I’ve worked with Rosemary, RoseComm’s founder and president since the early 2000s. We are colleagues and we are friends. Despite that longstanding connection, nearly a year ago when I wanted to share something extremely personal with her, it was hard to find the confidence and the words.
Through my tears, I told her that I have alopecia.
I had recently made the decision to wear alternative hair and given the number of Zoom meetings we have with our clients, it felt only right to share with her the sudden reason for my change in appearance.
Fast forward to this week. Alopecia is a trending topic and headline news due to the scuffle at the 2022 Academy Awards. By now we all know what transpired. Who is right? Who is wrong? While that is up for debate, Jada Pinkett Smith’s clear disdain for Chris Rock’s joke was felt by many, including an extremely large community of women who experience hair loss. According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, the disease affects nearly seven million people in the United States and 147 million people worldwide.
A post about Sunday night’s incident could go in any number of directions – from crisis management and repairing Will Smith’s reputation to analyzing his apology.
But I’d like to focus on seizing the moment. In public relations, we constantly look for the “why now” to tell different aspects of our clients’ stories. No one in the alopecia community –including organizations, wig makers, influencers, or silent alopecians – knew this week would present a moment to shine, to educate and for some of us, speak openly about our hair loss for the first time.
While planning ahead is key for success in PR, the ability to pivot and jump on issues as they start trending is also critical. Our team constantly monitors for developing news that might be relevant to our clients’ businesses. Working with our clients, we determine the best ways for them to be part of the ongoing narrative. Did the communications team at the National Alopecia Areata Foundation go into the weekend knowing their cause would dominate the news cycle come Sunday night? Absolutely not. But they mobilized immediately with a statement, began leveraging the event as a teachable moment, and were quick to remind people that #alopeciaareataisnojoke.
Events like this serve as a reminder that in a 24/7 news cycle, it’s imperative to pay attention and move swiftly.
The joke and altercation that followed at the Oscars put a spotlight on alopecia and offered an opportunity to bring more awareness to the disease, and the often-complicated emotions surrounding it for those who live with it and their families. Whether you’re doing so as an individual or as a brand, speaking out on a breaking news topic may require finding courage and stepping beyond your comfort zone. For me, Sunday night’s cultural moment spurred me to publicly address an issue that’s tormented me privately for 20 years.
H/T to Winston Churchill for headline inspiration.