The PR Studio

Today Justin Bieber gained at least one new fan… ME. No, I didn’t just hear ‘Baby’ or ‘Never Say Never’ for the first time. I was stricken with Bieber fever today when the talented teen proved himself to be admirably compassionate and genuinely kind well beyond his years by making one little girl’s wish come true.

Six-year-old Avalanna was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer that she has been battling since 8 months old. This brave little girl fighting this difficult disease has touched the hearts of many in her community, but she has made it clear to them that her heart belongs to Justin Bieber.

Like many little girls Avalanna’s age, she has found it impossible to resist Justin’s good looks, boyish charm, and superstar talent. Precocious and imaginative, Avalanna, who refers to herself as ‘Mrs. Bieber’, has shared with friends that she and Justin have had their ups and downs, but at the end of the day, they manage to make it work. She has even starred as the bride in a pretend wedding to the teen singing sensation courtesy of the Jimmy Fund.

Recently Avalanna’s favorite local hair and nail salon, where she often stops to get a manicure and pedicure after her treatments, launched a media campaign to make Avalanna’s dream to actually meet her husband, Justin, come true. With the assistance of local media, including news station Fox 25, Avalanna’s dream became a reality.

Undoubtedly one of the world’s busiest teens, Justin Bieber, with the assistance of his manager, made arrangements to fly Avalanna and her family to New York City. ‘Mrs. Bieber’ had her first date with her dream man and they even bonded over a game of Candyland.

It will be difficult to quantify the amount of goodwill and great PR that Justin fostered by making this special meeting happen. As I said earlier, although I thought I was born too soon to be part of the Bieber phenom, I have to admit that what I observed today undoubtedly created some serious brand loyalty for the pop icon. I bet the next mom who draws the short straw and has to chaperone the loaded mini-van of giddy 11-year-olds en route to the Bieber concert is going to remember this story and actually feel pretty good about the long and loud night ahead of her.

Although this is an extraordinary example, it is a good reminder that a publicist’s job is to move mountains and rearrange even the most difficult schedules to make those special opportunities happen.

I have no doubt that celebrities must get inundated with many charitable requests. I am sure that it is impossible to satisfy every single one of them. However, seared in my memory is the public relations disaster from March 2011 when a well-known chef declined an invitation from the ‘Make-a-Wish’ Foundation. The Foundation reached out to the chef requesting to fulfill a young boy’s dream of cooking a meal with his favorite celebrity chef. According to her reps, she was busy with a 10-month book tour and couldn’t find the time. After a tsunami of negative press, the chef stated to not have known about the request and tried to schedule a meeting. Unfortunately, after being denied a meeting with her twice, the little boy changed his focus and decided to swim with the dolphins instead. The chef’s opportunity had passed and the damage to her reputation was done.

Prior to this incident, this chef and her cake mix once made a baker out of me if only for one batch of red velvet cupcakes. I was attracted to her pretty packaging and good product placement at the local grocery store. I bought the cupcake mix and 45 minutes later, I was the proud creator of actually edible red velvet cupcakes. Then I read about this incident…

Next time I pass through the cake mix aisle and I get the urge to bake some cupcakes, I will feel compelled to reach for the scandal-free Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines.

When I get home and start mixing up the batter, you just might hear the sounds of Justin Bieber belting out from my iTunes..’baby. baby, baby, ohhhh.. ‘