apologize.”

Pisarik adds that how you do it is also important: “If you’re making your statement via social media, use a black and white slide with just the words instead of an image of yourself looking at the ocean ‘reflecting.’ Don’t make it: ‘This is me trying to look good while I’m apologizing.’”

The problem: Your project has been published but the interview includes quotes you wish you hadn’t said.

The strategy: When your phone interview with the writer somehow detoured into details of your divorce, you assumed it would never make it into the story. Wrong. Now you’re shocked to see parts of your personal life interwoven into an article you assumed would only include the design.

What’s a PR-savvy designer to do? Answer: Live and learn.

Unless the information is incorrect, there is no use asking the editor for a correction or retraction. That will only result in a burned media bridge. “If you said it, it was on the record, and it was quoted, you have no standing to ask for a retraction,” Kagan says.

So how to handle your next interview? Established writers at bigger publications prefer the phone interview over an email exchange for just that reason: Responses are livelier and less expected. However, Kagan says designers can establish the terms of the interview before the volley of question and answers begin: “If you say ‘I want to answer this on background or off the record,’ you and the reporter need to have an understanding of exactly what that means. Make it as simple as, ‘When I say off the record that means you cannot quote me by name. Or you cannot quote me at all.’ These aren’t laws. These are agreements between two people. You need to make sure that you have a meeting of the minds.”