Findings
It is the primary task of public relations to build a strong relationships in order to promote the reputation of an individual, an organization, or an identity that relies on the public’s opinion for it to function. In order to do so, public relations people have to make sure that the messages being communicated to the public are aimed at acquiring allies and supporters. In Hollywood, public relations is a very useful tool in managing the reputation of personalities, especially so when one is in trouble due to some controversies. With the recurring influx of scandals that surround the stars of Hollywood, public relations have become a necessity in a celebrity’s life in order to maintain a favourable image to further their career.
Hollywood personalities often find themselves in interesting, it not bizaare situations, which often find their way to newspapers, magazines, the Internet, radio broadcasts, and TV news. Each particular situation calls for a specific action, but the initial goal is to ensure that the subsequent effects of the controversies are minimized. There are several ways available to achieve this but all PR specialists agree that more than anything, effective communication holds the key in solving all problems.
The current research looked into the different roles that public relations play in order to build a reputation for Hollywood stars. In particular, the research aimed to address four questions:
- When does the PR personnel of a Hollywood star need to consider rebuilding reputation and image?
- Should a Hollywood star consider using negative PR for remaining in the top headlines of news?
- Can a badly tarnished image and reputation of a Hollywood star be ever rebuilt?
- What could be the best reputation rebuild strategies for a star suffering from a tarnished image for creating a long-term comeback?
In rebuilding a star’s reputation, there are important points that have to be considered.
Grove indicated that first and foremost, the audience should be prioritized (2013). Every star’s popularity is due to their audience and in the face of every controversy, they should be taken into account. Public relations can address the controversy by diverting the attention of the public to another issue. This way, the damage can be minimized and the audience will be spared. Another point to focus on is to retain the audience attention. When the publicity implemented is not holding the public’s interest anymore, certain measures can be taken such as highlighting the positive values of the celebrity. Ultimately, all consideration should point out to earning the public’s trust even after the controversy.
Staying on top is not easy in Hollywood. The research explored if it is beneficial to resort to negative publicity to continue dominating the headlines. Analysis of texts indicate that the old cliche “Negative publicity is still publicity” still holds true to this day. Getting into news with negative connotation can be employed when positive reinforcements don’t seem to work anymore. However, negative publicity should be used with caution as like stains, it can leave lasting marks in the public’s memory.
A star’s reputation, no matter how badly tarnished, may seem impossible to rebuilt in the old days, but not anymore today. Eventually, someone will take the risk of just leaving out a celebrity’s tarnished reputation for investment purposes (Ravid 2012). After all, new technology come in handy when it comes to establishing a reputation. The Internet is a powerful tool in disseminating positive reviews online that will help deflect the negative publicity. Similarly, in rebuilding a star’s tarnished image that is aiming for a long-term comeback, the use of social media is found to be beneficial as well. Texts reveal that with a good strategy, the negative image can be concealed and bring the positive into the surface. Constant positive reinforcement will eventually have the bad reputation slip out of the audiences’ minds. Not everyone may be able to forget the scars left by the controversy, but it is the action that comes after mending the broken reputation that will prove important in making the public forget (Geddes 2011). In this regard, the star’s cooperation is much needed.
Opportunities for Future Research
The current research highlighted the important roles that public relations take in building the reputation of Hollywood stars. However, most of the instances discussed wherein PR people exhibited their expertise have to do with overcoming the consequences of controversies that seem to constantly follow Hollywood stars. Findings were generally directed on methods on rebuilding reputation, both for present popularity and long-term comeback, and efforts that will help stars retain their superior position.
These findings give way for future researchers to explore the roles of public relations in building a Hollywood star’s reputation outside controversies. For one, succeeding studies can look into the part that public relations take in building an aspiring Hollywood star’s career. It would be beneficial for the better understanding of the topic if future researches examine the methods PR people employ in order to give rise to a budding career. Similarly, future researches can also investigate and look for other practices in public relations apart from those discussed in the current research that PR people use in order to boost or repair a Hollywood personality’s image.
As the current research is mainly based on textual analysis, future researches may endeavor in applying statistical methods in determining the practicality of practising the public relations methods discussed. Surveys and interviews may also be undertaken in order to augment the results indicated in the current study.
Works Cited
Geddes, David. (2011 November 1). Framework, standards, and metrics: PR researc priorities
part 2 [Supplemental material]. Institute for public relations. Retrieved from
http://www.instituteforpr.org/framework-standards-and-metrics-pr-research-priorities
part-2/.
Grove, Elliot 2013). 3 new rules of film publicity [Supplemental material]. Raindance film
festival. Retrieved from http://www.raindance.org/3-new-rules-of-film-publicity/.
Ravid, Orly (2012 May 31). Publicizing your film at a festival [Supplemental material]. The film
collaborative. Retireved from http://www.thefilmcollaborative.org/blog/tag/pr-strategy/.
