Almost all of the news that comes out or the image we see of celebrities have been carefully curated by a public relations specialist. These individuals are publicists, and their jobs are demanding and require a specific set of skills. Most importantly, a publicist will create, curate, and communicate a celebrity’s message or brand to the media/public. A celebrity’s brand is vital as it determines how their fans see them and, subsequently, whether the fans will follow the celebrity’s work.
A publicist will be in charge of press releases for the celebrity’s projects, which can include single or album releases, the production of movies, TVs, or theatre projects, and other related business ventures/products. Almost all social media accounts are run by the publicist, as it provides them a direct method of conveying a specific image to the public. Furthermore, as part of creating publicity, the publicist will arrange for interviews, TV appearances, cameos in skits and/or movies, photoshoots, and mentions on social media. Publicists can work on multiple different levels, with some focusing only on local publicity, while others can have a national or international approach. Furthermore, publicists can operate within their own special fields as well. For example, a publicist can be focused on public relations, act as a representative, or be a unit publicist.
Given that a publicist must arrange for all of the aforementioned events, a great publicist will have (or must have) fantastic connections in the industry. Connections must trust that the publicist is bringing forth a worthwhile client who will fulfill their responsibilities (for example, having the celebrity not cancel their interview last minute). Moreover, publicists must develop certain skills, like communication and dealing with people as skills like these are fundamental to them performing their job well.
