We made Poonam Pandey win

Image for representational purposes only. Photo Courtesy: iStock

2024 is emerging to be the year of nuanced shock value and how. Rigging it further with a simulation of death and resurrection is the dismaying PR stunt by the Indian model and actress - Poonam Pandey.

While we come to terms with her rebirth, there is a floating awareness around cervical cancer and pap tests - but more so, about living in the age of deep fakes, identity thefts, digitally engineered realities, hyper-constructed social media and online scams.

Regardless of the point she and her team tried to make - there is a heightened awareness about one thing: do not believe everything that surfaces on your phone.

Faking one's death for publicity is not only appalling but unethical on criminal levels. While Pandey's credibility was never the point of discussion - what does seem fishy to the public are the media channels and social pages that floated the news without verification.

Although verification from who? The direct sources to spill news on public figures are their pricey PR agents who bombard WhatsApp groups a gazillion times, a day. Needless to say, with so much clutter and noise around us - it takes a blatant-cruel-adorned with a veneer of shallow amazement-kind of stunt to stand out.

And that it did.

Also Read: Poonam Pandey fake death: Mandira Bedi, Munawar Faruqui, Ektaa Kapoor and more condemn the actress

But, her ill-cooked broth has taught us a lesson - The modus operandi to become relevant again is to cash on a pervasive trait - the pronounced gullibility of the masses.

Viraj Sikand writes on X: "I literally didn't know who she was until now! She is successful in her move as she gets so much more attention for her death than what she was getting earlier. This is going to set an example for others who will probably employ similar techniques to gain quick TRPs and trend on Google."

We gave you plenty of attention, shared social media posts, sparked a nationwide response and prompted more people to circulate the news of your demise. Perhaps, it is safe to assume that your dream has been actuated: events unfolded as intended- the media was manipulated, the masses were taken for a ride and you earned her clout. What now?

Highlighting the nefarious nature of this PR stunt, Mumbai-based communication and marketing consultant, Myron Braganza, tells Midday: "Although she is oblivious to reality: it is a matter of grave concern. She turned journalists into villains who work hard to research and file their stories. A lot of paparazzi were also mourning her death. She made us all look bad."

The idea to raise awareness was important but the manner was incorrect and distasteful, Myron adds.

The roots of this campaign can be traced back to the "father of public relations" Edward Bernays (1891-1995) who described the masses as irrational and subject to herd instinct - and he outlined how skilled practitioners could use crowd psychology and psychoanalysis to control them in desired ways.

Bernays later synthesised many of such ideas in his book: Public Relations (1945), which outlines the science of managing information released to the public by an organisation, in a manner most advantageous to the organisation.

He does this by first providing an overview of the history of public relations and then details insight into its application (PR agents who handle public figures may find this outdated.)

The impact on public perception and engagement:

Admitting the competitive nature of his work, Myron admits that PR experts have to sweat blood and craft extreme scenarios to shed light on issues that need attention. Take, for example, the brutal rape in Delhi caused the court to fast-track rape cases. Why do we need to wait for something extreme to happen to make an impact or change, he asks?

Commenting on the response by the masses, he says: "I feel the public perception is mixed. Some have hated her approach and some lauded it because cervical cancer is the talk of the town. In fact, one of my friends reached out to me wondering if she should consider a pap smear test. The best I could suggest was to get a screening done and some tests to give herself clarity."

After this stunt, it will be difficult for the public to believe anything that comes from Poonam and her team, he added.

While another celebrity PR manager, Namita Rajhans (Cofounder Shimmery Entertainment) shares that public relations should be built on transparency, honesty and integrity.

"Faking a death undermines these principles, potentially leading to a loss of trust and credibility among your audience. It can create confusion, emotional distress and negative publicity, detracting from the genuine message you aim to convey about cervical cancer awareness."

Also Read: Mystery over Poonam's Pandey's death

Any ethical considerations, if at all?

Ethics - aren't we asking for too much?

Yet Myron opines that resorting to reels or a TV ad could still be admissible. "Poonam Pandey has a huge fan following, I am sure people and her fans would listen to her."

For a while, through communications, he has been trying to draw awareness amongst various topics such as cervical cancer, postpartum depression, infertility and so on. Whatever the intent might be, the approach also should be followed in the right manner.

In his opinion, the judicial system should be taking action against Poonam Pandey, as she is a highly influential person that can lead to other people doing the same thing. Are we going to wait for another extreme stunt to change the laws?