Whether you like him or not, everyone knows who Justin Bieber is. The pop star has managed to stay prevalent in the media ever since breaking into the music industry in 2008, whether receiving good or bad publicity. Recently, Justin has stepped back into the limelight after a rough few years and has released a few hit songs that prove to be as catchy as his past work. Justin’s brand has evolved drastically since his beginning, and he finally seems to be getting it right.
Flashback to 2008 when 
Justin Bieber had it all—the hair flip, the cute wink, the catchy pop songs and millions of “beliebers,” his loyal fans. He built his brand on cuteness and being a teenage heart-throb. Justin stayed humble and thankful to his fans through the early steps of his career, keeping people loyal to him and his music. His strong foundation carried him through four years of successful albums, a movie, book and tours. He drew people in with his catchy lyrics from songs such as “Baby” and “One Time,” and he was even the first artist who had seven songs from his debut album, “My World,” to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Quite frankly, he was killing it in the industry, and “Bieber fever” was spreading quickly.
And then, 2013 hit. Justin split from Selena Gomez, his girlfriend of two years, and was constantly in the news for his actions. The headlines were filled with Justin updates, showing pictures of him attacking a photographer, spitting on fans and vandalizing buildings. Early in 2014, he was arrested for driving under the influence in Miami. Many of his beliebers turned away from him, and the world saw Justin in a different way. Leaving his cuteness and hair flip behind, Justin had stepped into a new brand of rebellion and blatant disrespect for others, even his loyal fans that helped him rise to fame. The world’s “Bieber fever” plummeted, showing in the drastically lower sales he received for his 2013 album “Journals.”
Then suddenly, Justin was gone—he stepped back from the media and cameras, probably knowing that he needed a break. The name “Justin Bieber” still remained in people’s minds as one of disrespect and rudeness, but sometimes all something needs is time. Justin took his hiatus and let the media push aside his past actions, and now he is finally starting to regain the respect of the public. During Justin’s Comedy Central Roast, he took the time to get serious and apologize for his wrongdoings, and he hinted at what he was planning on doing later in the year. Now, Justin has released a few extremely catchy hit singles from his upcoming album “Purpose,” and received generous applause after his performance at the VMAs. Justin is finally getting his personal brand right, showing that even though something bad might happen, it is not always the end. Sometimes, people and brands have to apologize and step back from the cameras to allow for anything good to follow. So now, as I countdown the days until he releases his new album, the public relations enthusiast inside of me also cannot wait to see how he progresses with his personal brand in the future.
Sarah Kelly is a Sophomore with a double major in Strategic Communications and Marketing. Follow Sarah on twitter @s_kelly14!