How Do You Lessen The PR Damage Of Unpopular Decisions?
Most businesses need to balance the needs of their most loyal customers with the need to make decisions that suit the industry and the moment. Some of these choices are more difficult than others and can be extremely unpopular.
In July 2026, Sony’s decision to discontinue physical releases of games for the PlayStation 5 has proven to be exceptionally unpopular, dominating the discourse surrounding the company and leading to a PR catastrophe that continued for weeks after the announcement.
The company attempted to weather the storm by remaining silent and saying very little about the decision, but continued negative press and downtime of the online service meant to replace physical media have not helped in the slightest.
This echoes a common question a reputation PR agency will be frequently asked: How do you communicate unpopular decisions in a way that respects customers and minimises PR damage?
It is far from an easy position, but here are some steps you can take and examples of when it has worked.
Do You See Your Decision From The Position Of Your Customers?
The first step is to demonstrate empathy; what do you think your customers will think of the decision? What concerns, criticisms and implications would they likely have, and can you provide an adequate response to them?
Customers want to be treated like human beings, and showing that you are at least considering their point of view can help to mitigate the damage, as was ultimately the case with CD Projekt Red and Cyberpunk 2077.
Are You Clear In Your Communication?
Ultimately, businesses should be as transparent as possible when it comes to major decisions which affect customers. Whilst there will be trade secrets that cannot be divulged, you should aim to clarify why a decision has been made and what the next steps should be.
Whilst you should be careful not to be too blunt and aggressive, the only way to start a dialogue with your valuable customers is to be honest with them about your intentions.
If you are increasing prices, try to explain what justification you have and how you can continue to provide value for money. If you are cutting a service, explain why and offer alternatives.
Have You Acknowledged Resistance?
The biggest mistake made when making hard choices is to not even acknowledge the fact that there is legitimate criticism of them. Whilst there is an understandable temptation to avoid broadcasting negative coverage, it can come across as wilfully ignorant.
This was arguably the reason why
New Coke infamously failed; most taste tasters liked the taste and even longtime fans enjoyed it in blind tests, but the principle of changing an unchanging formula upset the core customer base so much it poisoned the well.
It took Coca-Cola billions of dollars and roughly 75 days to realise this error and reverse course.
Are There Truly No Alternatives?
Not all price hikes are necessary, and reputation can be worth more than the money saved through a fiscally minded decision.
For example,
AriZona Iced Tea remains priced at 99 cents despite competitors charging over three times that price, which has required complex operational changes.
The reason for this is that the price is part of their marketing and reputation, which the company sees as far more valuable in the long run.
Before making an unpopular decision, evaluate if it is truly necessary and worth the reputational damage that could ensue.
