Lessons We Learned from the PR Side of Caitlyn Jenner’s Story

Will there ever be a Transformation Tuesday bigger than discussing Caitlyn Jenner’s reveal to the world? Last week, we were graced with the images of her debut in the form of a Vanity Fair cover shot.  Jenner’s photo shoot in Vanity Fair marks perhaps the most impactful representation of the transgender community in the mainstream media. 

The meaning and widespread impacts of Jenner’s transformation have been discussed seemingly nonstop over the past few months, and especially after last week.  But not as much light has been shed on the amount of public relations planning and knowledge it took to pull off Jenner’s reveal in expertly crafted manner.  Public relations specialist Howard Bragman stated that Caitlyn Jenner’s transition was played out “masterfully” in the press.  The topic of transitioning is especially difficult from a PR standpoint because of the sensitivity surrounding the matter. So what have we learned from analyzing Caitlyn’s media management?

Keep it Classy: What’s the secret behind making great PR moves when covering a heated topic such as transitioning? Bragman pointed out that a key move is to ensure that the topic is to “play it out well and tastefully and move the issue along in society”. Jenner’s cover shoot has no doubt done brought positive attention to the transgender community, and has done so by keeping the media campaign respectful and controlled. 

Share the Love: In terms of personal publicity, Caitlyn Jenner received overwhelmingly positive attention.  She gained over a million Twitter followers in mere hours, setting a Guinness World Record.  She received an outpouring of support from fans via social media, which does wonders to show the millions of people supportive of the transgender community.

Handle all Things with Grace: No matter how good a media campaign can be at handling sensitive topics, these topics will always be met with some form of backlash from those who do not support.  In Jenner’s case, social media also shed light on the beliefs of those insensitive to transgender topics.  Drake Bell tweeted “Sorry….still calling you Bruce”.  Comments like these can be extremely hurtful to whomever you’re representing, but follow in Jenner’s team’s footsteps and turn a blind eye.

Quality over Quantity: Jenner’s transition in the media definitely blows the door wide open to even more transgender topics being covered.  However, a great lesson to learn from her media campaign is simple: quality over quantity.  The Sawyer interview and Vanity Fair were two huge quality pieces of media coverage, so it’s safe to say Jenner does not need to go overboard on making many more media appearances about the transition.

The best part of analyzing Jenner’s PR strategy is to see how such a private issue was taken public, and in a respectful manner.  The transgender community is just one example of heated topics being covered in the media today. Are there any specific examples that you think the media or PR teams have done a good job of handling? Tell us in the comments below!

Written by Kara Ferrara of Rebecca Adele PR & Events