This year, I’m celebrating 18 years in business as a Hollywood celebrity publicist. That’s 18 years of holding handbags, walking red carpets and doling out gum and mints to clients. Just kidding. I wish my job was that easy.
I’m often asked how I broke into the entertainment business. I’ve often wondered how a small-town country girl from the Tarheel state – with big dreams – landed on the red carpets of Hollywood. It certainly wasn’t in my master plan. In 2001, moving from North Carolina to LA was such a culture shock! At times, I felt like Alice in Wonderland, who fell down a rabbit hole and met some interesting people along the way. And believe me, I’ve met some “interesting” people. (But who knows? Like Alice, maybe I’m dreaming.)
Still, what I’ve learned is there is no rhyme or reason as to how anyone breaks into the entertainment industry. It’s so random! I just got lucky. I happened to be at the right place, at the right time, and met the right person. Isn’t that how luck happens? I was “discovered” on the red carpet at the 2003 BET Awards by award-winning actress Victoria Rowell – known for her iconic role as Drucilla Winters on the CBS daytime drama, “The Young and the Restless.” If you want to know more about my lucky break, check out my blog post, “Confessions of a Celebrity Publicist,” on my website at http://www.wyllisabennett.com/diary-of-a-celebrity-publicist/
I spill all the beans.
So, I’ve been asked to share my thoughts on how the practice of public relations has changed in the Digital Age. As a public relations practitioner, I can tell you that a lot has changed since I stepped off a Southwest flight so many years ago, greeted by Hare Krishnas. (Imagine my amazement to see these people in real life after many depictions in TV and film.)
Some of the old school tools of PR are gone. Gone is my fax machine. Thanks to email, gone are the weekly trips to the post office to drop off client press kits. In fact, gone is the use of paper. A ream of paper now lasts me anywhere from four to six months. And more importantly, I no longer have to worry about the number of minutes left on my cell phone when chatting with clients about their publicity campaigns. Thank goodness for unlimited plans!
Technology, Google and social media have certainly changed the way the world communicates. Behind the scenes, my job as a publicist is still to communicate the goals and objectives of my clients to media folks, influencers and industry tastemakers. I’m a salesperson. That hasn’t changed, but the methodology has. It’s important that clients have a website and a social media presence to complement a successful PR campaign.
My days are spent writing and sending pitch letters, press releases and press kits via email. And now with social media, my “elevator pitch” about a client should be in complete harmony with the client’s social media presence. If there’s a discrepancy, we fix it. Today, clients want to share pieces of their lives with fans through photos, videos and comments. And as a publicist, it’s just as important to be active on social media, so that I can be a part of the conversation and engage followers too. We’re all living for likes! But more importantly, it helps me to build my brand identity as an expert in the field.
I’m also reaching out to media and influencers on their social media platforms, and starting non-traditional conversations about clients in a more informal manner, especially with the use of emojis. With social media today, a publicist not only needs to be informed about its latest tricks and trends, but he or she must also be a jack of all trades in executing them on the many popular platforms.
I must admit, it can be a little daunting to keep up with all the notifications and responses to DMs from Instagram or Twitter, messages from Facebook, or snaps from Snapchat on a daily basis. (I finally had to give up on Snapchat.) As people discover new ways to engage, I find time management on social media to be my biggest challenge.
In the Digital Age, the game-changing tech advances have streamlined the way we communicate with each other. Plus, Google gives us knowledge at our fingertips. Tools, such as email, smart phones, Skype and FaceTime, do all the heavy lifting for us, giving PR professionals the luxury of convenience and time.
The game of PR is evolving, and it’s important to keep up with the Zuckerbergs. I’m tasked daily with promoting clients and making meaningful media connections. But woe is me if my computer crashes or I misplace or lose my smart phone. In that case, it’s going to be a very challenging day.
Livin’ La Vida Loca in La La Land – PHOTO GALLERY
For me, I was “discovered” on the red carpet at the 2003 BET Awards. See, I moved from North Carolina to Los Angeles in 2001, not totally aware it was the entertainment capital of the world. For me, the move out West meant leaving the South, and heading to a warm and sunny place year round. It was such a culture shock! At times, I felt like Alice in Wonderland, who fell down a rabbit hole and met some interesting people along the way. And believe me, I’ve met some “interesting” people. (But who knows? Like Alice, maybe I’m dreaming.)
Below are some of my most iconic meetings of famous people, which hold special memories, and represent “full-circle moments” for me in the big picture of life. Photos courtesy of wrb public relations, except where noted.
CAPTIONS (in order of priority)
Wyllisa R. Bennett is the publicist du jour of wrb public relations, based in Los Angeles. She uses her creative and communication skills to help actors, actresses, celebrities, reality stars, TV personalities, filmmakers and authors as well as non-profit organizations and businesses achieve their public relations and marketing goals. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @WyllisaBennett