The Re-Establishment of Chris Brown
Branding is all about consistent messaging - which is something Chris Brown has struggled with in the past. The singer's talent launched him into fame quickly, but landed him in a sea of trouble after several cases of domestic violence towards previous girlfriends and select women. Throughout that time, many believed the singer's reputation was tarnished beyond repair.
Enter Mr. Chris Brown, 2017.
With a new documentary, Chris Brown: Welcome to My Life, the artist allows the public to access the behind-the-scenes of his life, including the details of his side of many scandals.
You can watch the trailer here:
As an emerging public relations professional, the first thought I had before watching his documentary was that it was a slick PR move. Other famed artists, including Justin Bieber, have struggled with public image issues as a result of their bad behavior - choosing to publish a documentary to provide what they consider their side to the story.
Just how impactful is an artist's narrative? Can a documentary help mend the public's view of the rapper and help him return to the A-list as the poster child of American music?
Using Meltwater, I gathered insight on the rapper's public presence using social listening. Some responses are posted below
So, is the jury in? With the artist's new album passing platinum and landing on gold in its first week , it's easy to make a quick jump and assume Brown's reputation has been mended. If one looks closer, it's clear that no matter how great his new album or documentary is, every other posting held negative sentiment towards the rapper. Describing the artist with expletives and reminding the Twittersphere of his past domestic abuse cases, millennials still seem to be hung up on his past, and are quite unforgiving.
This goes to show how important it is for an artist to manage any crisis head on and quickly. Brown's documentary appeared years after his involvement in multiple scandals; and while he appeared apologetic and determined to get his story across, his public remains as divided as ever. Can America ever truly love Chris Brown again?
Only time will tell.