Bloomin' Blog
Taylor Swift & The PR Nightmare: Can She Shake It Off?
, PR News & Views
It hasn't been the smoothest of months for pop princess, Taylor Swift.
Firstly, she is revealed as a ghost writer on her ex Calvin Harris' summer hit 'This is What You Came For' leading to a war of words between the pair, with Calvin blasting her on Twitter and exclaiming he won't let her 'bury' him like Katy (referring to Taylor's feud with former BFF Katy Perry).
As if that wasn't awkward enough, speculation is rife that her new romance with Tom Hiddleston is, in fact, a showmance – something only Tom has vehemently denied. But for some reason, the public just aren't buying into #Swiftleston.
To top it off, this week it was Taylor Swift vs Kanye West: Round 12? 13? We've lost count! But basically, Kanye's wife, Kim Kardashian, leaked a recorded phone call of the pair, in which Taylor can be heard allegedly giving the go-ahead to some controversial lyrics in Kanye's song 'Famous' – lyrics that she later attacked him for using when the song was released.
The feud with both Calvin and Kanye came to a head in the form of a nasty social media backlash, which saw Taylor's Instagram being trolled with snake emojis, and various hashtags doing the rounds, perhaps most notably the 'Taylor Swift Is Over Party' (of which many people attended).
Judging from her reaction so far (or lack of), Taylor has no doubt been advised by her PR team to keep her cards close to her chest. She hasn't yet issued a direct response to Calvin's claims (apart from acknowledging her role in writing the song), nor has she publically confirmed her relationship with Tom. She has, however, spoken out about the leaked footage with a screenshot message on her Instagram account (which boasts a whopping 85.9million followers).
Taylor has enjoyed a squeaky clean image for years (apart from the occasional celebrity feud and high profile break-up, of course). But this backlash means the public, and potentially also her adoring fans, are now questioning the authenticity of her brand which is built upon being the pop world's very own girl next door. Can she take her own advice and Shake It Off? At the moment, only time will tell. As PR consultants, our advice would be to lay low for a little while, and use this predicament as inspiration for her next chart-topping album – as Taylor always does best. (Oh, and to also block Kanye West's number!)
As a business, you probably don't need to deal with Kanye West's temper tantrums, 'showmance' conspiracies or Twitter feuds with ex-boyfriends and girlfriends. BUT there might come a time when you need some advice on how to deal with negative comments online, for example, or difficult stories in the press. Luckily, help is at hand with Bloomin' Creative. Get in touch – email danielle@bloomincreative.co.uk to arrange a free consultation about how best to manage your reputation in times of trouble.
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danielle@bloomincreative.co.uk
Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, UK
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