Celebrity PR

By Smita Deshmukh
By Smita Deshmukh
Need we say more?
Who are celebs?
• People who are
famous, well-known
• People who others
like to follow
• Trend setters
• Style conscious
• Largely people
from the world of
Entertainment,
Lifestyle and Sports
Under lens all
the time!
* Celebrities attract huge
media coverage - global
media attention on daily
basis
• Huge money rides on them
thanks to multi million dollar
brand deals
• Every aspect of their life is
under scrutiny
• Huge privacy issues
• Constantly followed by the
paparazzi

They need professional

PR persons to handle
every aspect of their
lives
 Skill sets for Celeb PR
• It takes just one drunken
escapade to turn Oscar buzz into
a career gone up in flames for
Hollywood’s A-list actors!
• A good Celeb PR knows this and
how to smooth over
controversies to keep a positive
spotlight on his/her client
• Celeb PR’s have strong media
connect
• Can make smart
recommendations on which
products his client should
endorse
• And they knows their way around
cyberspace!
 Follow RACE!
• Check up all details in
research – Good, bad
• Past client projects,
upcoming ones
• Sensitive spots, issues
• Friends, not-so-friends?
• PR objective
• Popularity metre
• Media dip stick – find out
what is media perception
of your client is
 Media relations
• First step – always connect
with the top media houses
• Ensure a bridge-building
with editors and senior
journos
• Know every top
photographer in the
celebrity beat
• Keep sharing info (correct),
pictures and videos with
target media
• Ensure the client is in news
– style, popularity counts
 Pitch a story
• Toughest part is to pitch a
story
• Important to know which
information to share, what
needs to be buried
• Follow trends – Instagram
videos, airport looks,
Twitter trends
• Do ‘Exclusives’ work? One
media house may be happy
other may not
• Access of target media to
your client is critical
Protocols
•Journalists often get close
to celebrities
• Many become ‘close
friends’ or claim so
• Many Off the record
information gets shared -
some flattering, other
damaging
Protocols need to be set:
Route all interviews through
PR
Post telephonic chat, send a
text to the journo on the
summary
Ask questions on email
Dialogue with media in
advance in case of sensitive
questions
 Social media
• Understanding of each
platform is necessary
• Facebook – General
information, friends/ family
• Twitter – Big news, stories
• Instagram – Pictures – Have
to be good/dramatic
• YouTube – A channel
showcasing the best work
Celeb PR must proof read,
edit and then post the
content to ensure timely
connect
Non negotiable
*Social media is the
biggest platform for
celebrity PR today
*All journalists follow
social media for news
leads
•Important that every
updates – pictures, videos
- are digitally sound –
must be downloadable.
This ensure viral effect
•Social media handles of
celebrity’s friends,
colleagues crucial
 Think hard
• Before you post on social
media – take a pause, recheck
details. One mistake can cause
damage
• Trolls need to be identified
• Mute, ignore, block – options
to be evaluated
• Avoid twitter battles
• Important people must be
acknowledged, retweeted,
Liked…
• 24x7 medium, professional
team, planning is needed
Epic mistakes
Epic mistakes
Epic mistakes
 Events – tough PR task
• Celeb events are huge
test for PR professionals
• Red carpets needs to be
planned
• The ‘Look’ has be
discussed
• Ensure presence of target
media
• Extensively use social
media for the buzz
• Pre-event, Post-event
strategies
 Promote client’s brands
• Promote your client’s
brand endorsements
• Offer ideation in terms of
events around those
• Media tie-ups will be key
• Ensure all brand
commitments are
reflected in the PR plan
• Bottom line – No PR
opportunity should be
ever missed
 Manage crisis
• When your client’s reputation is
at stake due to a misstep/
problem, it’s your job to control
the damage
• Get in quickly in the event of a
crisis
• First advise clients to bite their
tongues and then craft the
appropriate response to any
controversial allegations
• There are monetary, political and
legal ramifications to any scandal.
A good PR knows what words to
put into the mouth of an angry
celebrity
 Manage crisis
• Good media relations
always helps in crisis
• Silence by the client is
GOLDEN
• You can diffuse situation
by talking ‘off the record’
to the media close to you.
It helps, but risky
• Buy time, this way media
moves on to the next
story
• Diffusing situation is key
 Reputation is everything
• As a PR professional,
assessing the strength of
the celeb client is very
important
• For managing reputation,
digital offers a much
deeper insight, allowing the
public to make an
impression, effectively
• Trends change quickly,
celebs need to adjust fast or
they are out of the narrative
• PR professionals guide them
to remain glam/relevant
 Reputation is everything
• The glam ecosystem is
becoming more clustered,
and more competitive, as
everyone is trying to grab
their share of limelight
• Celebrities can take some
learning from Hollywood,
one of the most
competitive ecosystems
in the world and develop
their social profiles to
improve their chances of
hitting success