Is there such thing as bad publicity for celebrities?
Alyssa Bunde
Staff Writer
One of the most recent tabloid scandals is between he famous Kardashian family members, Kylie Jenner and Khloe Kardashian versus Kylie’s best friend, Jordyn Woods. According to TMZ, Woods made out with Khloe’s boyfriend Tristan Thompson.
How juicy, right? Stories like these are a tabloid’s fantasy. People pay attention to what celebrities do; they seem immaculate. Therefore, when drama arises, we can’t help but watch it unfold. This gives celebrities free publicity. The beginning of a conversations may be, “Wow! Can you believe Jordyn did that to Kylie and her family?” Although it can possibly end with, “But did you see Kylie’s new cosmetic line?” The Kardashian’s drama-filled lives have created a source for stories to write about and discuss. However, is publicity that is surrounded by scandal actually good?
Kardashian fan Brianna Duran weighed in, saying, “I think they’re more for entertainment.” When asked if she took their products and brand seriously, she stated, “No, I have like one thing from Kim’s beauty line, that’s it. I don’t buy their stuff.”
There is an old saying that goes, “There is no such thing as bad publicity.” It means that if people are talking about you, even in a negative light, it’s good because your name is being kept relevant. Kanye West is one of the few examples that back up this theory.
The 41-year-old has consistently made headlines for his controversial comments and support for President Donald Trump. According to GQ, public interest in West’s Yeezy brand was decreasing but after showing support for the president the brand actually increased on popular resale platforms.
Interestingly enough, when the sneaker company New Balance endorsed President Trump, quite the opposite occurred. According to GQ, social media “roasted them” and “neo-Nazis claimed New Balance as their official footwear.”
Aspiring music producer Cullen Bednarchuk advised against bad publicity. He stated, “I’ll have to watch as to how my name gets out. Some publicity could damage my goals, rather than help.”
According to Sporting News, after Tiger Woods’ affair and DUI scandal, he actually lost endorsements from Accenture, AT&T, Gatorade and General Motors.
After this year’s Facebook privacy scandal, Telegraph.com states, revenue from the final three months of 2018 were up 30 percent. However, according to the Huffington Post survey, only 31 percent of Facebook users say they trust the company somewhat and 66 percent said they don’t trust the company much or at all.
Regardless on an individual’s stance on if there is such a thing as bad publicity, it is quite evident that a scandal can hurt a business or brand. Maybe not in numbers or sales but for sure in trust and overall view of the company. While you may lose the interest of your original market you may pick up a new demographic. After all, New Balance didn’t lose all their support, they had the neo-Nazis!