Kelly’s millions of fans are a lesson in the power of personal brand. But at what cost? 

By Sharon Williams OAM, Founder and CEO of Taurus Marketing

What happens when a celebrity with millions of followers decides a business has wronged them? 

When one single post on social media is enough to transform a simple customer complaint into an international crisis?

The latest battle is Kelly Clarkson vs Brooklyn-based novelty shop Art of Play. In a now viral social media post, Kelly claimed she was treated dismissively when trying to buy a mechanical singing bird displayed in the store, which she said was priced at $15k. 

The store said the bird is not for sale and staff offered to source a comparable bird for her to purchase. 

The fallout from the exchange has lasted all week, and made international headlines.

The situation raises a broader question about the influence and power celebrities hold over a brand’s reputation, and the responsibility that comes with having such a public platform.

And more importantly: why do we, as the public, respond so strongly to celebrity outrage?

READ MORE: Nick Kyrgios serves a masterclass in apologising; the Swans should take note

READ MORE: The blatant warning for Australian media in Jason Arday's death

Power imbalance is real

When a celebrity speaks publicly and uses their platform, any point – whether right or wrong – is amplified. And often to millions. That level of celebrity influence can have serious consequences for a brand’s reputation.

For a small business, that reach can be difficult to match, particularly if harshly expressed and with a call to action. The criticism and consequences can spread like wildfire.  

The Kelly Clarkson-Art of Play saga has seen a heightened level of combined outrage, intrigue and even confusion over the situation. 

While the public is quick to back their favourite celebrity, it’s a hard pill to swallow when it spells overwhelm, confusion, possible reputational damage and potential financial loss for a small, local business. 

Not to say Kelly is wrong; she can’t help being a celebrity with pulling power, but it does show the enduring power of celebrity – and the importance of celebrities thinking twice before bringing a customer service faux pas into the public forum – and going that one step further to call for action.  

That begs the question: do those with celebrity status and larger social platforms have a greater responsibility when it comes to criticising brands?

And while Kelly may not have known the situation would “blow up” the way it did, the consequences are clearer than ever. 

The owner of Art of Play has since spoken about threats, negative online comments and fears for the safety of his staff. Meanwhile, Kelly continues to stand by her version of events. 

Sharon Williams OAM strategic communications expert specialising in crisis communications

A viral post is not the whole story

In an age of social media and instant gratification, people tend to react quickly. Because after all, if it's online, it’s true, isn’t it? 

A post, an opinion and a share happen often before we even hear the other side. 

“Innocent until proven guilty” has shifted to “Guilty until proven innocent.” 

Kelly’s millions of followers are a lesson in the power of personal brand. But at what cost? 

Without knowing the full circumstances of the situation, caution is advised before allegations turn into fact.  

While it is appropriate to expect a business to be held accountable for a response that landed badly, that accountability shouldn’t be based solely on the volume of online outrage. 

It shifts the conversation from establishing what happened to deciding who deserves criticism based on fame and reputation. 

We will likely never reach common ground on whether either party was right or wrong. This goes for many high-profile public disputes. We’ve seen it with Serena Williams and the Peninsula Hotel Paris, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, and Balthazar and James Corden. 

But Art of Play has the right to sell or not to sell their products. 

What we can learn from the Kelly Clarkson/Art of Play saga

 For a small business without crisis communications expertise, there are lessons to learn: 

• Think before you post: It’s easy to jump to defence mode when your business is at risk, but Art of Play may have benefited from a factual rather than defensive statement. The same goes for Kelly Clarkson, who has a separate responsibility as a public figure. 
• Take it out of the public eye: The back-and-forth social media posts have been awkward to watch. While seeing a negative review go rapidly viral would be stressful, a private message offering to resolve or explain the situation first could have helped de-escalate it. Equally, Kelly could have reached out to the brand privately first. 
• Which leads me to my third point: De-escalate, don’t escalate: Releasing ‘evidence’ like security footage, as Art of Play did this week, can cause unnecessary escalation. In times of crisis, choose de-escalation over tactics that keep fuelling the story. 

For instance, Art of Play could have raised brand awareness by opting for a fun social media post offering a discount on any bird-themed items if you say the word “Kelly” in store. 

While we all have a right to voice our opinion and seek justice for alleged mistreatment, it may be a worthwhile reminder of the adage “Think before you speak.” And a good lesson: Not to get into spiraling tit-for-tat in public.

About the Author 

By Sharon Williams OAM, Founder and CEO of Taurus Marketing, and a strategic communications expert specialising in crisis communications, personal brand and reputation management, with a proven track record helping entrepreneurs, high-growth businesses, family offices and corporations build powerful brands and protect reputation. 

Sharon is a recognised thought leader, speaker and media commentator with expertise that spans PR, branding, digital, crisis communications, investor relations, business strategy and entrepreneurship. Sharon has led award-winning integrated PR and marketing campaigns across her 3 decades in business, underpinned by her proprietary Taurus Bullseye™ methodology and practical “No Bull” approach.  

https://taurusmarketing.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonwilliamstaurus/?isSelfProfile=false