"Analyzing Rachel Zegler's Public Image: A Brand Reputation Management Review"
This blog post will be exploring the brand/public image of Rachel Zegler, the 22-year-old American singer and actor. With the new release of the Hunger Games movie “Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”, there has been a lot of positive media surrounding Zegler’s performance as Lucy Gray Baird. However, just a few months previously, there was intense criticism towards Rachel due to issues with Disney’s new Snow White remake that she is starring in. This blog post will analyze her brand from the perspective of brand reputation management, which is “the influencing, controlling, enhancing, or concealing of an individual’s or group’s reputation” (Wikipedia). Just like many other celebrities, Rachel Zegler’s public image has rapidly evolved as she gains more recognition in the media.
One of the first ways to check a person's public image or a brand's reputation is to do a Google search, social media scan, or use a social media listening tool, which is "software that help(s) you monitor and analyze online conversations about your brand, products, competitors, or industry" (Hootsuite). The table below is a summary of the top searches and keywords on different media platforms relating to Rachel Zegler as of 12/2/23.
Key Words: Snow White, Fired, Age, Movies, Ethnicity, Backlash, Interview | |
Key Searches: Snow White, Singing, Edits | |
Twitter (X) | Trending: (Variety) Rachel Zegler on the carpet at the #AcademyGala. |
News | |
Webmention | Mentions: 162 articles in 6 hours related to "Snow White" and "Rachel Zegler" |
(Webmention/ Instagram)
In general, the search outcomes varied widely, ranging from extremely positive to extremely negative and hostile. The hateful remarks on a video of her Snow White interview on Instagram are a nightmare for brand management, but on the other hand, all of the current posts related to her on Twitter are either defending her or praising her.
So what happened to make the internet hate this actor so much? In August, clips from an interview with Rachel Zegler discussing Disney's Snow White remake went viral on social media. Before this interview, Disney was already facing racial backlash due to objections about Zegler, a Latina, being cast for the role of Snow White. In this viral interview, Rachel said, "I just mean that it’s no longer 1937, We absolutely wrote a ‘Snow White’ that ... she’s not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love; she’s going to be dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true.”(NBC). Zegler's wish for a modern portrayal of Snow White that didn't feature a prince stirred further controversy and both she and Disney were accused of pushing a feminist and woke agenda. However, following the success of the latest Hunger Games movie release, there has been increased support for Rachel Zegler's public image. Many now sympathize and recognize that she is a young individual who is learning how to navigate the press and fame, and she just made a mistake. Social media is known for its double standards and for calling people out on ridiculous things, which is exemplified in all of the controversy surrounding Zegler's public image. As mentioned earlier, Rachel Zegler's brand is currently facing negativity from several sources. First, her feminist remarks regarding Snow White offended and stirred up a significant portion of Disney fans and people in the media, as well as backlash from her casting for the role of Snow White. Furthermore, rumors are circulating that she has been fired from Snow White and Paddington 3 due to Hollywood strikes, movies scheduled for release in 2024 and 2025. On the positive side though, interviews and cast videos from "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" have gained positive attention and support across social media platforms. Rachel's performance in the movie and her talented singing have received high praise, and a growing number of people are starting to come to her defense.
(Youtube)
During all of the controversy and backlash against Rachel Zegler, neither she nor Disney ever released a statement, plea, or apology about all of the claims against her. Viral media can easily get out of control, and this seemed to be one of those instances. I watched the new Hunger Games movie with hesitation because I had been hearing such negative things about Rachel at the time, but after watching her amazing performance in the movie and her chemistry with her castmates, she seems like a genuine and sweet person. Some of her comments about Snow White may have been insensitive, but a genuine apology could have diffused the situation so that everyone could move on. My frustration lies in the fact that social media has the tendency to exaggerate and blow issues out of proportion, and often promotes double standards for women. With this in mind, I think that it would be wise for Rachel Zegler to focus on press training because she is so young and new to fame; but if she can stay genuine and humble, her public image should be able to recover from all of the controversy and drama.
(Photo Credits:)
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/827395762823919721/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/827395762823919663/
Comments