Fri 22 Jun 2007
Katie Couric’s Image
Posted by Sandy Dumont under Image of Celebrities, Katie Watch
[24] Comments
I'd like to make a comment about Katie Couric's image (Click here to see Katie Couric's Picture), and her all-too-casual look. I just read that her image consultant is Montgomery Frazier, a New York image consultant. He says he revamped Katie Couric for CBS. Sorry, Montgomery, but her look is okay for morning chic-chat shows, but the Evening News needs a commanding presence in order to have high credibility. Katie's look just doesn't cut it, and I would predict that if she doesn't change her image dramatically, she might risk losing her job. She has a soft voice and image, so she needs to level the playing field. Men have deep voices and stronger physiques than women, so women can easily be perceived as less powerful. Katie needs to ditch her blouses and dresses and wear suits/jackets. But not "blazer" jackets that look like "daddy's jacket" - and look ordinary instead of extraordinary. This guy Montgomery Frazier says he advised Katie to wear diamond studs. You can't even see them, so they make no impact. Image is all about the impact you make upon others, and it is both a science and an art.Once you've mastered the rules (the science), then you can stand back and make judgments (the art). Most image consultants skip over the technical part and get into "that's you, darling." Lastly, image consultants should have loyalty to their clients and not any particular brand. Frazier spouts off brand names, and that gives the false impression that by wearing a particular brand, you will look dynamic. Bad advice.
All Katie needs to do is learn from a seasoned image consultant everything there is to know about color and color psychology, as well as "line." The shape of your lips, eyebrows, glasses, earrings, jacket collar ALL send out messages - as does color. Katie has no consistency with her image in terms of color or style.
Katey Gursey says:
I really don’t know her but she could be a nun (just like Heahter Tesch on the Weather Channel in the morning) which is ok w/ me–they are both beautiful.
Hi Katey,
Your comment that Katie Couric could be a num is not that far off track. And, yes, Katie is beautiful, and being atractive is a plus when it comes to TV reporters. However, Katie needs to look more credible and authoritative for the Evening News.
Sandy
Katie looks like she’s wearing her highschool parochial school uniform in this pic.
EmpoweredParent.com
<p>Dear Sue,<br />
Yes, you are absolutely right. Newscasters don’t want to look intimidating, but if they want their news to be viewed as more credible or important than the other stations, anchors need to project an image of “supreme credibility” and Katie Couric’s current image just doesn’t do that.</p>
<p>It is all about impact. Impact can be made through the use of colour as well as line in clothing. Sophisticated “big city” accessories and makeup add to the impression that the anchor is a worldly, knowledgeable person. Conservative, safe dressing, on the other hand, suggests a more timid personalioty. If Katie wants to make an impact upon her audience, she needs an image that packs a punch, not one that is “sweet.” Katie Couric’s image consultant obviously knows little about either line or color.</p>
<p>Sandy</p>
Dear Anonymous,
I agree, a pristine white blouse does look rather like high-school instead of “big city” attire. However, if she wore it with power earrings and more dynamic makeup, she could carry it off. Still, suit jackets give more authority.
Sandy
Dear Parent,
Good call. She looks like she hasn’t grown up yet and is still in her high-school or college days.
Sandy
Katie looks very ordinary in this pic and the colour does not flatter her at all. I don’t see much of Katie “on air” as I’m posting from Australia. However, I have noticed a trend here also for newsreaders to be more casually dressed. I guess the idea is to not seem too threatening and authorative as those people come into our homes every night. My advice would be to “smarten up” without looking too “newsy”. It can be done with the right colours, textures and cuts in her cloting and some interesting accesories.
Katie Couric looks horrible. Like a slob who forget to comb her hair.
Dear Anonymous,
I wouldn’t go so far as to say Katie Couric looks like a slob who forgot to comb her hair. Yet, I would note that she can’t seem to find a hairstyle that SHE can manage. In the past when she was “on the road” with her previous network, her hair often looked rather disheveled and unsophisticated. Anchors need to look worldly and sophisticated when they present “world news.”
Katie needs to find a consistent hairdo, because it is part of her image. “TV personalities” need to brand their image. Consistency increases familiarity, as any product-branding expert knows!
Sandy
Well at the risk of sounding like “I have it all together” (not) my first impression when I saw her was “schoolgirl”. Her hair looks too flat (for my taste), like she tumbled out of bed and simply brushed it. She looks like she has some kind of a jumper on. What’s up with that.
angela C.
Ms. Dumont “this guy”, Montgomery Frazier, just read your comments about Katie Couric’s style and my supposed involvement in her image for CBS. Wrong!!!!!!
1. I have never had anything to do with Katie Couric’s style for CBS, nor have I ever claimed that. There was an incorrect statement in Money Magazine which gave a wrong statement that I claimed I “revamped her for CBS”. They are supposed to print a retraction of that mis-information.
I worked with Ms. Couric over 6 years ago when she was still on The Today Show for a brief stint and that was that!
All of you people, especially writers, journalists and blogsters, in the media should get your facts straight and stop plaguerizing articles from other publications. Obviously, the internet is yet another forum for mis-information.
Respectfully,
“That guy”
Montgomery Frazier
Image Guru
The Guru Image Development
Dear Mr. Frazier,
I’m so sorry that the media forgot to mention that you worked with Katie Couric six years ago. Hopefully, a retraction or correction will be made. I stand by my comments about her present image. My blog is a forum for getting reliable information out into the world about image.
Sandy
Dear Ms. Dumont,
“this guy” , Montgomery Frazier, as you condescendingly referred to me, has to respond to your comments as both unfair, inaccurate and misinformed.
Although an article recently appeared in Money Magazine, where I was wrongly quoted, stating that I supposedly claimed that I “revamped Katie Couric for CBS” , your comments attributing me for her image on CBS is incorrect and inflammatory for all parties concerned. They will be printing a retraction!!!
The writer from Money Magazine plaguerized another article that was in fact written about me over 6 years ago when I actually did work with Ms Couric, then at The Today Show, for a very brief stint.
I unequivocably deny that I ever made such a false and easily disproved statement. I have never claimed such a thing, nor would I ever have to!
You should check your facts before you make comdenmational remarks about one’s professional capabilities. I doubt that you would like to be blamed for something that you didn’t do, but then journalism isn’t what it used to be, is it?
Respectfully,
Montgomery Frazier
Image Guru
Dear Mr. Frazier,
Please see my comments above about the unfortunate misinformation in the media. My use of the expression “this guy” was simply because I do not know you personally. Had I known you personally, I would have said “Montgomery.”
Sandy Dumont
As a comment to your newsletter article I read recently an article in the American Press about Katie Couric, which said that she has had to change her style of dressing recently, ‘under orders’, in order to fit to her programme!
I have never seen her in the eventing CBS broadcast but thought she fitted in with the NBC’s Today format very well, but then it was meant to be a less serious way of being informed while waking up.
Francine,
You are exactly right. Her recent image was better suited to a morning chat show format However, it is rumoured that she has been asked to power up her image.
I don’t agree. She looks fine. Stop judging. Good thing the writer of the judgemental article isn’t getting judged for her spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors! Oh, but I’m sure your looks are stunning. (insert rolling eyes here)
Hi Jen,
My comments were not judgmental. I don’t invent styles, I just report on the reaction the public has to them.
Well! That was all rather ugly. I would have liked to see classic style on paper (tone and content) as well as in the image herein discussed. If we speak to others as though they are standing in front of us, we make more friends than enemies.
Sybil,
Katie needed a wake-up call, because she was not having an image of high credibility. Apparently, enough people told her so, so she is now looking the part of a trustworthy, credible news anchor for a major network!
Katie should view old video tapes of Jane Pauley to get some suggestions for classy dressing. (Perhaps her image consultant could join her)
Katie Couric must have had comments about her image, because she is wearing business suits and jackets most of the time now. Recently, I saw her wearing a jumper, which is a very collegiate look. Hope someone tells her to forget jumpers! They aren’t suitable for the Evening News.
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you.
Thanks for your feedbck. A lot of people have contacted me about Ktie Couric’s image. I like her very much and hope she takes note of feedback about the inconsistency of her image. One of the major tenets of branding (for people or products) is consistency. You can’t look professional “some of the time.”