Want to know what Katy Perry is up to next weekend? Fancy reading Justin Bieber’s new poem?
Even if you’re not a showbiz fan, it’s hard to ignore the daily news avalanche of celebrities’ cultural adventures and superstars’ saucy secrets.
Thankfully, any A-lister who values their reputation is wise enough to employ the services of a PR guru: an expert who manages all aspects of their intentionally public and let’s-keep-it private persona.
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So just what does a celebrity PR assistant actually have to do? Well, the nitty-gritty of the job often starts with damage control.
When disaster strikes, it’s the task of the PR rep to minimise the damage. Whether their client has been caught in a compromising position (not normally at yoga), said something daft on social media or had a few too many just-the-one-mores on a night out, the PR pro must perform emergency career-saving surgery.
This can include liaising with the media to negate negative news, creating a wall of positive publicity with alternative stories and even masterminding a complete image overhaul.
But it’s not all about the bad stuff. Arranging public appearances is much easier, especially as some celebs are happy to attend the opening of an envelope.
A PR pro is responsible for deciding the social schedule of clients and this means choosing what events to attend, charities to back, clubs to be seen in and interviews to give.
As this can effectively create a right-on reputation for clients, PRs need to be perceptive, great at networking and first-rate trend setters.
Of course, most trends begin online and, love it or loathe it, social media is an integral part of PR life.
While some celebs avoid the lure of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram altogether, others rely on their social media presence to stay current and sell their brand. To avoid blunders, most famous faces let their PR reps control the content of their social media accounts – or at the very least consult them before posting anything.
Despite this, blunders occur almost daily and can be a headache for PR teams to reverse. Kanye West and Donald Trump spring immediately to mind!
Social media bloopers can be career-stoppers these days, so it’s vital PR gurus are masters when it comes to word choice, timing and photo sharing.
Believe it or not, sometimes celebrities aren’t at fault for the negative press they receive. Defamation, slander, copyright infringements, wrongful use of an image and being misquoted are just some of the trials and tribulations of the rich and famous.
Super-savvy PR reps solve all these issues and more by using fabulous communication skills, a big black book of industry contacts and a knowledge of the law to negotiate positive outcomes.
Working in the world of PR and marketing isn’t always red carpets, champagne and schmoozing. It requires a tough and resilient character.
If you’re up to the task and searching for an exciting new career, check out the latest Marketing& PR vacancies on s1jobs.