Branding Case Study: Paris Hilton vs Kim Kardasian

While celebrities and celebrity culture is a topic usually best left for the tabloids, gossip blogs, and SEO link-bait, sometimes celebrities and their media entourage provide good case studies in modern media communications and PR. For example, I still hold some sense of shock and amazement over learning that Kim Kardasian was using Twitter for sponsored tweets as $10K a tweet.

Setting the Stage for a Branding Case Study
Apparently, Paris Hilton appeared on Good Morning America recently and was asked (more or less), "aren't your 15 minutes up?" She walked off the set. Keeping in mind that both Paris Hilton and Kim Kardasian launched their brand at a similar time and through a similar path, it's an interesting comparative analysis between the two celebs and their brands:

• Why is one still viable while the other has jumped the shark? 
• Are there differences in programs and practices that have driven the success of one or the failure of the other? 
• Are there specific PR or branding blunders that stand out? 

Anyway, that's enough celebrity culture for me...