In the final three chapters or so of the book, Friedman dives more deeply into the nuts and bolts of the business of fame. Here, we're taught about the process of newsmaking and why different approaches are needed for radio, TV and print media like newspapers, magazines and websites. To clarify our journey, we're also asked a series of questions, namely:
1) What's Your Vision for Celebrity?
2) What is Your Commitment to Your Vision?
3) What is Your Own Unique Message?
4) Why Does Your Message Appeal to You?
5) Why Will Your Message Appeal to Others?
6) Who's Your Target Audience?
7) What's Your Plan for Celebrity?
8) When Will You Start?
9) Have You Picked the Right Teammates?
10) How Will You Measure Success?
11) How Did You Score?
With its target set on lay readers who may be doctors, chefs, insurance agents, or anybody with an area of specialisation, the book is more heavily slanted towards personal motivation than management methodology. As a seasoned PR practitioner, I find that much of the book's publicity tips are fairly commonsensical. You can probably find most of these strategies if you surf article websites and blogs widely and deeply enough.
Having said that, I like the optimistic (almost bouncy) way in which Friedman paints the picture of personal profile building. Personal branding, publishing and PR strategies are presented in a refreshingly straightforward manner without the usual marketing speak. With the proliferation of personal profiles and in the age of "Me Media", building one's star status becomes more important than ever before, and Friedman's book provides a good road map of the way ahead.
[Images courtesy of Celebritize Yourself]
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