The Rise of Personality Brands - and What It Means for PR & Comms Pros

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, interviews Fatou B. Barry, founder of the PR Girl Manifesto, a global community and editorial platform created to provide culturally competent PR resources, strategy, and professional development. They discuss the rise of “personality brands” as a structural shift where companies prioritize long-term identity, recurring voices, and entertainment-driven continuity over one-off product campaigns, driven by fragmented attention and declining institutional trust. Using Gap’s new Chief Entertainment Officer as a signal, they cite examples like Nike, Red Bull, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Skims to show brands building studios, original programming, and IP to own audience relationships. They explore how paid, earned, and owned media are merging, expanding PR into narrative systems, production, ethics, and talent strategy, raising expectations for skills, education, media literacy, and compensation. They also predict collaborations will shift from reach-based influencers toward credible experts and community leaders, emphasizing alignment, authenticity, and trust.00:00 Welcome and Introductions00:50 PR Girl Manifesto Origin03:23 Defining Personality Brands05:48 Attention Fragmentation Today06:54 Gap Chief Entertainment Role07:52 Brands as IP Studios12:24 Paid Earned Owned Blur14:12 Skills and Education Shifts17:47 Media Literacy and Trust23:43 Hiring the Right PR Pro26:38 PR in a Media Company Era28:03 Scope Creep and Fair Pay30:51 Expert Era Shift34:54 Authenticity Over Hype37:01 Beyond Influencers38:11 AI Search Rewards Credibility39:25 Journalists As Creators44:10 Trust And Personality Brands49:43 Values And Taking Stands53:28 Interactive Story Content54:59 PR As Story Makers57:57 Opportunity And ResponsibilityShow notes:The PR Girl Manifesto: https://www.prgirlmanifesto.org/The PR Girl Manifesto on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-pr-girl-manifesto/Fatou Barry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fbarry/Follow the host: Website: www.michellegarrett.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUsX/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUsThreads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergalMichelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available nowBook a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.