by Sarah Clark
Sarah.clark@careertrainingreview.com
Career Training Review Columnist
How would you like to be in the business of marketing Hollywood stars? People who promote celebrities, also known as image consultants, have the task of making their clients look good no matter how delicate their circumstances.
Helping Lindsay Lohan manage the fallout over her drastic weight loss, transforming a pudgy postpartum Britney back into a pop sex symbol, and helping Jennifer Aniston maintain a modicum of dignity after a very public jilting--these are just a few of the challenges a Hollywood image consultant might face.
What Do Image Consultants Do?
Image consultants have two primary jobs: the first is to decide what a star should say about his or her situation; in other words, they advise celebrities on how they should spin their stories to the media. The second is to devise a strategy to communicate their message.
Image consultants will look at the best venues in which to deliver their client's message. That may involve visiting a morning news show, talking to Oprah, issuing a press release, or doing a photo spread and interview with a magazine like GQ or Vanity Fair.
Entering the Business of Celebrity Marketing
How do you break into the business of marketing a Hollywood star? There is no single path to becoming a celebrity image maker. You may want to base yourself in Los Angeles or New York, where most of the public relations and image consulting firms catering to the glitterati are based.
Most PR and image consulting firms will probably require that you have a college degree, preferably in communications, journalism, marketing, or another related discipline. If you don't have any experience, you might have to take an entry-level job that will mostly involve administrative work. Expect to pay your dues; as you gain experience and prove yourself hardworking, shrewd, and smart, you'll advance to positions with higher responsibility.
You'll also enjoy one of the perks of a career in celebrity image management--being able to read the tabloids without guilt. It is your business, after all, to stay on top of the news.
About the Author
Sarah Clark is a freelance writer who often writes on topics related to postsecondary education and career development.
Posted on : March 8,2006
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