Personal Public Relations and the Influencer Phenomenon: A Case Study of the Artist Salvador Dalí

Abstract

Personal relations with the public as a field of study is increasingly drawing the attention of professional and scientific research. The father of public relations Edward L. Bernays stated already in the 1920s that every individual supports the idea with which they can identify, and that they usually achieve this through the interpretation of symbols. This paper focuses on the strategy of creating a personal image in the time before the Internet on the example of the Spanish artist Salvador Dalí. Using the case study method, the paper will offer a detailed presentation of building Dalí's personal relations and describe the key activities he was involved in and communication channels he used. The aim of the paper is to determine whether the communication tools used by influencers today existed even before the advent of social media and to confirm the thesis that Dalí was an influencer and a brand persona.

DOI: 10.5671/ca.48.1.6