What the Kardashians Teach Us About Good PR
Love them or hate them, there’s no way you haven’t heard about them. The Kardashian family name has become a brand of its own and is now a household name across the US and the rest of the world. How, then, has this family managed to gain such fame amy? The answer is good public relations.
The Kardashian road to fame really began with a reality TV show documenting their lives, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians (KUWTK).” After three seasons of the show, it seemed to be on its last legs. Ratings were down, and viewers seemed to have had enough of watching the family’s first world (if not first rung) problems. In 2009, executive producer and self-professed “momager” of the family, Kris Jenner, confessed that she was concerned the show had become “stale.”
The tables turned, however, with the news that Kourtney Kardashian had become pregnant with her first child. Kourtney’s pregnancy added a whole new level of drama to the show, with issues now revolving around marriages, divorces, and fertility struggles. “KUWTK” had finally become relatable to its viewers.
Ratings increased, and the public’s infatuation with the Kardashian clan exploded as they felt they had a seat at the table of the family’s most intimate conversations. The PR lesson here is clear: be relatable. People respond best when they feel others are being genuine, and it never pays off to act as if you, or your business, are perfect.
Further down the line, when Kim and West began dating, media outlets couldn’t get enough of the power couple. Months later, Kardashian became pregnant and the couple became engaged shortly thereafter. West and Kardashian were quickly the most talked about couple in the industry.
The PR lesson here might seem cynical, but it doesn’t make it any less true: be sure to collaborate with winners. West and Kardashian made an excellent decision informing Hollywood’s most powerful couple, and the same rule stands when deciding on what groups you want your brand to be associated with.
Thirdly, the Kardashian’s have not built a multi-million dollar empire simply by being good looking. They have developed a full-service and multi-platform brand. From beauty and entertainment to fashion, the Kardashian brand has an answer to your question.
The first extension of the Kardashian brand came when the three oldest sisters, Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe, opened a California boutique called Dash. The brand grew so large that it garnered its own reality TV show, documenting the lives of the women who work there.
More recently, Kylie Jenner’s Lip Kit appears to have taken the beauty world by storm. At barely 20 years old, Kylie has used her personal brand to become a beauty icon and business mogul; her personal value is projected to reach US$1 billion by 2022 The lesson here? Extend your brand, as far as you can.
Whatever your industry, it would be premature to snub the Kardashian brand. After all, they are the queens of capturing attention.
