The lawsuit prompted a string of unflattering press hits, which overwhelmingly highlighted the existing fashion brand’s side of the story, at Bieber’s expense. Bieber’s case highlights two principles of crisis management that we champion.

Be prepared and proactive

If you don’t tell your story, others will tell it for you ― including the good, the bad, and the ugly. We advise companies and individuals to get in front of the news cycle with a clear, compelling, and honest narrative.

Bieber could have made a strong case for calling her skin care line Rhode. It’s her middle name, after all. She had previously sought to secure the name Bieber Beauty but was rejected due to potential confusion with trademarks registered by her husband, Justin Bieber.

She was undoubtedly aware of the potential for conflict over the Rhode name, too: Bieber attempted to purchase the naming rights from the fashion brand years earlier and was turned down. By proactively telling her story ahead of the brand’s launch, Bieber could have preempted some of the public backlash in the crucial early days of her new company. 

The communications landscape is shifting 

We believe that traditional PR is dead. The media environment is rapidly changing; anyone with access to a smartphone can be a publisher, reaching millions of viewers across the globe with just a few clicks. Online forums like Twitter have diluted the ability of powerful companies and individuals to leverage their influence among major media platforms to quash threats to their business or reputation. 

Upstarts understand that there is currency in conflict, and they can leverage the public spotlight surrounding celebrities like Bieber to boost their own brands. Consultants and lawyers are more likely to join their cause, seeking the star power that now comes with taking on and defeating an established brand.

In this new environment, half-hearted PR efforts don’t cut it. Bieber appeared unprepared for the burst of attention that played out across social media platforms following the June lawsuit. The founders of the fashion startup were able to frame the dispute as a powerful celebrity swooping in and trampling on their hard-earned brand.

Bieber’s side of the story was notably absent from prominent coverage of the lawsuit, with several articles noting that her team did not respond to a request for comment.

These major missteps could have been avoided with a better understanding of the new communications landscape, in which big players can no longer appear to steamroll their smaller competitors without consequence.

The post How Rhode, Hailey Bieber’s Brand, Should Have Handled Her PR Crisis appeared first on Grit Daily News.

Here’s What We Know

He took to social media to reveal his album cover which features a stripped-down Bieber. He also released his newest single “Get Me” which features hit singer Kehlani. She and Jaden Smith will join Bieber on his Changes tour this summer.

It looks as though the new album will have 17 songs based on the Changes pre-order on iTunes. It also will likely have some other collaborations besides Kehlani. Both Post Malone and Travis Scott are rumored to be a part of the new album according to Billboard.

Bieber’s new wife Hailey served as his main muse for Changes. His new YouTube docuseries Justin Bieber: Seasons offers a glimpse into the making of his new album, and Hailey was by his side in the studio throughout most of it. There’s even a clip from an upcoming episode in which Hailey jokes, “It’s really hard being the muse of a whole album.”

This new Bieber era has already made waves in the media. He released his first single “Yummy” at the beginning of the month and did everything in his power to get the song to No. 1 on the Billboard 100 chart. However, it ended up debuting at No. 2 after numerous mixed reactions to the single.

His Past Success

The singer’s upcoming fifth album follows a long four year hiatus. His last album Purpose was released in November 2015 and garnered major success. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold over 500,000 copies in its first week. It was Bieber’s largest first-week sales in his career. Despite the success, Bieber ended up canceling the end of his Purpose tour due to his declining mental health.

However, Bieber wasn’t completely out of the game. He continued to release several collaborations over the last few years including major hits such as “Despacito,” “No Brainer” and “I Don’t Care.”

It seems like Changes will be Bieber’s most raw and honest project yet. After four years of growth and healing, he is ready to show the world who he really is, so it only makes sense that he’d want this project to be more successful that his last.

“It’s the music that I’ve loved the most out of anything that I’ve done.” Bieber said in his first teaser video.

The post Justin Bieber’s New Album ‘Changes’ Drops on Valentine’s Day appeared first on Grit Daily News.

The 25-year-old singer took to Instagram Wednesday, denying rumors made about to his recent appearance.

“While a lot of people kept saying justin Bieber looks like shit, on meth etc. they failed to realize I’ve been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, not only that but had a serious case of chronic mono which affected my, skin, brain function, energy, and overall health,” he wrote.

The American Lyme Disease Foundation describes Lyme disease as being caused primarily by deer ticks, transmitting the bacteria to any human or animal it bites. It manifests itself as a multisystem inflammatory disease that affects the skin in its early, localized stage, and spreads to the joints, nervous system and, to a lesser extent, other organ systems in its later, disseminated stages. It is curable if detected in its early stages.

Additionally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 300,000 Americans become diagnosed with Lyme disease every year.

Bieber confirmed that more information on his diagnosis will be revealed in his upcoming YouTube docuseries, Justin Bieber: Seasons.

“These things will be explained further in a docu series I’m putting on YouTube shortly.. you can learn all that I’ve been battling and OVERCOMING!! It’s been a rough couple years but getting the right treatment that will help treat this so far incurable disease and I will be back and better than ever NO CAP.“

Following his reveal, Bieber’s wife, Hailey, went on Twitter to shut down trolls who were criticizing her husband’s announcement.

Aftewards, she thanked Yolanda, Gigi and Bella Hadid for bringing her “so much clarity and information on Lyme disease” and answering her questions.

She also sent love to Avril Lavigne, another celebrity fighting Lyme disease.

Last week, Bieber released his newest song, “Yummy,” which is his first solo single in four years.

The post Justin Bieber Reveals Lyme Disease Diagnosis appeared first on Grit Daily News.

The series will be 10 parts and will premiere two episodes every Monday and Wednesday. According to Variety, each episode will cost YouTube around $2 million each which equates to $20 million total. So, Bieber’s “Season’s” could very well be YouTube Original Content’s biggest purchase ever.

“For the very first time, the world’s biggest superstar, Justin Bieber, is pulling back the curtain and giving fans an intimate look into the past few years of his life,” reads the series’ description. “From the joys of marriage to the struggles through difficult seasons, Justin opens up to reveal his biggest challenges as he gets back into the studio to record his first album since 2015.”

YouTube’s global head of original content Susanne Daniels said that Bieber’s “inspiring story” and “courage as an artist” drew the brand to the project. She said YouTube Originals “[aims] to spotlight authentic struggles and real-life triumphs.”

The Beiber-YouTube match-up is perfect considering the singer got his start on the video-streaming platform. His now-manager Scooter Bruan saw videos of him singing Ne-Yo covers and the rest was history.

What’s The Series About?

Bieber dropped a trailer along with his docuseries announcement. It depicts the singer reflecting on his four-year break and growth since then. He talks about how he’s been through “good seasons” and “bad seasons” in life, but he’s ready to show the world who he really is.

“No one’s ever grown up in the history of humanity like Justin Bieber,” Braun said in the trailer.

Several clips show the singer working on new music, but others seem to offer a closer look into his life. There are flashes of his wedding to now-wife Hailey Bieber. It looks as though she will play a big role in the docuseries.

“There’s a lot of pressure that I think people don’t see,” Hailey said in the trailer. “Maybe by watching this people will kind of get a glimpse into his world.”

So far, the reaction to Bieber’s come-back has been rather positive. The trailer for the docuseries has over 4 million views and over 359,000 likes. With less than 24 hours until his new single “Yummy” drops, fans are beginning to express their excitement on Twitter.

One person tweeted: “after 4 agonizing years…we are finally getting yummy tomorrow. the feeling of excitement and happiness has been racing through my body. can’t wait to see what this era has in store for us @justinbieber @scooterbraun”

The post Justin Bieber Docuseries Will Hit YouTube in January appeared first on Grit Daily News.