Media maven Diana Madison gives us the scoop on social media at the upcoming Emmy Awards

by Jeff Sandgren

(Sept. 19, 2013)  With the Emmy Awards just days away, buzz is building on what to expect from this year’s ceremony. And no one’s amped up more than the celebrities themselves. Social media is playing an increasingly bigger role in how celebrities (and award ceremonies) engage the public. For the inside scoop, we checked in with media maven Diana Madison, TV Personality, TV host and Executive Producer of the Hollyscoop News Show.

BTN: We’re interested in how celebs brand themselves to the public, and how that brand spills over into their public personas, their activities and their public lives. Who’s really rocking it?

Diana Madison: We live in a culture that is obsessed with seeing what our favorite celebrities are eating, wearing and saying. Some stars have taken advantage of their fans’ interests, like the Kardashians. These girls are smart to promote their clothing line, perfumes and other projects through their social media. Kim Kardashian has more than 9.9 million followers on Instagram, which is four times the audience that her reality TV show has on E!, which can benefit her when promoting projects.

BTN: How important is social media to celebrity branding? Who’s doing an especially good job with social networks?

DM: Social media is a great way for celebrities to build their brands by getting closer to their fan base. It’s a great way to keep stars relevant with social media because they are in the public eye. For example, Lady Gaga is good at this as she tweets hints, teasers and riddles about her upcoming music and tours. Betty White is another example of someone who has used social media to connect with a younger audience. With Betty on social media, fans took to Twitter and Facebook to demand that she get a gig on SNL.

BTN: How about the dark side – can celebrities do damage control with social media? Any negative examples?

DM: If a celebrity has done a bad deed, they can certainly use social media to repair their reputation by apologizing and showing a more sincere side. Amanda Bynes is one celeb that has bombed on social media by oversharing. Some of her tweets and posts make us wonder if she is sane.

BTN: On the technology side, we’re focused on the trend toward multiscreen, interactive and audience-curated content. At the event level, are the Emmy Awards doing anything techy that’s cool and new this year?

DM: The Emmy Awards is getting more tech-savvy this year with their awards show, which airs Sunday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on CBS. They will be giving fans a backstage pass on social media @PrimetimeEmmys. Sources tell me that more than 15 cameras will be positioned in various areas on the red carpet as well as backstage to give viewers at home the exclusive Emmy experience.

BTN: How can fans follow the social media buzz before and during the awards?

DM: The hashtags #Emmys, #Emmyscongrats and #EmmysChat will be used to preview stars having candid moments when they win their Emmys, give their speech onstage, meet the press and take their Emmy photos. This is a great way for an awards show to generate buzz on social media as fans can follow, chat and discuss all of the candid moments that cannot be seen on television.

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