PR Tip #55:Sometimes the strategy works perfectly and still goes wrong.
Turns out it’s not fine. In fact, it’s a disaster.
“We prefer that you let the narrative stay as is.”
I stare at my phone. The cool and measured tone of Victoria Chen from Silverline Studios is the exact opposite of how I’m feeling right now.
Which is panicked and sweaty. This cream-colored blouse might be going into the trash by the end of the day. The pit stains will probably never come out.
Fans’ reactions to River’s statement about Bailey have gone from speculation about a reconciliation to a full-blown obsession.There are hundreds of posts dedicated to it, breakdowns of the entire trajectory of their relationship, and photoshopped pictures of them together, and the hashtag #RiverandBaileybacktogether is trending.
The problem isn’t the rumors—it’s having to let fans down again. And that’s exactly what will happen if they find out the truth. Disappointed fans don’t stay disappointed. They get mean—and mean fans can do more damage than a blind item ever could.
We needed to get ahead of the story fast. So the plan I came up with was to have Bailey post something that focuses back on her—not the show, not River, just her—thanking fans for their support and expressing her excitement for the new season. It was simple and clean, and Bailey agreed to do it.
Could it have worked? Maybe. But it doesn’t matter, because now the studio has thrown a huge wrench in things. They want to keep the rumors rolling because it’s good for the show.
“Bailey is concerned about misleading fans,” I tell Victoria.
Bailey is my client; she is my top priority. I know her well enough now to know she’ll hate this.
From the beginning, she hasn’t wanted to use her heartbreak to boost her fame. When we’ve been the most authentic, it worked. And when we haven’t . . . it didn’t. Like the dinner with friends. Though I still maintain that it was her friends’ unplanned mass unfollowing thatblew that one up.
The point is, above all, Bailey wants authenticity. And the studio is asking for the opposite of that by telling us to let this rumor run its course.
“The fans are our concern as well,” says Victoria, her tone clipped. “And with FableCon in two days, we want to keep things stable.”
“I understand,” I say, because I do. I get it. The show must go on, blah, blah, blah.
The only problem is there’s nothing stable about the situation. Victoria didn’t see Bailey and River’s interaction at the gala. She has no idea that the two of them could hardly look at each other. But I can’t tell her that.
At the end of the day, it’s my job to protect Bailey’s career. And that means doing what the studio wants.
This is stressful. I miss the days when all I had to worry about was breaking a stupid curse. I’m understanding Simone’s blood pressure issue more and more as each day passes.
Maybe I need to consider another career. Like a lighthouse keeper. Or a forest ranger. Or someone who tests mattresses for a living. I’d be good at that. I like a mattress that hits right in the middle. Not too hard, not too soft.
Focus, Claire.
After a couple of logistics about FableCon (“Keep your client professional and visible”) with some expectations thrown in there (“No drama”), Victoria ends the call with a simple “Thank you for your cooperation” and not even a goodbye.
Now I have to figure out how to break the news to Bailey, because she’s going to hate this.
“I hate this,” Bailey says over speakerphone.
It took me thirty minutes, and a pep talk from Tessa, before I worked up the courage to call her.
“I know,” I say. “I don’t like it either.”
“So they want me to fake it with River?” I can’t see her face, but I can hear her frustration through the phone.
“She didn’t say to fake it, just to be nice to each other,” I explain. Although I’m guessing that if they want this rumor to run, they want them to be more than nice to each other.
“You saw us at the gala,” Bailey says. “I was mute. I couldn’t even speak.”
“Yes, and we’ll work through that together. I’ll be with you the whole time.”
“Thanks, Claire. I appreciate it. I couldn’t do this without you,” she says, and something warm settles in my chest.
