HOLLYWOOD—There are many strategies that publicists use when they decide whom to put on the front cover. When celebrities want to be seen as more than just actors, they go for Vanity Fair magazine. It’s where celebrities go to save face, to show that they went through it all and now they are saved. In other words, it’s to say they feel relevant and this picture certainly proves it. Remember the Tom Cruise’s family picture on the cover, Demi Moore’s pregnancy.
If they want to monetize a celebrity they go for Cosmopolitan, Lucky, Allure or Self, where it could help them sell a fashion line. Today’s star’s rarely depend on TV or movie paychecks, instead they branch out, and using covers to establish a reason for consumers to buy their products. That’s where Heidi Klum’s jewelry took off for QVC, or help lock in the contract for Zooey Deschanel’s Rimmel London deal.
Creating an edge if they feel they are in danger of becoming to bland or broad they turn to magazine’s like “W.” Back in October 2010 the cover featured Kim Kardashian; it expanded her reach beyond the tabloids. In July 2005, the Brangelina’s domestic bliss crowned them the coolest couple. Where do you go if you want to promote a movie? The two magazines that fit that profile are Vogue and GQ. It has the right mix for mass promotion that proves time and time again it works. In Style and Details are excellent for promoting a movie as well. Everyone knows that female stars are all seen in Vogue which has the power to anoint a new A-list star.
At the height of pop culture, most publicists turn to Rolling Stone. The magazine has the power to identify the popularity of a TV show along with the actors. Back in 2009 Josh Schwartz, creator of “Gossip Girl,” identified Leighton Meester and Blake Lively the pinnacle of the show’s popularity.
So how do you gain mass appeal? You go for a magazine that has a high circulation anywhere between 2 and 4 million-Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping and Redbook. You may remember the Kardashian girls with Mama Kardashian on the cover. The first lady Michele Obama was on the cover of Good Housekeeping. The purpose of being on the cover is to be presented as the girl-next-door. It makes any A-lister feel relatable. All these magazines just prove that print is certainly not dead.
If all else fails you turn to some of the most powerful people in the media. It might be a few thousand miles away from Hollywood; however the east coast, New York, is still the media capital of the U.S. A stream of steady musician’s, actors, authors are always waiting for a slot of “Saturday Night Live.” Sean Hannity, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, Arianna Huffington, Matt Lauer, Bill O’ Reilly, Diane Sawyer, Kelly Ripa and Barbara Walters are some of the most influential people in the media today.
So who are the highest-paid news personalities? Matt Lauer with a whopping $25 million, Bill O’Reilly takes second place with $20 million, Diane Sawyer $15 million and Brian Williams with $12.5 million.
Rose’s Scoop: After the financial collapse sent Wall Street fleeing from riskyHollywood a few years ago, big investors have once again been making their way back into the movie business. Wealthy individuals, private -equity funds and investment banks are more active partners to studios and filmmakers.
By Rose Quintilliano
