Tt is always better to have attention focused on a name than to be unnoticed. Also a notion that all mentions in the media aid a person’s cause, even if they put them in a bad light.
The phrase is rumoured to have first been said in the 19th century by American showman and circus owner Phineas T. Barnum. The notion also follows sentiment suit of Oscar Wilde's famous quote, “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about”.