Blog Post 8: My opinion

This week we were to comment on two classmate’s posts about qualitative research and its use within the different fields of public relations.

The first blog post I chose to comment on was Paige’s. She discussed the importance that qualitative research, specifically focus groups, has within the fashion industry.  Paige emphasizes in her post about the reliance that designers have to their audiences, and through the use of focus groups, they can gain insight in order to provide what consumers want. “They can express that they love when a certain dress is versatile enough to wear it to Sunday brunch or to a fancy cocktail party, or on the opposite end of the spectrum address that they like dresses that are fancy and perfectly suited for a very special event,” (Paige). Focus groups are especially helpful in that it provides thorough knowledge, allowing consumers to express their personal thoughts and feelings about a product, design, etc.

The second blog post I chose to comment on was Sam’s. In relation to Paige’s post, Sam also discussed the use of qualitative research in the fashion industry, but focused on the designer Tommy Hilfiger. Sam made a great point when she stated, “By constantly changing, embellishing and flaring up his different clothing lines Hilfiger is continuously using qualitative observation for motivation and inspiration towards his new designs.  Because he is constantly observing the world he has a basic understanding of human nature which involves change and innovation.” Through the use of research, Tommy Hilfiger has been able to provide what consumers desire, making his brand and himself a well-known successful entity that has lasted for 25 years.

My opinions on...

           This will be my last post for my public relations research class blog. I hope everyone enjoyed reading! This week I will relay my thoughts about two of my classmates previous blog posts, Roberta Soares and Jennifer Quinlan.

            Roberta’s blog post focuses on survey research that is conducted throughout the fashion industry. Survey research plays an essentially important role throughout this field due to it being a consumer driven business; opinions and feelings facilitate designer’s creations and manufacturing. The example of the television show on E!, the Fashion Police, is a great example that Roberta mentioned which emphasizes the significance of others opinions in fashion. Through the completion of online surveys, the show’s viewers also have the chance to relay their opinions about fashion trends and looks, which are mentioned on the program. In agreement with Roberta’s feelings I believe that “This is a very innovative way to get opinions from viewers without having to connect with them personally.”

            Jenn’s blog post focused on the research that is conducted between products and athletes. Taking part in the numerous endorsements that athletes most commonly do , it is important for them to know that the product they are advertising is one that is positive, reliable, and safe and won’t negatively affect their public image. This knowledge about a product comes from research conducted on the product, by public opinions, and sometimes by the athlete themselves. Jenn reiterated the importance of public relations in sports and research saying “The need for public relations in sports is very necessary when experiments start being conducted.  If an athlete gets hurt with a new workout, sick from a new supplement, or accused of using performance enhancing drugs, public relations teams need to step in.”

The Jersey Shore Experiment

Experimental research is commonly used throughout the celebrity industry for a variety of purposes. Whether to acquire opinions about a celebrity endorsed product or to gain insight into the influence a star may have upon the current trends, celebrities and their representative’s value the public’s outlook.

However, not all experimental research involves traditional standards such as a control group, experiment group, etc. The creators and producers over at MTV conducted an experiment with its viewing audience with the airing of the reality show “Jersey Shore.” “Jersey Shore’ is an experiment of human chemistry conducted by the lab coats that run MTV,” (Kujak).

Although similar to MTV’s popular reality show “Real World”, “Jersey Shore” pushes the limits of controversy in the shows content, ultimately creating a love/hate relationship by many. Many organizations such as UNICO (Largest Italian American Service Organization in the USA) expressed their displeasure during the shows premiere. "Italian Americans are OUTRAGED and they are helping us reach out to sponsors to ask them to stop advertising with MTV until they agree to pull Jersey Shore,” (TMZ). Despite the backlash, potential loss of viewers, and possible economic damage in the withdrawal of sponsors, MTV pursued with the series. With “Jersey Shore” being the most successful show MTV has ever aired, drawing in record breaking viewers, MTV’s “social experiment” proved to be a hit.

surveys for celebrity choices

       Public opinion serves a great importance in the field of celebrity public relations. Celebrities, as well as their representatives, want to maintain an image that is popular with their fans. With every new step a celebrity takes in their career, whether its an actress breaking into the music industry or maybe a reality television star publishing a book, their choices have the potential to “make or break” them. One way to evaluate the public opinion on a potential or established career move, celebrities look to surveys.

       Surveys are very beneficial in the celebrity world due to their flexibility, especially online surveys. Results are instantaneous and allow almost anyone to give their opinion with a click of a button. For instance, the television show American Idol used this research method this past season when ratings weren’t as high as in previous years. With a change in the shows dynamic, (the replacement of Paula Abdul with a new judge, Ellen DeGeneris) the survey pinpointed just that in wondering the reason for the shows decline. “The survey, on AmericanIdol.com, lists ‘I do not like Ellen DeGeneres on the show’ and ‘I do not like the show as much now that Paula Abdul has left’ as possible options. There are 16 altogether, and interestingly, no other option singles out any of the other judges,” (TODAYshow.com). This information benefits American Idol in knowing if their decisions were the right ones made for the show.

Remaining in the public eye

As I’ve mentioned throughout my previous blog posts, celebrities’ posses much influence upon today’s society. Many take advantage of this power and use it beneficially. Through action in charities, public awareness campaigns, donations, etc., stars have the ability to promote positive change and set a good example to others. However, this is not always the case. Hollywood reports feature stories of cheating, drug and alcohol abuse, fights, and arrests on a daily basis. With the involvement in this unlawful behavior, how is it that celebrities still remain role models?

Despite their numerous arrests for drug use, DUI’s, and crazy behavior, celebrities like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan still remain in the public eye with thousands of fans adorning their every move….and the reason for this is? A qualitative study published in the Oxford Press researched the media coverage of these two celebs, along with Michelle Rodriguez and Nicole Richie, and how each was portrayed after their run-ins with the law. Over a year, five television and three print sources were observed and resulted in 150 print and 16 television stories published about each girl’s incidents. The studies end outcome found that“Stories were brief, episodic and focused around glamorous celebrity images. They included routine discussion of the consequences of the DUI for the individual celebrities without much evidence of a consideration of the public health dimensions of drinking and driving or possible prevention measures,”(Oxford Press). Through observational study, it can be viewed that due to the medias glamorized coverage and portrayal of these celebrities, their actions are not seen as serious infringements in society.

Unobtrusive research: part 2

The first blog I chose to comment on was Paige's. She made some interesting and valid points in her application of the use of unobtrusive research in the fashion world. I had never before realized just how much designers rely on this form of research in their work. For instance, she discusses how when someone knows that what they are wearing may be judged, they may put in extra effort to make it look nice. Paige makes a good observation in stating that “In reality, the designer most likely wants to see the shirt when they dont really think about it.  They want to see if the shirt goes well with all different pants, not just a certain color.  Or perhaps they would like to see how the shirt looks when it has been worn a few times and not been washed or ironed.  Unobtrusive research allows for the designers to see exactly what the clothing is like for their customer's on a typical day.”

            The second blog I chose to discuss is Francesca's. Her discussion on the use of unobtrusive research being a common method used amongst celebrities and the general public in the social networking world is similar to my post as well. Through browsing on your computer, you can learn exactly what your friends, family, or celebrities are doing at that moment without ever talking to them. Francesca uses a great example of celebrity tweets to substantiate her points made. “Or, here is one of Ellen DeGeneres's recent Tweets:

‘I just finished reading the novel "Ape House" by Sara Gruen. If you love animals like I do, its a must read. http://ow.ly/2PKmn’

From Ellen's Tweet, we know that "Ape House" is what she was just reading, and because she is recommending it to others, we can gather that she really likes this novel.”

Unobtrusive research in the celebrity world

            Many of us are performing unobtrusive research every day… without even knowing it. Unobtrusive research is the process of collecting data through methods where the subject is unaware, allowing for the researcher to have little to no influence upon the research. Now after reading that definition, you may wonder how or what we do on a daily basis that can be considered unobtrusive research.

Today, millions of people worldwide are connected to some form of a social network whether it is MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. We use these to stay in touch with friends, family…and to keep updated with the lives of celebrities. Some even refer to it as “stalking”, where the average person can learn the every move of what their favorite celebrity is doing throughout the day. Although some may find this interaction overwhelming and creepy, many celebrities use it to stay connected to their fans. For instance, this is what Kim Kardashian recently wrote about Twitter on her site “Twitter is the best! U guys really help me make decisions, cheer me up, but most important keep me connected to YOU! That's the best part!”

Comments

          The first blog I chose to comment on is Laura Valenti's, whose overall blog theme is similar to mine in discussing the entertainment and celebrity world. Her post “Research Can Be Such An Ugly World” really interested me, and encompassed my feelings and views of the connection celebrities have with the products they endorse.    Laura summed it up when she stated, “PR has a funny way of working with people's minds and the best part is that people don't even realize that they are falling right into these companies' traps.  Organizations like SUNLOVE choose certain celebrities to market their products due to their popularity in society.  The more popular and loved they are, the more likely people are to consider the product they are marketing.” I believe this idea to be true and is a HUGE reason why celebrities are seen and heard everywhere within our society.

            The second blog I chose to comment on was Nikki's. Her discussion of the process underwent from Jonathan Cheban from Command PR to try and get Mario Lopez to endorse the tanning product “Monte Carlo” relates to Lauras blog, as well as mine. She made a great observation when she stated, “after Jonathon and Simon pitch their idea to Mario they were shocked to hear his opinion on the matter. Lopez responded, ‘it’s not really me so I don’t know if it’s really true or authentic to what I’m about.’” In the end, Lopez ended up endorsing Monte Carlo tanning, despite his mixed feelings about the product. This further drives the fact that celebrity endorsing isn’t always factual or true, and as consumers we must be aware of this despite a celebrity’s fame and power within society.

A Celebrity Driven World

As we all are very much aware, celebrities are seen and heard everywhere; T.V., internet, magazines, etc.  But why is this? Why is our society so obsessed and consumed by the lives of the rich and famous? Although there is no clear cut answer to this question, one possible explanation can be attributed to the use of celebrity endorsement in advertising.

Today it seems more and more big time companies want their brand associated with the “it” celebrity. The common sense reasoning behind this would be to improve upon the company’s sales results. This is a practical assumption, given the mass appeal that celebrities maintain in today’s world. A study of celebrity advertising from the University of South Alabama shines some light on the matter stating that “celebrity advertising may beinfluential because celebrities are viewed as dynamic, with both attractive and likable qualities. Additionally, their fame is thought to attract attention to the product or service," (Celebrity Advertising: An Assessment of Its Relative Effectiveness 2).

With this connection of celebrities to our everyday products, (50 Cent and VitaminWater, Beyonce and Loreal hair care, Jessica Simpson and ProActiv face wash, etc.), it's evident that the famous will continue to remain a prominent component of our culture.

BLOG FOCUS: Celebrity PR

BLOG FOCUS: Celebrity PR

          In today’s fast paced society, trends are constantly changing in what’s hot and what’s not. From movies and music, to fashion and technology, there is no industry exempt from the competition surrounding the public demand for the next best thing. To look at what is, or soon will be popular, society most commonly looks to one group for the answers; Celebrities.

          Our present day culture is very much celebrity driven…they’re everywhere; the movies, TV commercials endorsing products, fashion magazines, the radio, etc. Due to this, the desire to learn about their public and private life has become a fascination throughout the world. This attraction captivates me, so I am excited to be able to learn more, and divulge my thoughts about this field of celebrity PR.

As an example, I attached a link to a company that does celebrity pr