What the Barangaroo Crown Towers Debacle Tells us About bad Publicity

Any publicity is not good publicity, Janet. 

Crown’s recent bedside table debacle is not a story chronicling Melbourne’s shady underworld.

It’s a fall from grace following Swift’s tabloid-worthy stay. 

Where only a month ago, locals checked in for proximity to its celebrity guest, Barangaroo’s Crown Towers now finds itself reiterating its zero-tolerance drug policy.

One might call that a swift PR shift.

Revealed in a guest’s viral TikTok, a drug dealer’s accoutrements, scales and all, were found where in the place of a hotel notepad.

A faux pas best kept out of the headlines for both Crown and its vacuum-sealing guest, this story is likely in its infancy. 

For brands at the mercy of public scrutiny, this cautionary tale serves as a sobering reminder that the mighty, too, can fall. Because much like the house at Crown Casino, the temperamental beast that is social media always wins.

Proving that not all hotels are created equal, the Royal Commission subject can expect revelations far worse than a rogue guest's questionable bedside table etiquette.

Where a Betoota Advocate-style approach may suffice for an ibis budget PR spin, the Crown lacks clemency.

A spotlight reserved for those at the top, its notoriety affords it little room for error. 

Much like a bad customer review, oversights are inevitable, and you better have a good crisis manager on hand—someone who brings objectivity to any given situation, knows the 411, and gets some good PR done. 

Whether it’s staying ahead of the story, controlling the narrative, or preparing for all outcomes, you need a lighthouse to guide you through the social media storm. 

It’s a bad day to be a Crown Towers Barangaroo cleaner.