3 PR lessons I’ve learned from watching reality TV
By: Lily Roth
With season 7 of “Love Island USA” wrapping up, the newest Bachelorette announced and season 34 of “Dancing with the Stars” premiering, reality TV is at its peak. As a communications student and avid reality-TV watcher, I can't help but gain insight into the PR industry from these shows. From scandals to personal branding, these cast members become stars through PR. Here are three lessons I've learned from watching these shows.
Image source: Free Pix
Crisis Management
Crisis management is one of the biggest PR strategies reality-TV show stars have to execute. Scandals spread quickly when private lives go public. In PR, crisis management means responding to and controlling how an event affects a client's reputation.
In March 2023, a huge reality-TV scandal hit the media when “Vanderpump Rules” star Tom Sandoval and his girlfriend and fellow co-star Ariana Madix broke up, after nearly a decade together. It later emerged he was secretly involved with co-star Raquel Leviss, a friend of Madix. When the scandal broke, Sandoval and Leviss failed to take accountability or show empathy and honesty, worsening backlash. They avoided defining their narrative and addressing the crisis, while Madix was transparent. The two had little PR representation, which led to poor crisis management.
The takeaway for communications students is that crisis management is an opportunity to define a narrative and repair a brand. It is more than damage control, but a way to move forward. Two years later, Sandoval and Leviss still face backlash because of their response and perceived lack of compassion.
Personal Branding
Image source: Free Pix
One of the biggest reality shows to break the internet recently is “Love Island”. The last two seasons of “Love Island USA” have become so popular that contestants have gone from unknowns to influencers. A key takeaway for communication students is the concept of personal branding, which can make or break a contestant's long-term career. The show is about more than romance, as viewers watch contestants market themselves. Every conversation, outfit and social media post contributes to their personal brand.
Contestants who are authentic and vulnerable resonate with viewers, giving them a stronger brand that companies want to work with and audiences want to follow. This was evident with contestants Amaya Espinal and Iris Kendall from Season 7. However, contestants Chelley Bissainthe and Cierra Ortega, perceived as inauthentic, failed to build followings or attract brands. Even Huda Mustafa, painted as the villain, gained a large following and multiple brand partnerships by staying authentic.
These women painted different brands for themselves throughout the season, but authenticity drove success. Those who managed their brand well gained opportunities beyond the screen. The outcomes of the “Love Island” stars offer PR students insight into branding strategies that lead to success or failure.
Audience Engagement
With season 34 premiering, “Dancing with the Stars” attracts millions of viewers every year. About 5.5 million people watched the season 34 premiere and cast 21 million votes. The show uses real-time voting, allowing fans to control the outcome, creating loyalty and investment in the contestants.
“Dancing with the Stars” uses casting to keep audiences engaged as it brings in contestants from diverse age groups and industries. This season, it draws younger viewers with TikTok star Alix Earle and Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, and older viewers with actresses Meredith Blake and Danielle Fishel Karp.
The stars and professional dancers use TikTok and Instagram to create content, extending engagement beyond the weekly shows. The show values audience interaction, showing PR students how building a community can make viewers invested in a brand's success. By choosing the right influencers and stars, the show reaches multiple demographics, proving the importance of effective audience engagement.
Through interactive polls and influencer partnership, “Dancing with the Stars” transforms viewers from ordinary spectators into loyal brand followers. I’m invested this season because of the cast’s connection with viewers on TikTok and Instagram. The stars and pros who win are the most active on social media, engaging with their audience and promoting their partnerships and the show.
Final Thoughts
Reality-TV serves as a valuable tool for communication students to understand effective PR as these shows reveal strategies behind successful PR campagins. Watching reality-TV is both a guilty pleasure and a lesson in how PR turns ordinary people into celebrities.
