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 Introductions

00:50 PR Girl Manifesto Origin

03:23 Defining Personality Brands

05:48 Attention Fragmentation Today

06:54 Gap Chief Entertainment Role

07:52 Brands as IP Studios

12:24 Paid Earned Owned Blur

14:12 Skills and Education Shifts

17:47 Media Literacy and Trust

23:43 Hiring the Right PR Pro

26:38 PR in a Media Company Era

28:03 Scope Creep and Fair Pay

30:51 Expert Era Shift

34:54 Authenticity Over Hype

37:01 Beyond Influencers

38:11 AI Search Rewards Credibility

39:25 Journalists As Creators

44:10 Trust And Personality Brands

49:43 Values And Taking Stands

53:28 Interactive Story Content

54:59 PR As Story Makers

57:57 Opportunity And Responsibility

Show 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/@PRisUs

X/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUs

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergal

Michelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available now

Book 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.