Exploring the New Breed of Celebrity

CLEARWATER, FL--(Marketwire - July 21, 2009) - It used to be that the only way to be a celebrity was to be on TV, in the movies, or to do something completely lame.

However, over the last decade, a new kind of celebrity has emerged -- the expert celebrity. These are people who are absolutely at the top of their professions, and find a way to use the media to offer their expertise to the masses.

From Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer), Martha Stewart, and Bob Vila to Dr. Phil, Suze Orman and Rachel Ray, expert celebrities are taking over television, radio, print publications and the Internet. Moreover, according to media expert Marsha Friedman -- author of "Celebritize Yourself" from Warren Publishing (www.celebritizeyourself.com) -- the next celebrity expert could well be you.

"In today's world of specialty programming on TV and radio and with the explosion of web marketing, online media and social media marketing -- becoming a celebrity is no longer just for the A list movie stars and recording artists we normally think of," Friedman said. "Today, we have celebrity attorneys, celebrity chefs, celebrity financial experts and fitness gurus -- we even have celebrity bounty hunters! So, if you're in business and are focused on expansion, there is no better way than to become a celebrity expert in your field."

Friedman believes that these expert celebrities and those who'd like to be expert celebrities have one primary thing in common -- at one time, they were all just working folks.

"These were people on the street with a passion for what they do and with valuable knowledge that people need," she said. "Rachel Ray worked at a candy counter at Macy's before her passion, her ingenuity and her personality enabled her to forge her own celebrity status."

Friedman also explained that building more business has been the primary driver behind the emergence of the expert celebrity.

"Businesses are struggling in this economy and success in today's world requires business leaders to market in a way they may never have done before," she added. "They need to rise above their competition, become THE 'go-to' guy in their field, the recognized expert people want to deal with. The credibility that comes with this recognition can build a business or turn one around that's failing."

About Marsha Friedman

Marsha Friedman is the CEO of EMSI Public Relations (www.emsincorporated.com), a 20-year-old successful PR firm.

Contact Information: Contact: Rachel Friedman Rachel@newsandexperts.com