Playing The Long Game: Why Working With Publicists Is Like Shopping For Deodorant And What All Of This Has To Do With Bhad Bhabie
It will all make sense. I swear...
Sorry, this is a bit late—my dog, Lulu, had surgery this week, and I’ve been battling a sinus infection. Good times! But seriously, Lulu is doing well, even though she’s now officially a toothless old lady.
The following has been on my mind lately, and I wanted to share it with the publicists and founders who subscribe. Whether you’re pitching yourself or a client, I think this is equally important to understand. I could probably go even deeper into this, but I’m nursing a bit of a NyQuil hangover. So here we go.
PLAYING THE LONG GAME:
WHY WORKING WITH PUBLICISTS IS LIKE SHOPPING THE DEODORANT AISLE, AND WHAT THIS HAS TO DO WITH BHAD BHABIE
Stay with me here…
Let’s start with a story.
Last summer, I spoke to a designer about doing some PR consulting for her. I won’t share her name, and you probably wouldn’t guess who she is, but I will say this: she’s my favorite interior designer in the entire world. I know that sounds borderline stalkerish, but hear me out. She has a very distinct style and an elevated traditional aesthetic that’s unlike anyone else. People try to copy her, but no one gets it quite right.
When I buy a house in Larchmont Village (manifesting this!) to renovate, I dream of working with her.
During our long conversation, we discussed where she saw her brand going. She envisioned herself as a lifestyle tastemaker—a totally achievable goal. But at the end of the day, she just didn’t want to spend the money. And trust me, she had the money. The truth is, if she had invested in really good PR, it would’ve paid off exponentially.
She has the potential to be bigger than Kelly Wearstler (albeit with a different style). But she thought paying someone hourly (which is not how most people work) for one big feature was going to move the needle.