Does truth stem from trust or does trust stem
from truth? It’s safe to say this ‘chicken-egg’ debate will leave the masses
divided. If you’re asking for my opinion I would defend the notion that truth
derives from trust. As babies we are
blank canvases moulded (influenced) by those around whom we trust. At first this
is your parents, then friends, maybe work colleagues and (though it pains me to
admit this) the influence of the media.
Whether you
like it or not we’re all caught in the media trap, one element that
automatically springs to mind is the ‘C factor’ – the celebrity stamp of approval. Julianne Schultz (2004) declares
“stars, lies and propaganda have become the stock in trade of public
life, distorting reality, unhinging trust in institutions and corroding
confidence.” Despite her bold claims,
is it really fair to associate all celebrity PR with personal gain or spin?
Shannon & Weaver’s (1949) model of
communication emphasises this idea of ‘encoding’
and ‘decoding’, in other words, ensuring
your sender and receiver are on the same page. Given
our obession with those in the spotlight, is
this a form of manipulation or just a
smart PR move?
When I witness Ryan Reynolds in some
smouldering fragrance advert, am I tempted to purchase this particular
aftershave for my man? Possibly. Maybe because in my dreams I’m in the advert
with this Adonis? Probably. The sad fact is that like our parents, certain
celebrities become our influencers, role models and (if you’re like me and Ryan
Reynolds) a small crush gone bad. Some
might say this sort of campaigning resembles the work of Edward Bernays and
‘The American Tobacco Company’ in the 1920s. Maybe not to the same extent but
the idea of using ‘idealisation’ definitely plays its role.
Where authors (Drake & Higgins: 2006)
have accepted the value celebrity endorsement can bring to the world of
politics, Schultz argues that as the world of politics and entertainment merges “the addiction to celebrity has become more
acute, more corrosive.” The US election which took place earlier this
year, during which many celebrities from George Clooney to Katy Perry supported
the current (and re-elected) President Barack Obama, provides a recent example
of this. Seeing Presidents on chat shows and celebrities supporting political
campaigns may be a little hard to take in but does this actually make sound
business sense?
Cutlip et al (2000) considers
democracy and PR to go hand in hand. “In
a very real sense, the purpose of democracy itself closely matches the purpose
of public relations. Successful democratic government maintains responsive
relationships with constituents, based on mutual understanding and two-way
communication.” In this sense we could deem lobbying as a fundamental
communication technque used to initiate mutual understanding and feedback.
Richard Perloff (2010) developed 5 elements of
credibility and social attractiveness which evaluate suitable speakers to a
particular audience or set of publics.
- · Expertise
- · Trustworthiness
- · Likeability
- · Similarity
- · Physical appearance
Credibility is vital within PR. This form of
persuasion looks at how to communicate a message in the most effective way.
Given critics' views on the validity of our profession there is no wonder many
have invited celebrity endorsements with open arms.
Tweet,
review, discuss
Over and Out
Rhi [@Rhiannon_Lucy91]
Over and Out
Rhi [@Rhiannon_Lucy91]
celebrity endorsement, Film, pop star or Nurse, doctors but not Politicians! I think your statement on truth stemming from trust is spot on. We trust doctors and nurses but these professions do not have the fame and following needed to attract the attention of the masses so we turn to Film and Pop stars to broadcast the message. No one trusts a politician so they are bound to be attracted to individuals who are see as idols and rightly or wrongly most people trust. So through this alliance of fame and power can we be really sure be sure we get the truth or is this a smoke screen of propaganda
ReplyDeleteExactly! There seems to be this fine line between celebrity endorsement and manipulation. However as long as this support is dealt with in the right way, what's the harm?
DeleteWe all trust that people will tell us the truth, but why do trust and truth go hand in hand? It all comes down to the basic human need of belief..
ReplyDeletebelief that we can trust what a person says to be true and trust that they are what they say they are - "be true unto thy self" "trust your instincts" "the truth will always out". PR taps into our need to trust, if we are being told things as truth then surely we believe them to be true, we all want to see the best in a person, a product or a Company, initially we set aside our cynicism and if a "celebrity" is endorsing, well then it must be so. But why? Just because a celebrity fronts up a product or Company why does it enhance it, after all in some cases they are getting paid to say it. For instance face creams, a lot of famous women advertise face cream and extol their virtues, do they use it every day? have they been under the knife?
My opinion is entirely different when it comes to raising funds for charity, seemingly this cannot be done without being headed up by "celebs", an unknown Doctor, however eminent, asking us to pledge our money just would not have the same impact, but as long as the money pours in I'm happy with celebrity endorsement.
All the time celebrities, politicians and Companies want a relationship with the public there will ALWAYS be a place for Public Relations!
I agree there will always be a place for PR. I also second that celebrity endorsement can be abused. However if done in the right way it can do wonders. I mean, have we ever seen Gary Lineker eat anything but Walkers? No - true advocate!
DeleteWhat you say about it being unlikely that charities would get the same exposure without celebrity endorsements is absolutely true. A while back I spoke to someone involved with a charity raising money for young people with Special Educational Needs and it was very clear that they experienced a huge increase in publicity and subsequently donations when they received endorsement from Peter Andre. In this instance, Andre had a vested interest due to his stepson Harvey's condition, and I believe that while celebrity endorsement is great for charities (and indeed other good causes/schemes), it is important that the celebrity in question has a connection with the values of the charity in order to have a completely positive image and effect.
ReplyDeleteI agree. The celebrity in question must have their ethics and values in line with the product/cause they are trying to endorse otherwise what is the point? It all just a lie - propaganda.
ReplyDeleteAnother great post. I particularly like the chicken-egg metaphor, completely true. It's difficult to say whether trust or truth comes first, I would offer that there needs to be both for either to work but that doesn't really clear up the debate!
ReplyDeleteInteresting take on celebrity involvement with the presidential campaigns, i've never looked at that in the sense of celebrity endorsement but it most definitely is!
As much as celebrity endorsement does often feel like it's all about financial gain for both partners, when it involves charity I think the more publicity the better! If it's raising money for a good cause and increasing a celebrity profile at the same time is that really a problem?
DeleteThanks for another valid comment.
There is a saying that all publicity is good publicity, but I don't believe this to be true.
If a celebrity would like to dedicate their time to a charity and in turn it raises their profile - I see nothing wrong with this. However if their intentions are not true and exposure was all they were looking for, it will eventually come to light. True colours always shine through and then they would have done more harm to their reputation that good
Another interesting read especially your take on using celebrities to endorse product although it is really the companies fault for influencing us? or are we all just way too easily persuaded? and regards to csr do we just fall for the traps that companies set?
ReplyDeleteI believe as part of their job, companies influence us to purchase their product. Is using a celebrity as a mediator a good communication tool or a just low move? I think if the celebrity holds up their 'role model' side of the bargain it's just clever PR. However on the other end of the scale, if a celebrity does not hold up their end of the bargain (e.g. Kate Moss and Rimmel) it's a really cheap PR trick in my eyes.
DeleteIn regards to CSR, sometimes it can be a sugar coating for something pretty sour ( L'Oreal and The Body Shop) or create a brilliant addition to a company ( Pampers and UNICEF).