As we gear up for awards season (Ooh, the Golden Globes and SAG Awards are my favorites; which are yours?), I find myself thinking about those red carpet moments during which our favorite actors face a bank of microphones and sometimes mind-numbingly redundant questions. (I mean, not all red carpet interviewers can be as awesome as Greg Benson.)
One of my favorite things that publicists and media trainers do for their clients is teach them how to answer the questions they wish the interviewers had asked, rather than the ones they actually asked. And when an actor gets it right, we never even really notice that we’re not actually getting the answer to the interviewer’s question. It just comes across as a really wonderful “yes, and” that keeps us entertained, all while cementing the actor’s brand.
Of course, there are many other things that publicists and media trainers do for their clients, and I strongly recommend you set yourself up for success when your career reaches the level at which investing in help from these professionals is a good idea. But until that time comes, let’s focus on the tactic of using every opportunity to keep your brand clear and in the minds of the buyers and your audience.
Why is this even important? Well, think about those folks whose careers we know so well. Famous people, sure. But also those actors who aren’t necessarily household names, but who work all the time. Some people are so good at handling the many interviews they endure that we always know what to expect from them. We get them. That’s no accident. That’s the result of years of reinforced brand awareness, through a series of simple choices.
Cher will always lick her lips and toss her hair. Billy Idol will always curl his lip and turn his fist up in the air. Bill Clinton will always clench a fist and gesture with his thumb. Stevie Wonder will always rock and sway when his smile is at its biggest. Lance Armstrong will always wear a LiveStrong bracelet. The Rock will always raise an eyebrow. Tom Cruise will always smack chewing gum. Ron Howard will rarely take his baseball cap off. But it’s not just the physical things that contribute to the brand these folks are cementing in our perception, every time they appear. It’s the words they choose, it’s the projects they eagerly talk about vs. the ones they keep under wraps, it’s the rhythm of their speech and the ease with which they laugh.
When you watch the pre-show goodies during awards season, pay close attention to the things actors, producers, directors, and writers say when they’re being interviewed. Watch how they spin a difficult question into a more appropriate answer, not too closely related to the original question. And note how much of it is all in service to keeping their brand solidly in place.
What do you bet these actors also know how to do this in meetings with producers, directors, casting directors, agents, and managers? Yup. Those who are at ease with who they are (or who they’re selling that they are) simply live “on brand.” And this could be due to years of practice, high-cost training, or having been burned by getting it wrong one too many times.
The other day, I was thinking back on my actor days — specifically my earliest days as an actor in Los Angeles in 1993, after having moved from a minor market — and remembering how very timid I was. I worried about getting everything right (not in my craft, in my dealings with others as a person) and I was so sure, if I said something “wrong” (and I was sure almost anything I wanted to say, on instinct, was probably wrong somehow) that I would be driven out of town and told never to return to Hollywood. Ever.
Today, I wouldn’t even recognize that person. I’m so sure of what I’m ever going to say as being “on brand” and authentically me that I never fear getting it wrong. It can’t be wrong, because it’s gonna be “me.” And really, that’s what gets easy about this whole branding thing. You don’t have to overthink how to craft your answers. You just know your brand so well — and live it with such authenticity — that your every answer is “on brand” and that starts to feel very natural to you, with practice. Bonus: It’s fun for the person on the receiving end of the information — an interviewer, your potential buyers, and your audience. When done well, those on the receiving end hardly even notice they’re somehow “getting” you at a deeper level. You’re cementing their brand by crafting your answers.
Try it! Lemmeknow how it goes for you. Get so good at it now that you’ll be a real pro by the time your award season comes around.
Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!
Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/001131.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.