What to Look For in a Public Relations Manager
So, how do you achieve this? What quality divides those that are constantly being looked over from those who are simply over looked? In other publications the issue here may be to tackle the question: what lies at the heart of celebrity status? What engine drives the media towards one-person and away from another? In some journals we may well be discussing the merits of 15 minutes of fame as opposed to a hard earned, hard won opportunity to be centre-stage.
That’s not the purpose of this diary entry. The truth is, most of us don’t care why some people are famous and others are not. You just want to know how you can grab a slice of the limelight and your position on that elusive centre stage.
During my career as a publicist and media consultant, I have had the privilege to advise clients ranging from corporate organisations to one-man businesses.
From stars of sports and stage to politicians and otherwise ‘ordinary’ people who suddenly find themselves in the media spotlight. During a career that has spanned nearly two decades (yes, I really am that old) I have been able to identify no less than eight essential factors that should be taken into account if you are to become a star.
1. As far as the media is concerned, there are two types of people in this world: those who, when walking into a room, say, “there you are.” And there are those who walk into a room and declare: “here I am!” To be a celebrity you have to be the latter. You don’t have to be extraordinarily talented, because the truth is talent is grossly overrated. You don’t have to be the most attractive person in the world because looks fade. Or even the smartest or funniest character on the planet. You just have to be able to perfect the ability to draw attention to yourself.
Take a look at your wardrobe. What are you wearing today? Are these the type of clothes that will get you noticed? It seems a superficial tissue but it’s an important one. Some may argue that it doesn’t matter what you look like as long as you have what it takes inside. Don’t be fooled by this argument. You only get one chance to make a first impression. Your outward appearance plays a crucial role in determining whether or not people will want to see you – or even remember having seen you at all.
2. Never ever copy someone else’s style. Unless you’re planning to make a living as a lookalike, it’s virtually the kiss of death to be described as ‘the new so and so.’ I should know. When I first started my career as a publicist I had to the dubious pleasure of being described as “the new Max Clifford.” I thought this was great as it got me noticed almost immediately. But for every interview I did Max was getting a free mention! Eventually I had to insist that, during every interview, the journalist or presenter was not to compare me to any other publicist. By all means pay special attention to celebrities who have achieved stardom despite what appeared to be insurmountable odds. Take inspiration from their success but don’t try to copy them. All imitations are worthless. To set yourself apart from everyone else you have to be different. I can’t stress this enough. If you copy someone else you will always be in their shadow. Do you remember a group called The Jackson Five? Now think about the British version who described themselves as Five Star and you’ll see my point.
Enough said.
3. Don’t try to hide what others might consider to be your shortcomings. Use them to your advantage. It’s not a perfect world and we’re not perfect people. Some of us are too short others are too tall. Some of us haven’t got the best vocal abilities in the world others have strong, strange accents that make others smile. Sometimes we speak with a lisp. Use these shortcomings to set yourself apart. Accept yourself for who you are – and who you will one day become. We all know famous people who are less than the average height. We all know famous people have speech defects, big noses or are going bald. If they can make it despite these so-called shortcomings you have to believe that you can too. Sometimes these minor imperfections are what will give us that valuable edge over everybody else.
4. Set yourself a realistic goal and a time frame to achieve it. Every single day – starting from today – do at least one thing towards achieving your goal. It may be you want to be a pop star. Send a demo tape out as often as possible. Write to record labels as often as possible. Network as much as possible. If you dream of one day becoming a best selling author, write at least one page of your block buster every single day. The universal truth here at is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. The more you do the more you’ll get back.
5. Don’t bore family and friends with your constant declarations of determination and how you will one day achieve your dreams. You might think it shows how committed you are but often you will come across as desperate and desperate people never inspire confidence. Keep your goals to yourself and also what you’re doing to achieve them. That way, when you start getting the returns back from your hard labours, everyone will be amazed because they didn’t realize just how hard you have been working. An example from the animal world comes to mind here. Imagine if you can the vision of an elegant swan gently gliding along a clear lake. The swan’s progress appears to be almost effortless but beneath the surface its webbed feet are paddling like crazy.
6. Take an active interest in the field you want to break into. This may seem an obvious point but it’s remarkable how many people want to be a great writers yet claim they haven’t got time to read. If your interest is in a comedy, then visit as many shows as you can. Find out who’s making it in the industry and what sets them apart. Get yourself on the subscription list of industry newsletters and magazines as they can often provide you with valuable information as to openings and possible closings.
7. Cast a critical eye over yourself. Get a pen and paper and write down a list of both your great points and your shortcomings. Do everything you can to draw attention to your good points and work on those shortcomings so that they will work to your favour.
8.If all else fails – or you’re looking for a short cut to fame and fortune – hire a great publicist.
Looking for work in the world of media, whether being a journalist, PR Vacancies or new media. Setting up a website was enjoyable and fun, keep an eye on journalist vacancies that may suite you.
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Tags: public, relation, manager, publicity
