PR in Love&HipHop

In a recent BET interview, Karlie Redd talks about Love & Hip Hop and how the reality tv show helps to “boost” her personal brand. “People are talking about the show… I’m getting the platform needed to launch my brand,” says Karlie in the BET interview.  Karlie also stated that in the entertainment industry a buzz around your name/brand is necessary to thrive. While this is very true, should our inhabitants of this elusive industry stop at nothing to make that “buzz” come alive?

During the mid-2000s, the phenomenon of reality tv was born. Shows like Laguna Beach and the Hills began to hit the TV screen. In 2003, reality TV shows accounted for 85% of the most-valuable TV-advertising space (APS Observer). Now, reality TV has become the easy route on the road to stardom. Karlie is an advocate for pancreatic cancer and her brand Redd Remy Hair gives a percentage of sales to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Love & Hip Hop gives her the platform for viewers to learn more about Redd Remy Hair but at what cost? While viewers learn more about Redd Remy Hair, they also learn about Karlie – a growing artist that sparks drama on a reality tv show.

Karlie is doing an amazing job with her brand and her credentials and experiences speak volumes, but we must be careful of what platform we’re stepping on and whether its truly helping your brand or hurting your brand. In the entertainment industry, the lines between effective personal branding and “by any means necessary publicity” have been blurred. Those who encompass the entertainment industry must be careful of “by any means necessary publicity” and the negative implications it may have on your work, your art and your life.
Love & HipHop is on its second season in which it’s based in America’s thriving Black city, Atlanta. This season features rapper Lil Scrappy, Erica Dixon (Lil Scrappy’s girlfriend), artist Stevie J, Mimi Faust, Momma Dee, Karlie Redd and more. 

Read Karlie Redd’s full BET interview here