How Brooklyn Beckham avoided the Harryesque pity-party 'boo-hoo me' approach to PR to make Brand Beckham and Brooklyn Beckham stronger than ever
Earlier this week, Brooklyn Beckham – eldest son of David and Victoria – issued a statement that sent the media and social media world into a spin. I’ve been interviewed by ITV and Reuters as well as international news outlets these past few days for my take on what this means for Brand Beckham and Brand Brooklyn, too.
We’ll start by talking quickly about what was said and how it was said. We can then dig a little deeper into the personal brand implications this may have and the impact on the Beckhams’ vast business interests.
So, what’s all the fuss been about? Well, if you have been anywhere near a newspaper, TV screen, or social media platform at any point this week you will have seen someone somewhere talking about this story. It has literally gone viral on a scale unseen for some time.
Brooklyn set out a series of damning allegations against his patents, David and Victoria, in a six-page statement that he published on Instagram. He accused them of trying to control and undermine him, of crafting and placing what he called “countless lies” about him in the media, and of trying to ruin his relationship with Nicola – his wife. There were more attacks that we don’t have time to cover in this podcast – head over to pretty much any media outlet out there for the details – such in the universal interest in the story.
The headline that has really grabbed attention came in the second paragraph of Brooklyn’s six-page statement that he published on Instagram. It said: “I do not want to reconcile with my family.” Ouch. As a father of one soon-to-be-two, that is hard to hear. But from a PR perspective, it was incredibly impactful. Let me explain.
First, Brooklyn’s decision to issue his statement to his 16.5 million followers on Instagram rather than pushing it out to the mainstream media, is a statement in itself. He clearly resents the mainstream media – it has been part of his life since birth and he appears to feel his parents exploit it for their personal branding gain.
Instead, he opted to engage his followers on social media who he sees as being more on his side and more likely to be sympathetic and supportive in their response to his comments. This is a smart move despite him invariably being aware that the media would pick up on this and go to town with it, which is precisely what has happened.
Second, this was a very PR savvy move because communicating his lack of enthusiasm to reconcile the differences with his family closes the door to a retaliatory response from his parents. There is no prompt for a return serve from David and Victoria and to date they have refrained from saying anything – the closest they have come to addressing it was in Davos this week when David stated that parents should let their “children make mistakes on social media – that’s how they learn,” they said.
In one interview I did this week I was asked how I would advise David and Victoria from a potential media response perspective. I said that in my view emotionally charged statements levied at one party will invariably be met with many equally high emotions by the other. The worst thing to do is issue a response addressing the allegations – they risk tit for tat, which never looks good and simply escalates matters unnecessarily.
I would advise them to either issue a short statement acknowledging the statement but emphasising “this is a family matter and that no further comment will be issued.”
So what impact might this have on Brand Beckham?
What impresses me about Victoria and David has been their consistent ability to extend their influence with new fans and new generations – many of whom never knew them as the footballer and pop star they once were.
They have superbly moved with the times – 30 years ago there was no social media and the number of media outlets available at the time was a fraction of that today. They have ensured they remain relevant to the here and now at every stage and that has made them more relatable and likeable.
Indeed, their brand has evolved along with their range of interests, from fashion and sports to wellness and key partnerships with well-known brands and businesses such as those with Adidas, Tudor, and since last November - Bank of America.
Right now, and certainly for the next few weeks, the media and social media will be fixated with this story – not just because it involves the Beckhams, the celeb royal family – but because we may never get the truth of what did or did not happen. Speculation will remain rife but there is only so long that can continue.
The story is unlikely to escalate beyond the peak it is at now and I don’t see this as having any detrimental impact on Brand Beckham. In the short term, it has absolutely created a dent in the personal brand armoury, but that won’t be enough to stop this 30-year branding juggernaut from continuing along the path it has owned, tweaked, and refined so successfully for so long..
It might, however, prompt a rethink between David and Victoria on just how important it is for them to retain such a high media presence if this is impact it is having on at least on family member.
As for Brooklyn, his personal brand and reputation will not be negatively affected by his outpouring of frustration, anger, and emotion. If anything, it could enhance his profile and enamour himself to an eve bigger audience. I say that because of the contrasts that some commentators have made in the media between him and Prince Harry. That is unfair, though.
Prince Harry has struggled to rebuild his reputation in the UK over the last few years and this stems from the outpouring of emotion he shared with the media over how he felt he was being treated by his family. The public and the media’s response was not what he had hoped for. Rather than garner sympathy and support, he met with widespread criticism – pity-party “boo-hoo-me” PR never works, at least not in Britain anyway… the sceptical buggers we are.
Whereas Harry gladly courted every media outlet under the sun – and made an almighty hash of his comms by either ignoring the advice of his PR team or being given s**t advice by them in the first place – Brooklyn recognised there is a line that if crossed can lead to a place that he doesn’t want to be. He exercised restraint, and that is admirable.
Ultimately is there is a clear breakdown in relations between parents and son that may appear irreconcilable in the immediate aftermath of Brooklyn’s statement, but I suspect a reconnection might be possible once the dust settles and some degree of calm returns.
Over the last few years, I have featured in the likes of ITV, Reuters, METRO, BBC, The Express, and MSN talking about the personal branding and reputation of those celebs and high profile individuals who find themselves in the media spotlight for both the right and wrong reasons. It is what I do and have done from over 20 years. If you need guidance on an individual level, get in touch.
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