Celebrity Focused PR [National Conference Recap]
Session: Celebrity Focused Public Relations
Presenter: Rita Tateel, President, The Celebrity Source
Recap: Rita Tateel, president of The Celebrity Source, presented the Celebrity Focused Public Relations session at the Public Relations Student Society of America 2017 National Conference. She began by providing us with a definition for the term celebrity and described how many celebrities are actually very insecure. We then heard a first-person experience on gaining a celebrity’s trust by being there for them and their family first. Talking to celebrities means lessening the time you need from them and asking the minimum of them to ensure a “yes.” An important part of this is explaining to a celebrity what they are going to gain by doing something for you. This includes cons such as media exposure, personal interests and gifts.
In the second half of the session, we learned the true value behind a gift. Using gifts to sway a celebrity to do something for you may be difficult because they can essentially buy anything they want. You have to explain to them why this experience is one of a kind and unique to any amount of money. You also have to bear in mind the sensation any human feels when receiving a gift. Finally, we learned about relationships and celebrities. When budgeting for celebrity participation, standard expenses include car service, first-class air for two, first-class accommodations, all meals and hair and make-up. When keeping these budgets in mind, it is ok to provide celebrities with guidance. They actually appreciate this.
Takeaways:
- Working with celebrities is both an art and a science
- Definition of “celebrity” is anyone well known, in the public eye, within his or her field of discipline
- Time is their most important commodity
- Ask for the least amount of time needed to accomplish your objective
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Laurie Eve Vazquez is a senior at Indiana University Northwest. She is majoring in communications and minoring in both philosophy and history. Laurie is apart of Phi Theta Kappa and the National Society of Leadership and Success. She is also IU Northwest’s Intern Queen Campus
