When it comes to working in PR there is an interesting balance between building a brand that’s doing good for the world and executing PR strategies that build a brand because someone just wants to be famous.
Strangely becoming famous is a very popular goal in life. And not just among 11 year olds. This raises the question; why do people want to be famous?
I explore this just a wee bit below, but for today I’d like to answer this often cloaked question that pops up from time to time. Can you make me famous? Or will PR make me famous? And it’s probably an incognito inquiry some people really want to know the answer to but are too sheepish to come straight out with it (others just do).
Recognition. Social Proof, Third party endorsement. FAME. Call it what you will; overshadowing the hope for financial success or community contribution and connection, is the desire for fame.
Some people seek fame for altruistic reasons – to help others. Not just a desire to be seen and presumably valued for their hard work but to access resources that will allow them to contribute to society in a positive way and on a greater scale. Or to simply earn more money to give back or provide more easily to those they love financially.
Wanting to be famous usually however comes from a place of vulnerability, and dare I say it, narcissism (wrong way go back, do not pass GO) and seeking superiority over others because that somehow makes fame-seekers feel more secure. For some reason the PR world attracts these types and it’s something as a business we try to avoid, unless the intention is for making the world better.
The fame game plays into ego and expectation of self-importance and is cloaked in the presumption that being famous will bring wealth, a celebrity lifestyle, elite status and VIP invites.
Either way people seek fame for the desire to be seen, to know that they mattered. And the answer to the question about PR the function and its ability to create fame, is yes. Yes, PR can (but not always) make you famous. And if not executed well and with good intention it can be for the wrong reasons. Unless pure fame is your game, not all publicity is good publicity.
If your PR strategy is inherently focused on the goodness of you and your business and the value that it brings to the world and the lives of others then you’re in for a good chance of credibility well earned. The good stuff. The great stuff. This is what we’re about.Being great at what you do and delivering an excellent product or service however is not enough these days to secure media attention and editorial coverage. So an activated PR function will help with this.
PR will help you present as your best self and give you the opportunity to secure cut-through in a crowded content market. PR highlights the incredible value that you provide and packages it up in a way that is easier to consume and connect with. PR helps you to stay on-point for your target audience and key media.
Generating social proof for clients is not always in third-party publications but rather supporting them to better execute via their online real-estate (social media, websites, etc.) As publicists and PR practitioners, we help our clients succeed by helping them to get clear on their branding, know what their point of difference is, shape their story and present it harmoniously across all channels. Out ability is in cutting through content clutter and jumping media gatekeeper hurdles to share important stories that need to be told.
The process of this can make the business owners more publicly known within their target audience. But it shouldn’t ever be the north star of a successful PR campaign. It’s never about fame. PR is about sharing information that helps others.
Words by Jade Roberts
raraPR Founder and Director
raraPR is above all the sum of people who together help build brands and share stories. We are present in our determination to make a positive difference to the world by representing individuals and businesses that are doing good. We are an extension of the personal stories within us, those that we exist for and those within you that need to be heard.
