PR & Pop Culture Creators Are Having A Moment

Revise your celebrity PR stories, because a media savvy public is wary.

As someone with decades of experience working in PR, Communications, Marketing, and Media, it has been quite a roller coaster watching the avalanche of celebrity missteps and scandals over the past few months. And while analyzing celebrity PR - or dealing with crisis communications in general - is not something I spend much time doing, I think for those in the profession, or interested in how modern communications is constantly shifting between channels and generations, it’s worth looking at. Lord knows I have spent too much time trying to explain to some corporate leaders that consumer behavior and modern communication is not some mystical concept, but reality, and ever changing. Old tactics and strategies are exactly that, old, and we must continue to learn, listen, and spend time with communities across media channels to gage the conversations. So let’s get into it…

Something interesting has been happening on TikTok and it is gaining momentum. At a time when people are more media savvy than ever, especially the generations who have always known social media and how things can be manipulated, there has been a rise in pop culture and public relations pros, breaking down responses to celebrity crisis and responses in the press. It turns out that many have long been hip to PR strategies, planting stories, “personal” videos that feel scripted or off, and can generally “Nancy Drew” the truth behind a story. Those of us who are communications professionals, and regularly listen closely to communities and trends across platforms are well aware of this already, so why do companies and high profile people continue to make so many missteps, against advice? I am not sure, but I often get tired of explaining basic relatability, authenticity, human communication evolution, and media psychology to those who rely only on soulless data, simply unable (or unwilling) to read the room.

TikTok creators like the queen (PR) bee Molly Mcpherson, CultureWork, Simone Umba, Meredith Lynch, and so many more, regularly break down stories in realtime, before the wool gets pulled over anyones eyes. Of course, this is increasingly difficult to do anymore in an era of information exchange, and speedy fact checking when everything leaves a digital trace. (That tweet you thought you deleted? Some kept a screenshot. The thing your team tried to scrub from Wikipedia? They caught that too. So be prepared.) Others like the hilarious ColorMeLoverly account spoof replies to famous folks as their PR rep, clearly presenting the feelings of so many, or popular personality Tefi, who as the internet’s pop culture obsessed big sister, regularly hits the nail on the head with her pop culture commentary.

Here is some more of my insight on this topic, over on my TikTok of course

Recent celebrity scandals, just in the past month include: Lizzo & team tour allegations from dancers, Joe Jonas & Sophie Turner messy split/lawsuit, Jimmy Fallon work environment, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis terrible decision and subsequent “apology” video, Drew Barrymore’s odd WGA misalignment and subsequent “apology” video, Oprah & The Rock definitely not reading the room when asking for donations, Bethenny Frankel keeps digging a hole, and last, but certainly the worst of the worst, the Russell Brand sexual assault allegations.

The missteps and conversation around responses have hit the mainstream media too, such as the NY Times articles The Celebrity Apology Video Aesthetic and As Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner Split, It’s Time to Spin

There are a few things happening here. Pop culture creators are making waves and giving big PR machines a run for their money, as antiquated strategies, flat ‘personal’ videos, and fail to connect anymore. People are connected more than ever, and collecting more context around situations, and cross checking in real time. How do teams realistically course correct across channels, beyond the typical media cycle, now, and will it read false? Accountability, no cancel culture, is key for so many and yet it still seems out of reach for corporations and celebrities increasingly out of touch.

So what is the lesson here? I think it is a complicated answer, and one I will be elaborating on in a series soon, so stay tuned, and keep listening to the pros

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