Through the years, we have represented a slew of celebrities, ranging from Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube, to Pamela Anderson, hall of fame athletes, and others. Whether or a major mega-star, or up and coming celebrity, universally celebrity PR campaigns are very demanding, time consuming and hard work, for many reasons.  (And of course that’s before the “colorful” (and I can tell a ton of stories, but wont am sworn to secrecy).

Adrian Grenier’s recent comments to the WSJ that celebrities wont need Public Relations representatives in the future: “I don’t have a publicist and never have.  I’m no stranger to self promotion. I find it first of all more authentic when you put a bit of your creative touch to what you’re trying to share.”

Public Relations is more than self-promotion for celebrities, its shaping and positioning a brand, its filtering requests, and many other responsibilities.  I agree with a comment I read made by a CEO of a PR agency “Dollar for dollar publicity is one of the great bargains left in Hollywood. If a celebrity makes $6 million a year, for example, they probably pay a publicist give or take $5,000 or $6,000 a month, or one percent of their net. When you compare the hours a publicist puts in to the ten percent a manager or agent gets…I don’t think agents or managers are overpaid, but I think publicists are underpaid.” As he further stated, a good publicist will drive their client to be themselves.

I am just returning to work today from a week in the gorgeous French Riveria (visited Monaco, Nice, Cannes and other areas), and the amount of wealth and high profile people there was amazing.  Who would handle the many celebrity mistakes made in places like this, or false sightings which are reported ?

Nearly all CEO’s have Public Relations pros, or PR agencies handling their needs, and so too should celebrities. Celebrities need PR specialists, much as they need lawyers, accountants, doctors and others who know their fields the best way.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Although I was raised in the Bronx and spent innumerable days at Yankee Stadium, I will nevertheless admit to having attended the Mets home opening of the $800 million Shea Stadium last night.  It was quite a memorable experience.   I went with a top-tier journalist and a major client (who has season tickets), and we sat in the 2nd row behind home plate, celebrity center, listening to Governor Patterson make small talk as he was loudly booed by the stadium.

Sitting up there was a social event, with everyone constantly moving around.  I spent an inning in the front row with a colleague with whom I sit on a non-profit board, met a lot of potential sources for new business and had face time with influencers. In terms of the brand, the stadium itself is breathtaking: small town feel, part Disney, and certainly nothing like the old Shea.  The immaculate, luxurious Sterling Club felt more like a high-end hotel than a baseball game.

One thing which jumped out at me was the lack of big-name advertisers.  A local, small construction company, small car dealerships, and even Caesar’s Palace in Atlantic City – all prominent advertisers at the stadium, but very odd brand fits for the Mets.  Sign of the times, even with Citigroup spending their millions and millions.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Every day this week, I walked one block south of our offices to the tents at Bryant Park.Out on the street in front of the Fashion Week tents, lights were flashing and people were gawking.But while some were there for the fashion, I was there to people watch.As a marketer, I’m always inspired by the creative street theater and guerrilla marketing events saturating the Bryant Park sidewalk during Fashion Week.People watching allows me to see trends and make observations first hand.Reading a media report is a far cry from the palpable excitement on the street.

This morning, for instance, I encountered a few cross dressers promoting the Janice Dickinson show swarmed by photographers and a crowd of people.It’s a great example of a low cost, high impact way to capture influencers.

While I won’t reveal here the many successful stunts 5WPR executed for Fashion Week, I can say that street theater and guerrilla marketing are amazing ways for brands to capture mind share and media share at huge events, without incurring huge costs.

If you’re open to big ideas and have a entrepreneurial mindset, you can always find a way to incorporate your brand into the mecca of huge events, without having to pay the multimillion dollar price tag.Whether Fashion Week, The Superbowl or Sundance, 5WPR always finds creative ideas and angles to enter the media landscape, permeate the discussion and penetrate the tastemakers who attend.Brands need to seek creative, winning concepts… and winning sometimes means being outside rather than inside the box.Those who take the biggest risks with their brand often reap the biggest rewards.And by far the most attention.

Ronn Torossian
5WPR

Yesterday’s arrest of Kanye West at LAX was surprising to me primarily because it doesn’t happen more often.  West was arrested for suspicion of vandalism after confronting paparazzi media and allegedly smashing their  cameras.  The struggle between celebrities and the paparazzi is an issue that high profile people must deal with on a day-to-day basis, and it is extremely trying on both physical and emotional levels. It is incredible that today, even after the death of Princess Di, celebrities still have very little protective barriers between them and an intrusive swarm of prying media. Yes, people in the public-eye lose their right to complete privacy when they perform, appear in movies, or get rich by possessing rare athletic ability, but does that mean that there should be no boundaries whatsoever?  Should their children be endlessly subjected to flashing lights? Should they not be allowed to lead somewhat normal lives?

Ronn Torossian: 5WPR has worked with countless celebrities.  I vividly remember walking out of court with Lil’ Kim after she was sentenced in her perjury trial a few years ago. We were managing her crisis pr, and as we walked out the front door, we (Lil’ Kim, one security escort, two attorneys, two of her family friends and I) encountered at least 100 members of the media all jockeying for a shot or a comment.  It was a wall of reporters and photographers, flashbulbs blinking in her face. To say it was a mob scene is an understatement.  After the paparazzi got their pictures, they still wouldn’t move.  There was no choice but to push forward for the two blocks we were required to walk.  It was a very dangerous situation, and in LA, this happens every single day.

Managing the media for corporate clients is far different than managing celebrity-driven paparazzi media.  Every type of public relations, whether crisis-based or paparazzi, consumer or technology, requires different skills and a completely different set of “rules.” I don’t believe for a second that today’s incident between Kanye West and a swarm of paparazzi is an isolated occurrence, nor will it be the last time we read about a celebrity fighting for his privacy with paparazzi.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Reporters surrounded Lil Kim

At the epicenter of today’s branded consumer entertainment culture are consumer/corporate brands hiring (partnering with?) celebrities to represent their products. Whenever a brand hires a celebrity, instant brand associations abound, with tremendous potential upsides and downsides. In my career, I have encountered extremes in this endeavor among CEOs and CMOs of clients. I can remember a major consumer CEO saying, “We will never ever hire a celebrity. Ever. I have worked too hard to allow some DWI-prone star or idiot drug-addict celebrity to affect my business,” and regardless of countless opportunities that CEO had, he always said no. He was too concerned about the potential risks. On the flipside, we at 5WPR have worked with many brands that did hire celebrities for brand campaigns — large and small — and some of those have been extremely successful.

I write this in reference to David Duchovny being instantly fired as the face and celebrity endorser of shoe company Johnston & Murphy due to his “sex addiction.” Duchovny, who plays a sex-obsessed character on TV apparently has the same issues in his personal life. Interestingly, just last month the brand issued a statement saying: “David embodies success and confidence, along with a great sense of style, communicating the ideal image for the Johnston & Murphy brand.”

Anytime I read about issues like this, I wonder if these brands really did the proper vetting vis a vis celebrities. Did they do more than speak to the agent/manager of this celeb? Did they have essential relationships that enabled them to talk to nightclub owners, or find his wife’s best friend? Hire private detectives? Really ask around in the circle of people who knew the truth? These sorts of things (and others) are all necessities for any brand truly willing to “win” at celebrity endorsements/PR.

Steve Stoute, a master at marrying brands to celebs, is rightly quoted in this week’s Adweek discussing how celebrity sponsorship has forever changed. The most successful relationships, he says, come from brands and artists viewing themselves as true business partners.  Proper vetting and planning is required for celebrity endorsers. It’s much more than just taking someone’s picture holding your shoe in the year 2008 and beyond.

Ronn Torossian
5WPR