When you think of PR, you probably think about the basic concept of putting out positive news about your company or brand. In most cases, this would be an accurate summary of what PR is meant to be.
As Andy Wang, Marketing Manager at Skywork.ai, shares, “Unfortunately, not everyone runs their business in an ethical way. You may have to deal with competitors whose approach to PR isn’t solely built around spreading positive news about their business, but rather, focuses on spreading negatives about yours. In the PR industry, this is called dark PR, and it can be extremely harmful if left unchecked.”
Whether you’re building a personal brand or a business online, credibility is everything. When your competitor launches a smear campaign or disseminates information in the form of fake reviews, misleading stories, or viral online rumors, the impact can be devastating. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to prevent this from happening.
In this article, we’ll explain what dark PR is, how it works, the warning signs to look out for, and what to do to preempt these attacks. Let’s dive in!
How Does Dark PR Work?
Let’s get a little technical: Dark PR can be defined as the use of unethical or deceptive strategies to harm the reputation of a competitor. As a concept, dark PR has probably existed ever since mankind began to live in organized societies.
But while people have always used unethical means to compete now and then, we live in the digital age today, and the playing field is dramatically different. Unfortunately, there are now more channels and methods for dark PR than ever before, and information, both good and bad, spreads faster than ever too.
“One of the downsides of technology, for businesses, is just how many tools there are out there that can be used to create fake news, especially with AI in the mix,” says Ben Bouman, Business Owner at HeavyLift Direct. “The only real defense is authenticity. If your audience knows who you are and you keep communicating honestly, bad actors don’t get much traction.”
You can’t simply wish dark PR away or rely on your competitors to play fair, but you don’t have to be a helpless victim either. You can build a defense against dark PR using the tactics we’ll share in this article. It all begins with being able to understand and identify the various forms a dark PR attack might take. We’ll cover this in the next section.
Common Dark PR Tactics
The signs that you’re coming under attack won’t always be obvious. In fact, you may have to proactively go looking for them. Here are some of the most common examples:
- Fake online reviews written on forums, boards, online directories, and so on.
- Negative SEO, such as creating spammy backlinks to trigger search engine penalties. If you’ve already suffered a spammy backlink attack, you’ll need to act fast to resolve this, following our guides on eliminating spam backlinks and how to combat negative PR.
- Fake news or damaging stories published on blogs, forums, or social media.
Good PR practice is to proactively monitor brand mentions, and there are numerous social listening tools available to assist with this.
A social listening tool like BrandMentions stands out because it tracks not only social platforms but also news sites, blogs, forums, and review platforms. Its advanced sentiment analysis goes beyond simple positive/negative tags, detecting mixed emotions and sarcasm with high accuracy across multiple languages.
Defending Against Dark PR: The Dark PR Defense Rulebook
“When it comes to dark PR, the best defense combines proactive preparation with smart responses during an attack,” says John Elarde III, Operations Manager at Clear View Building Services. “You can’t predict every crisis, but you can plan your messaging, monitor your reputation, and respond with professionalism when challenges arise. That balance between readiness and restraint is what protects your brand’s integrity.”
Before your competitors ever have the chance to launch a dark PR attack, taking these steps will place you well ahead of the game:
- Encourage genuine reviews from real customers and patients to control the narrative and boost your online reputation organically. For instance, patients looking for an online doctor in Ontario rely on trustworthy online feedback to make healthcare decisions.
- Monitor your mentions using free tools like Google Alerts or paid platforms like Mention.
- Develop strong relationships with local or industry-specific journalists who can tip you off to attempts to spread fake news.
- Publish authoritative content to outrank false claims in search results.
- Train your staff to spot unusual online activity or customer questions that may signal an attack.
- Cultivate a base of loyal brand advocates. Think about your favorite local store. If you ran into someone spreading false info about them behind their backs, you’d probably speak up, wouldn’t you? An army of loyal customers who strongly identify with your brand is often the strongest defense against dark PR, so be sure to build a community around your loyal customers.
“When you run a small business, dark PR hits close to home,” says Holly Finnefrock, Founder and CEO at Everblue Pond. “A fake review can set off a chain of effects that could include lost sales and permanent damage to your reputation. The best defense I’ve found is a loyal customer base that knows your heart and your work.”
You’ll likely already have a plan for content creation, and with content planning tools that simplify planning and scheduling, your content creation team can stay consistent even during a crisis.
If you don’t currently have a content pipeline, here’s how to plan your content ahead and why it’s so important to plan your content out ahead.
Local businesses also face unique challenges, as reputation often determines community trust. For example, a small business like a local electrician in St. Louis might depend on maintaining consistent visibility and credibility across platforms to ensure clients recognize them as a trusted local service provider.
With these layers of defense in place, most dark PR attacks will fail without you even needing to take any further action. But in the rare event that these attacks beat your proactive defenses, or if you’re already under attack, here’s what you can do:
- Report fake reviews or posts directly to the platform where they’re posted.
- Respond calmly and factually, avoiding emotional rebuttals that can backfire.
- Share proof of credibility, such as certifications, client testimonials, or case studies, to reassure your audience.
- Consider legal options if the attack crosses the line into defamation. If you can identify the competitor or other entity behind these attacks, a cease-and-desist letter or even a lawsuit may be appropriate. It would be best to consult a lawyer for the most appropriate advice on a case-by-case basis.
Final Word
Dark PR is a growing threat across industries, particularly for businesses where trust is everything. Even a few false reviews can erode confidence and hurt growth, and this is true for businesses of all sizes, but especially for smaller ones.
So don’t wait for your competitors or other malicious actors to put you on the defensive. Build out a dark PR defense strategy using the tips we’ve shared in this article, and protect your business.
For more tips on building an unassailable brand, here’s a detailed guide to brand reputation management.
