Authenticity Can’t Hide, So Always Be Authentic!
Publicists have always seemed to have a reputation of for being people who “spin” a story who concoct meaningless statements and apologies in order to put their clients in the best light possible. However, over the last decade at least, there has been an undeniable shift in PR strategy- one in which honesty and transparency reign supreme.
In fact, it’s easier than ever for the general public, as well as PR practitioners, to tell when someone is being authentic or not. And when there’s no authenticity, there is no fanfare.
Take for instance, Kate Gosselin. Since appearing on TLC’s Jon and Kate Plus 8, Kate Gosselin has always been criticized in the public eye for being “fame hungry”, and too “strict”. And while her husband Jon was never thought of as father of the year, general opinion was he was not the one forcing his kids into the spotlight, which in turn “damaged” them. A few years after the Gosselin’s very public divorce, Kate hit the publicity circuit to “prove” once and for all what a good mother she is and how her children have had no issues adjusting to “normal life” since the show ended.
Kate and her eldest daughters, twins Mady and Cara, made a stop at Today earlier this week and things certainly did not go in Kate’s favor. When asked how they were doing, the twins looked at each other knowingly and refused to answer. Kate, obviously annoyed, began prodding the girls to “use their words”, and when they wouldn’t, she gave her own answers for them (a fact which Mady called her out on while still on air). Mady eventually loosened up and said what people think is “not wrong, just not the full story” and that they’d like to be on television again someday, but both girls appeared extremely uncomfortable during the entirety of the interview.
It seemed very clear that Kate had rehearsed answers with her children prior to going on air in order to achieve her goals, but the girls looked afraid to say the wrong thing and therefore hardly said anything at all. Their authentic feelings at that moment are what stood out about the interview. Kate calculated move of putting her kids in the spotlight to prove that putting her kids in the spotlight didn’t harm them – by putting her kids in the spotlight no less – completely backfired on her and made her look even worse to the general public.
