From the vaults: The end of public relations
I loved reading Lucy Maguire’s recent Vogue Business story on the changing face of fashion PR. 13 years ago I wrote a similar feature for BON Magazine on the changing face of PR and fashion weeks in the (then) new social media landscape. What’s funny is how things have changed and how things have stayed the same.
At the time, ‘Oscar PR Girl’ (aka Oscar de la Renta publicist Erika Bearman) and ‘DKNY PR Girl’ (aka publicist Aliza Licht) were major influencers alongside Kelly Cutrone, a notoriously ball-breaking New York PR who had her own U.S reality TV show. I remember cold-emailing Kelly to ask if I could send over a few questions. I heard nothing until my phone suddenly rang one lunchtime and a voice at the other end bellowed, “Hi, this is Kelly Cutrone. You wanted to talk to me?” As I was in the middle of something else and didn’t have my notes in front of me, I innocently asked if I might call her back the next day. “NO, THAT’S THANKSGIVING!”
Eek. I had no choice but to grab my laptop, find my questions and press Record. She was an absolute dream, unfiltered interviewee and my favourite quote from her was the insight, “All of a sudden you would come back from your fashion show and your client would be like, ‘who the fuck is ‘Melanie Sunshine’ and how did she write this review of my show?’ At one point, a meeting was called by [New York Fashion Week organisers] IMG to decide ‘what do we do about these people called bloggers?’” (I think I might post the transcript on here in another post.)
Here’s the article, originally published in BON Magazine in 2013.
Here’s some not so breaking news: the fashion industry is in flux. A succession of never ending global fashion weeks, the seasons are shrinking, designers are bounced from atelier to atelier and there’s a new type of fashion editor in town. Nowhere are these changes more evident than in the fashion publicist’s office. In fact, it could be said that fashion PR itself is undergoing a major re-brand of its own.
Not so long ago, it was all so clear-cut. There were PRs, they had clients and their remit was simple; to get stories out to a select and manageable group of trusted press. To the uninitiated it looked like one delicious long canapé-fest of launches and white-gloved soirees; a members-only club that only the chosen few were privy to. But in a more open and information-hungry world, the job description, the messaging and the messengers have changed. The once-closed circle of media has widened to include infinite numbers of bloggers, social media stars and other influencers, and – guess what? – they all want a front row ticket to the show.
“PR was always slightly tarnished with this superficial inauthenticity and lots of long lunches, says Daniel Marks, director and partner of London-based agency, The Communications Store. “But there are very tangible things that we’re working with now that are about driving traffic into store and driving traffic online.” PR agencies like The Communications Store and its global contemporaries KCD, Karla Otto, PR Consulting and Starworks Group are exploding the flaky Ab Fab myth of their industry and reestablishing its serious business credentials. As luxury fashion has become democratised and brand awareness more diverse and global, the old school editor-courting PR model is looking rather quaint. While relationship building is still important, power PRs are beefing up their roles, resulting in a merging of storyteller meets gatekeeper meets brand strategist. “The term PR and public relations is somewhat outdated now,” confirms Marks, who includes Versace, Net-a-Porter and Christopher Kane among his clients. “When you’re creating campaigns that really work, you’re integrated from a communications perspective right the way through the business. We are brand building and communication.”
“PR today is about creating a story so good that others want to tell it,” agrees Daniel Saynt, whose company Socialyte manages a new generation of digital media messengers whose influence on consumers equals that of traditional glossy magazines. Saynt and his ilk have played no small part in this evolution of fashion brand awareness. Those two major game-changers of fashion – globalisation and the World Wide Web – have transformed it into the hyper-connected industry of today. The new wave of media influencers includes bloggers, street style stars, It girls and a whole swathe of global celebrities from China, Russia and Brazil. Then there are those tastemakers with a foot in both old and new media camps, the Anna Dello Russos and Derek Blasbergs for example, who represent their print publications as well as their own digital ‘brands’. How are PRs controlling the message across such a diverse group of media? With varying degrees of success it would seem.
“PRs have a larger scale of media, including social media, to use to spread a message now,” says Rachna Shah, senior vice president of KCD. “It shouldn’t mean a loss of control of the message, but more opportunity to reach different types of audiences in more ways.” While the American brands and PRs embrace the collaborative model of communication with their shiny social media platforms and blogger outreach programmes, in Europe, some luxury houses are still wary of opinionated media, preferring the old school gatekeeper approach. “Often these are family run companies who can be resistant to change,” says Alex Shah, director of press and marketing at Premier Model Management, who has also managed PR campaigns for global fashion brands. “Their thinking is, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Witness the power struggle at Hedi Slimane’s debut Saint Laurent womenswear show last September, when bemused editors and critics were shunted to standing position while friends of the brand snagged the front row seats. This us-against-them scenario became more inflamed when journalists were sent detailed instructions on what could and couldn’t be published while others were asked to edit their tweets. To the undermined press it felt like a lack of appreciation for their roles, while at the same time showing a heavy-handed PR attitude that was out of touch with the times. “If it is about a power struggle, then both sides lose,” says Rachna Shah. “The role of PR is to develop a relationship with the media where they are servicing the brand and at the same time the press.”
Alas, this industry fracas have become all too public. In the past, such insider spats would have formed the basis of canapé chitchat, something to raise eyebrows over the mini burgers at a product launch, and then swiftly relegate to fashion folklore. Not so these days, when every fashion faux pas is magnified under the glare of social media and dissected on news sites like Fashionista.com. The result is the arrival of a new type of PR, in which the PR machine itself is the focus. Famous Twitter personalities like Kelly Cutrone, Erika ‘Oscar PR Girl’ Bearman and Aliza ‘DKNY PR Girl’ Licht operate more as ‘door openers’ and ‘eye openers’ than gatekeepers, talking directly to consumers while watching the reactions to their brands and steering the conversation. How did we arrive at a place where the facilitators – whose primary role is to promote others – are being celebrated themselves? Is it weird for the PR to be the star?
“People can’t help but be attracted to the mystery,” says London-based PR and brand consultant, Mandi Lennard, an early adopter of social media whose own email signature lists no less than five personal blogs. “PRs are usually in the background making things happen behind the scenes. That’s what people always want to know. Everyone always wants what they can’t get access to.”
For anti-elitist PR Kelly Cutrone, opening up that access was her lightbulb moment. By joining the dots of radio, TV, books and social media, the now-standard always-everywhere approach has given her and her clients a broader, mass market reach that they can control. “I started thinking less like a fashion publicist and more like a communicator,” says Cutrone, whose PR company People’s Revolution found fame on reality TV. “I could see what was going on with my own brand and it really changed the way that I thought about working with my clients.” The strategy also works for Erika Bearman, whose multi-channel thinking has repositioned Oscar De La Renta for the next generation of New York society girls. Ditto Donna Karan’s senior vice president of global communications Aliza Licht, who via her genius Twitter persona (420,000+ followers and counting) has flipped the role of PR on its head. “I don’t think it’s weird that DKNY PR Girl is a star,” says Leah Chernikoff, Executive editor of Fashionista.com. “She was at the forefront of giving brands a personal voice on social media. It worked! Certain social media platforms have a younger following which means brands can create a younger, aspirational audience of future consumers.”
The allure of high fashion has always been built on dreams and fantasy. For so long a private, insular industry, it was forever about that show you weren’t invited to, the couture gown you couldn’t afford and the velvet rope you could only dream of crossing. PRs of course were wholly responsible for the grand illusion but in 2013 the industry is a different beast.
Thanks to the celebritisation of fashion and reality TV shows like The Hills and Project Runway, the veil of secrecy has slowly been lifted and fashion has become a spectator sport that reaches well beyond the immediate industry. Its superbrands now regularly spread awareness through links with the art, sport and entertainment worlds, whereby associating with Lady Gaga or David Beckham means exposure to a vast new audience. Meanwhile, Gucci and Louis Vuitton sponsor luxury sporting events, while Prada’s patronage of the arts boosts its image as an intelligent, innovative company. Yet it’s the million dollar biannual shows that whip up the most excitement and attention. Forget the old idea of fashion shows being a mere trade vehicle; today they’re considered mass entertainment and they give PRs the means to construct elaborate worlds around their brands, spreading a pin sharp, controlled message to all. And nothing beats seeing a spectacular show in person.
“There’s no substitute. To truly appreciate a show you really have to be at it,” says Godfrey Deeny, editor at large and fashion critic of Le Figaro. “There’s no greater show in the world than Chanel or maybe Prada. And there’s a reason for that. These companies are cleverly run – they’re highly respectful of the designer’s vision.” For Deeny, the extreme attention to detail of these million dollar extravaganzas, which then translates across a brand’s stores and advertising imagery, more than justifies the monumental show production costs. A fashion show is about more than simply displaying the clothes; it’s a brand’s statement of intent. “With a brand like Chanel, possibly the most successful fashion brand of them all, if you look at their shows, the very pieces off the runway are literally taken and put in flagship stores all over the world,” he says. “For example, with the Chanel sci-fi show, the stalagmites, the very crystals from the catwalk were put in store windows and ad campaigns. It’s totally on-message.”
Point taken. These days, the show spectators are less interested in the individual pieces shown on the runway than the overall spectacle. Looking at clothes you can’t yet buy has limited appeal and traffic to catwalk coverage on websites has slowed as fashion watchers are more enthralled by the sideshow of ‘real’ street style, celebrities and ringside action. Like the YSL hoo-ha, another off-runway story of the S/S 2013 shows was ‘slap-gate’ – the physical clash between a miffed editor from Jalouse and Zac Posen’s publicist Lynn Tesoro. These are the scandals that PRs would rather didn’t make the headlines of Fashionista.com and Grazia Daily but nevertheless we all hear about as they happen and revel in the drama. In today’s Truman Show-like goldfish bowl, PRs are tasked with balancing the push-pull of fantasy versus reality, where what’s shown as ‘behind the scenes’ is really only the faux-real version. Thus shows have become a two-tier event in which the press are given their essential access – front row, backstage, show notes included – while the public gets the official live stream, Instagrams and ‘tweet walk’ previews. Or if you’re Diane Von Furstenberg, the Google Glass view of the walk down the runway. One way or another it’s still highly stage-managed and PRs are embracing it. “PRs love Twitter because we can control what’s seen, we only retweet the positives,” says Premier’s Alex Shah.
For those at the shows, the combination of tight schedules, PR politics, fragile egos and creative tension makes for a high drama environment. Fashion is a hotbed of insecurity and hierarchy where perceived status means everything and there is no greater slight than the dreaded standing ticket. “Contacts and relationships are absolutely crucial in my job and show season presents great opportunities to forge and nurture those relationships,” says Jo Elvin, editor of UK Glamour. “Where you’re seated is a reflection of how the magazine is viewed and the levels of respect it commands. This is why we care about it.”
At showtime, the seating chart is the bane of every PR’s life although – whisper it – it can also be a handy power tool against over-entitled press and bloggers. “Many of the PRs I’ve worked with don’t know what to do with bloggers at shows. They put more value on an editor from the Cleveland Chronicle or on a stylist from Top Model or some other reality show than a blogger who actually speaks to the consumer they’re looking to reach,” says Socialyte’s Daniel Saynt. “There’s definitely a level of snobbery. Fashion is high school. Honestly, where would the cool kids be if they didn’t occasionally remind you that you can’t sit at their table?”
“The front row is basically another red carpet, albeit one with a harsher pecking order,” says Glamour’s Jo Elvin. “If you want to be thought of as an influencer, as someone who matters in popular culture, then a front row seat for a prestigious fashion house is a great world stage these days.”
Which brings us to the rise of the blogger. The battle between old and new media is one that refuses to die but PRs have to accommodate both. Yet the feeling remains that most bloggers are still seen as blaggers, partly due to the mistrust caused by that original rogue element, the anony-blogger. “There was a sudden switch and the media became anonymous. And when the media became anonymous, nobody had to be held accountable any more,” says Kelly Cutrone, remembering the mid-2000s insider blogs like View From The Fourth Row, the acidic high fashion version of Gossip Girl. “All of a sudden you would come back from your fashion show and your client would be like, ‘who the fuck is ‘Melanie Sunshine’ and how did she write this review of my show?’ At one point, a meeting was called by [New York Fashion Week organisers] IMG to decide ‘what do we do about these people called bloggers?’”
The shift of influence from magazines to individuals has certainly highlighted the issue of trust for PRs. But while six years later, some still fear bloggers, others embrace their commercial value as a direct hotline to an engaged generation of brand advocates. Luxury consumers are younger and more mass and these new media players speak to them on their level. For PRs like KCD, the cream of these digital messengers have equal placing with the Vogues and Harper’s Bazaars. “There’s no straightforward ranking system, however there is a quality level of how any outlet covers the brand or product that matters,” says KCD’s Rachna Shah. “We look at print and digital. Print media still holds a value, there’s still an audience consuming fashion through magazines and I believe there always will be.” That said, some PRs aren’t convinced the independent voice of blogs will stay that way. “The power of PR means they’ll eventually be seduced by advertisers,” predicts Alex Shah. “The brands are the ultimate wielders of power and they absolutely control the media. Of course bloggers will feature their products favourably if there’s a big enough offer of advertising on the table.” Perhaps the balancing act of PR-pleasing while telling an honest story will present the next big challenge for serious bloggers.
For now, Le Figaro’s Godfrey Deeny, thinks many blogger-PR relationships are already a little too cosy. “Initially fashion PRs were quite scared of bloggers but they’ve grown to like them a lot because they’re not as independent as the old fashioned media,” says Deeny. “They’re very keen to be invited, they’re keen to be sponsored directly by the subjects they cover. Practically all the bloggers you look at when you go on their sites are publicly wearing the brands they write about. Some of them are literally paid to wear them, so the sense of them being independent media is already corrupted.”
But wasn’t it ever thus? PRs and fashion editors have always been on friendly terms, with magazine staffers routinely accepting perks – including juicy styling and consulting gigs – for ‘supporting the brand’. What’s changing then, is the scope for these perks to translate to cold, hard cash for brands. It’s that tricky straddling of fantasy and reality again, where the new media model is as much about driving clicks to tangible sales as creating the aspirational ideal. In fact, according to Socialyte’s Daniel Saynt, the top tier digital influencers are less like editorial journalists and more a new hybrid of brand ambassador and publisher. And they’re not necessarily all bloggers. “Digital influencers come in various forms and across different platforms,” says Nik Thakkar, director of fashion brand consultancy, Nephew London. “They can be bloggers, prolific Instagrammers, celebrity Twitter users and so on. Influencers shift perceptions, sell product and can be a brand’s greatest ambassador.” Which means brand awareness is not enough. As Rachna Shah puts it, “publicists must now also develop strategies that incorporate the needs of the marketing and sales vision.”
This also takes into account the much obsessed-about practice of gifting. Is it enough to throw a bunch of It bags at a group of A-list celebrities any more or is it now about the more commercial, sales-driven approach, where there’s a clearer return on investment? “For me, it has to be organic. If I discover an editor is a big fan of a client’s work, then it’s more about making a gesture by sending them something,” says Mandi Lennard. “If a new handbag has come out, and it’s sent to a handful of cool emerging talents, then that’s exciting as they are getting it before anyone else. It’s important for the brand to do this, as if they wait for it to hit the stores, then you get the mainstream being seen in it first, which pulls the rug from under any cool before it’s had chance to germinate.” Selective gifting appears to be key, a lesson no doubt learnt from past errors of ‘over-gifting’. “Remember the time when every editor had the same Mulberry and Anya Hindmarch bags!” confided one PR who declined to be named. “Overexposure can be really damaging. When that many people have the exact same bag, it’s clear they got it for free, and that devalues a brand and defeats the whole exercise.” Far better then for gifting to be more strategic, targeted to relevant influencers with proven audiences who can make the products work harder by leading to instant, trackable sales via their sites.
How far we have come from the days of straightforward shoots and editorial coverage. The future face of PR is looking at once more open, collaborative and human, yet simultaneously businesslike and sales-driven. The power PRs leading the industry are the ones who recognize the democratised new fashion consumer and understand how to tell stories that lead to those immediate sales. So can PR retain its creativity and romance? For now the answer is yes. “At the end of the day, we get to work with some of the most incredible creative talent in the world and the reason fashion is so compelling and intriguing is because of the magic,” says The Communication Store’s Daniel Marks. “As storytellers and as marketing partners, it’s something we can’t forget.”
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGE: BON Magazine, 2013
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