Strategic PR over viral noise: What Cruz Beckham’s agency move tells us about the future of reputation
Building strategic personal brands
In an industry obsessed with visibility, the smartest players are doubling down on reputation.
For PR & Comms leaders, the shift from short-term buzz to long-term brand equity is more than a cultural moment, it's a hiring signal.
Recent moves in the celebrity space reinforce what many of us in PR recruitment are seeing first-hand. Clients want strategic counsel, not just coverage.
Cruz Beckham’s PR agency hire is actually very interesting.
In recent years, the instinct for many young celebrities and public figures has been to rely on talent management, quick-fire partnerships, and packaged PR campaigns - essentially “plug and play” visibility. Social-first, viral, fast.
It works for short term buzz and brand deals, but it rarely builds something that lasts.
Cruz Beckham’s decision to bring on DawBell to support his music career, a strategic PR agency, feels like a shift. He’s choosing narrative over noise, long term reputation over quick hits.
The timing is particularly clever. Coming just after the Brooklyn Beckham headlines, this could be a move that pays off for his career in the long run.
For example, It’s easy to see why stars like Molly-Mae have set the blueprint - she’s used PR to shape her personal brand (Maebe), build credibility, and create a business empire from her own name.
Cruz hiring strategically shows that younger celebrities are taking notes and thinking seriously about building their own brand equity.
From a recruitment perspective, this opens up exciting opportunities for PR professionals who can:
Build strategic personal brands, not just push content
Navigate the intersection of celebrity, consumer, and social media
Deliver campaigns that balance visibility with credibility
Agencies that offer this kind of long term, reputation led work will attract the best talent, and the candidates who thrive on it will build influence, portfolios, and careers that stand out.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this too?
