As Paris Hilton has shown – being real is hard. But it’s great for marketing.

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about Paris Hilton. I have even recently bought my very own Juicy Couture tracksuit with the word “Juicy” rhinestoned on the back. True story. It was on clearance at T.J. Maxx! I know – what a find!

Growing up as a kid of the 2000s, Paris Hilton was an icon. Sorry – is – an icon. But I never really was that invested in her, to be honest… until recently. 

It wasn’t until Paris came out with her 2020 documentary “This is Paris,” in which she unveiled the trauma she experienced during her childhood when she was enrolled in Provo Canyon School that I started becoming invested in her and her story. She discussed the sexual, physical, and emotional abuse she endured as a teenager during this film.

Then, she came out with the Peacock original series “Paris in Love,” in 2021. Season one follows her journey marrying her now-husband Carter Reum, a wealthy venture capitalist. Season two shows her emotional journey into motherhood, from injecting herself with shots for her IVF treatment, to being in the hospital as her surrogate delivers her first-born. 

Both show a side of Paris the public has never seen before. She’s real – raw even. And for the first time we’ve heard her real voice – not what she sounds like with her baby voice. 

So… what does this have to do with marketing? Everything.

After watching these series and learning why Paris is the Paris we’ve witnessed for the past 20 years, it now all makes sense. She is a very shy person – dare I say even a bit socially awkward? She has PTSD from all the trauma she endured as a child, which is why she acted out as a kid and was known as a “party girl.” Then, when she went to Provo Canyon, making everything even worse.

I now understand that her “brand” back then was a mask. She was too scared to show the world the real Paris Hilton.

I never thought I would be able to relate to Paris Hilton (you know, with her being Paris Hilton and all), but Paris giving us a peek into her real story allows me to.

Knowing what someone’s background is, what their passions are, why they are the way they are, makes people so much more invested in others.

Paris has a multi-billion dollar empire – from music to product lines at Walmart. I never would have considered buying into any of it before. But now? Honestly, yes. Give me a sparkly “That’s Hot” pink tumbler and let me sip it as I’m wearing my baby blue Juicy tracksuit and stream her new songs. I get it now.

But I also get why she didn’t open up before now. Being vulnerable is really hard. Once you open up, you can’t undo it. However, whether you’re an attorney, realtor, or something in between, maybe we can all learn a little from Paris opening up and be more real for ourselves online too. It will likely even positively affect your business. 

In a recent story I wrote for the Legal Marketing Association’s Strategies and Voices newsletter, I share the benefits of attorneys blogging about their experiences – whether they talked on a panel or won an award – and the growth many have seen from that. The same applies here. Be raw and real – see what happens. 

If you are in need of help getting your backstory across to your audience, contact me today. The Twillman Agency is ready to help tell your story.