Fashion + Celebrities = the perfect PR fit

* Guest post from Jack Walton, first year PR specialist student

PR is that one thing that can apply to anything. Every industry will need some form of public relations, be that the media industry, hospitality industry, sport, healthcare, leisure... and of course, fashion, the list is endless. 

Fashion and public relations go hand in hand. Celebrity culture is more closely linked than ever in this. When I completed my media relations module, I had to analyse a section of a newspaper; I choose the style section of the Daily Mail. It was interesting to me how closely linked fashion and celebrities were - and just how prominent PR was in this industry. Prior to never studying PR before I was just a consumer of fashion, I was looking from the outside in. Participating in this module made me realise how much actually went into the clothing I buy and how PR has a big role to play in how it’s advertised, marketed and consumed.

Source

When superstar Beyoncé was recently seen on Instagram sporting Gucci’s latest collection, her fans and the public went mad and obviously wanted to wear and get their hands on what she was wearing. Beyoncé and Gucci undoubtedly had some form of arrangement for her to pose wearing their latest collection, because they have a strong team of PR working at Gucci who all know the power of social media, particularly within the fashion industry, and how influential Queen Bey is. 

One of the photos shared received in excess of 1.8 million likes. A short Google search later and I quickly found several articles which had re-posted the images and included how much some of the items were - another example of the press picking up on a PR opportunity. Many of us know that if someone in the limelight is seen wearing something many will then buy it, even if it is for a crazy price, so the potential impact is huge.

Interview with a current BCU PR graduate: Jodie Perkins

Jodie Perkins is technically still a third year on the BA (HONS) Media and Communication degree, PR pathway, here at Birmingham City University - but having handed in her dissertation and project early, she has started her PR career full time this very week.

Here, Jodie tells us more about her studies, why she chose to specialise in PR and how it's helped prepare her for her career and exciting new role as part of The Big Sleuth; Birmingham Children's Hospital Charity fundraising event taking place across the city this summer...

Tell us about your studies and why you chose the PR pathway

I’ve just finished my three-year degree at Birmingham City University, I handed in my Dissertation and Final Year Project a couple of weeks ago and I’m just waiting to hear back what my final degree classification will be before officially graduating later this summer. 

I started the course as a broad course student, which allows you freedom in choosing different modules on offer, meaning you can have a go at TV, have a go at radio, have a go at PR and then see what you like before specializing. I started the course wanting to pursue a career in journalism as I liked writing and my favourite subject at school was English. I quickly changed my mind when I did the Media Relations module in the first semester of first year, I straight away loved the creativity involved in a career in PR and how it still incorporated the key skills needed for journalism and my love of writing. Following this module, I did a placement in a PR company during the Christmas holidays of first year, I went to an agency called Connect PR, now 8848 Agency, for two weeks, and my love for PR was confirmed. 

I then chose to specialise in PR at the beginning of year 2.

What was your perception of PR in the beginning? What is it now / how has it changed?

In all honesty, I didn’t know much about PR at all at first. At the start of my degree, I was mainly interested in journalism and through journalism modules, PR was portrayed as the ‘dark side’ and as though PR was the reason for the decline in journalism, and so I guess this was my initial thoughts. 

Now, I believe that journalism and PR need each other, and journalists need PR more than ever. Through studying the industry for three years, I now understand a lot more about PR and the academic history and theory behind it, I could talk until I’m blue in the face about what PR is, and why it’s important. 

I guess my perception of PR now is that a company who boasts a good PR team has a better chance of been understood by its target audience, and has a better chance of achieving its desired reputation and public opinion. The PR industry is a fast-paced one, and is constantly having to adapt to digital and social advances, for example 10 years ago, blogger outreach wouldn’t have been heard of in PR, but now it’s integral. 

I think that as a PR professional, and as a PR student, you have to be willing to constantly learn and develop your skills as this industry is ever changing, which means that what my perception is now of the industry, could change within the next few years.