There was once a fairly predictable path to entertainment success.
A book needed a strong review. A TV show needed a major newspaper feature, a glossy magazine spread, or a glowing endorsement from a respected critic. A new performer needed a booking on the right radio show, a mention from the right editor, or approval from an institution that told audiences: this is worth your time.
Those voices still matter. But they are no longer the only people shaping taste.
Today, entertainment culture is moving faster, fragmenting further and being shaped by a much wider mix of creators, fandoms, social platforms and algorithms. For any PR agency Australia wide working across books, television, streaming or talent, the challenge is no longer just getting a project reviewed. It is getting it discussed, shared, remixed and sustained by the communities who now decide what cuts through.
Then: Critics, Editors and Institutions Set the Agenda
For decades, entertainment PR was largely built around gatekeepers.
In book PR, critics, literary editors, publishers, bookshops and bestseller lists held enormous influence. A strong review in a major publication could give a title credibility. A feature interview could introduce an author to a national audience. A radio segment could move a book from niche interest to mainstream consideration.
In TV PR, the model was similar. Networks, entertainment editors, critics and broadcast media helped define which shows became “must-watch”. A positive review, a cast interview on breakfast TV or a strong newspaper profile could generate the momentum needed around a premiere.
This model gave campaigns structure, and it also gave them authority. Traditional media created trust, and institutional endorsement helped audiences navigate a crowded entertainment landscape.
But the audience experience was mostly one-way. The critics reviewed, the editors curated, the institutions validated, and then the audiences consumed. That world has changed.
Now: Creators, Fandoms and Algorithms Shape Momentum
Today, audiences are not waiting to be told what to watch or read. They are discovering entertainment through social feeds, creator recommendations, group chats, Reddit threads, TikTok edits, fan theories, memes, podcasts and algorithm-driven suggestions.
In books, this is most obvious through BookTok and Bookstagram. A title does not always need a traditional review to take off. It can gain traction because a creator cries on camera about the ending, a trope goes viral, a cover becomes instantly recognisable, or a fandom starts recommending it with the intensity of a personal mission.
As we explored in Book PR Then vs Now: From Author Tours to BookTok, modern book PR is no longer only about launch week. It is about sustained discoverability, community conversation and emotional hooks that audiences want to share.
The same is true in TV and streaming. Shows no longer live or die purely by premiere night coverage. They build momentum through clips, cast chemistry, fan edits, online theories, reaction content and the constant circulation of moments across platforms.
A series can find new life weeks or months after release because one scene becomes a meme, one character becomes a fan favourite, or one creator reframes the show for a new audience. This is where modern Entertainment PR Australia strategies need to operate: not just around the release, but around the ongoing conversation.
Taste Is Now Participatory
The biggest shift is that taste is no longer handed down, it’s built collectively.
Fandoms do not simply consume entertainment; they expand it. They create theories, edits, rankings, playlists, memes, explainers and emotional commentary that help bring new audiences in. Creators do not simply promote entertainment; they interpret it. Algorithms do not simply distribute entertainment; they reward what audiences respond to quickly and intensely.
This means entertainment PR has become less linear and more layered.
A campaign may still begin with earned media, but its success depends on what happens next. Does the interview generate clips? Does the author’s perspective spark discussion? Does the cast moment become shareable? Does the campaign give fans enough material to participate?
This is especially important in Talent PR. Audiences increasingly connect with the people behind the work as much as the work itself. Authors, actors, presenters, performers and creators are no longer just attached to a project. They are often the reason audiences care.
As we discussed in Why Authors Are the New PR Strategy, the strongest campaigns are built around the person, their point of view and their cultural relevance. The book, show or project becomes the proof point. The talent becomes the ongoing media asset.
A recent example of this shift is Heated Rivalry, the TV adaptation of Rachel Reid’s hockey romance novel.
On paper, it may once have looked like a niche title: a queer sports romance adapted from a book series with an established but specific readership. But its breakout success shows how entertainment taste is increasingly shaped by communities rather than traditional gatekeepers alone.
While critics and entertainment media helped validate the series, its real momentum came from the way audiences participated in it. Fans created edits, memes, reaction posts and discussion threads, turning the show from a streaming release into a wider cultural conversation. The existing book fandom gave the series a built-in community, while social platforms helped introduce it to viewers who may never have discovered it through traditional reviews or platform promotion.
This is exactly where modern entertainment PR is heading. A successful campaign is no longer just about securing coverage for launch week. It is about understanding the communities most likely to care, giving them something to respond to, and building enough momentum for algorithms to carry that conversation further.
For books, TV and streaming, Heated Rivalry proves that fandom is not a nice-to-have. It can be the engine that turns a title from niche to mainstream.
What This Means for Entertainment PR
For brands, publishers, production companies and talent, the new taste-making landscape requires a different approach.
Traditional media still matters because credibility matters. A respected review, feature interview or broadcast placement can still establish authority and introduce a project to a wider audience. But it cannot sit alone.
Modern entertainment PR needs to connect traditional media with creator strategy, influencer engagement, social storytelling, fan behaviour and cultural reaction. It needs to understand not only what audiences are watching or reading, but what they are saying about it.
This is where influencer marketing and creator partnerships become powerful. The right creator can translate a book, show or talent story into the language of a specific community. They can make a campaign feel personal, not promotional.
It is also where strong consumer PR strategy matters. Entertainment is not just a product category; it is culture. The goal is not simply to generate awareness, but to create relevance that travels across channels.
From Being Reviewed to Being Remembered
The future of TV and streaming PR, book PR and entertainment communications is not about choosing between critics and creators. It is about understanding how each form of influence works.
Critics can validate, editors can contextualise, institutions can lend credibility, creators can translate, fandoms can amplify, and algorithms can accelerate.
The smartest campaigns bring these forces together.
For any entertainment brand or talent looking to build real momentum, the question is no longer simply: how do we get covered?
The better question is: how do we give audiences a reason to care, share and keep the conversation going?
Because in today’s entertainment landscape, taste is not shaped by one voice at the top. It is shaped by communities. And the campaigns that win are the ones built for participation, not just publicity.
Agent Nic
