Fashion: PR vs. Advertising
by Linden Chalfant
Today, thousands of people tune in to E! to learn about the latest Hollywood gossip. Thousands of people subscribe to celebrity gossip magazines to read about the latest love interests, the latest addictions, the latest trends. One thing that these two outlets inadvertently do is provide a large base for fashion PR.
Advertising is immensely costly and the research and analysis that go into finding a target audience and a certain niche don’t always pay off. Therefore, advertising can be unbelievably costly and potentially not even work well. As many people all over the world are tuning in to learning about celebrities and people in the media, fashion PR firms are trying to link a client’s product to the ones that we all find so influential.
Because of this, major brands are now linking with fashion PR firms to get their product on a celebrity. This proves to be more cost effective and much more influential than placing an advertisement on television or in a magazine. A brand can spend much less by sending free items to the fashion PR firms and then letting the PR firm find a way to get the item into the arms of a celebrity. For example, there was a brand of baby blankets that was really great, but it didn’t get the recognition that it deserved. The brand was making sales here and there for the satin-lined fleece blanket up until Suri Cruise was photographed clinging onto one in a magazine. The second that this happened, this brand was unbelievable successful. There were backorders for these blankets in all different colors and sizes. This just goes to show how public relations through product placement makes a much larger difference than straight advertising.
Today, thousands of people tune in to E! to learn about the latest Hollywood gossip. Thousands of people subscribe to celebrity gossip magazines to read about the latest love interests, the latest addictions, the latest trends. One thing that these two outlets inadvertently do is provide a large base for fashion PR.
Advertising is immensely costly and the research and analysis that go into finding a target audience and a certain niche don’t always pay off. Therefore, advertising can be unbelievably costly and potentially not even work well. As many people all over the world are tuning in to learning about celebrities and people in the media, fashion PR firms are trying to link a client’s product to the ones that we all find so influential.
Because of this, major brands are now linking with fashion PR firms to get their product on a celebrity. This proves to be more cost effective and much more influential than placing an advertisement on television or in a magazine. A brand can spend much less by sending free items to the fashion PR firms and then letting the PR firm find a way to get the item into the arms of a celebrity. For example, there was a brand of baby blankets that was really great, but it didn’t get the recognition that it deserved. The brand was making sales here and there for the satin-lined fleece blanket up until Suri Cruise was photographed clinging onto one in a magazine. The second that this happened, this brand was unbelievable successful. There were backorders for these blankets in all different colors and sizes. This just goes to show how public relations through product placement makes a much larger difference than straight advertising.
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