Cancel Culture” in Crisis PR: Navigating the Minefield or Avoiding It Altogether?

Cancel culture—it’s the two words every public figure and brand would love to avoid, but it’s everywhere. One wrong tweet or controversial statement, and boom—you’re "canceled." Followers drop off, headlines explode, and suddenly, your crisis PR team is working overtime. But here’s the kicker: not every cancellation is a career-ender. Sometimes, it’s not even a crisis.

Why Cancel Culture Isn’t Always a Crisis Believe it or not, not every cancel attempt sticks. Plenty of public figures have made it through the storm unscathed, some even stronger than before (Kanye pre-2020). The trick? Knowing when to react—and when to let the internet tire itself out. Trust me, people forget quicker than you’d think.

When to Engage:

• When there’s a misunderstanding (and the internet, shockingly, didn’t fact-check).

• When you’ve made an actual mistake and accountability is necessary (being real: people like when you own it).

• When you genuinely plan to do better—not because your PR team told you to.

• If you’re unable to clean up your Google search (people like me can help with this).

When to Stay Silent:

• If the controversy barely has legs. Reacting could blow it up when it would have just fizzled on its own.

• If it’s just social media noise with no real-world consequences—sometimes, it’s best to just sip your tea and wait it out.

Cancel culture can be brutal, but it doesn’t always mean the end. It’s not about surviving every storm, it’s about knowing which storms to steer clear of altogether.