Few brands remain at the top of their field forever. They can coast on your past reputation for a while, but eventually, it will lose its luster. Then, creative communicators need to find new ways to show their value to new generations who might see them as old-fashioned or not think of them at all.

Public relations should be at the forefront of any reinvention strategy, according to Jacqueline Babb, a senior lecturer at Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University.

“Brand and reputation go hand-in-hand,” Babb said. “Being able to reshape stakeholder (customers and investors) perceptions is going to be critical to the success of any rebranding efforts.”

Breathing life into a tired brand

Sometimes a brand loses its cultural relevance – whether it’s because the imaging is a bit tired or perhaps the product itself feels antiquated.

That was the case for Anne Marie Squeo’s PR team while she was ​​chief communications and brand officer Xerox from 2019 to 2021. She described the company as having “receded from the zeitgeist for many years.”

In response, Squeo’s team decided to shift its messaging focus from its printers – “which weren’t very exciting” – to the colors they could create. With a series of videos that connected to relevant events, such as the US Open tennis tournament, holidays, fashion, etc., the team featured its print experts alongside external ones discussing various topics such as the perception of metallics and the real color of a tennis ball.

Taking a page out of paint companies’ playbook, Xerox announced it’d chosen “clear” as its 2020 color of the year. The revamped approach generated press coverage and brought a refresh to the brand, said Squeo, founder and CEO of Proof Point Communications.

Squeo said it aimed to “signal to the world that we were waking up the sleeping giant.”

Xerox experienced an immediate brand excitement, Squeo said. However, it struggled to sustain that success in part because the overarching brand failed to adapt its business model to consumer trends, leading to struggles and a “reinvention” of the company’s business operations.

This is a reminder that even great PR can only do so much in terms of driving sales. It’s important that communications objectives should flow from organizational objectives.

Reacting to a changed cultural landscape

One product Babb believes has done a great job reacting to changed cultural preferences is Crocs – the famously ugly, utilitarian clog that took the world by storm in the early 2000s.

The company originally found great success with its focus on comfort and practicality. However, after concerns about foot health risks stemming from the shoe and ridicule of  its no-frills design, the company was on the verge of going belly-up by 2009.

When Andrew Rees became CEO in 2017, he shifted the brand’s focus to making clogs cool and raising awareness about its other options, such as sandals.

The brand has turned to more over-the-top and silly product designs – such as clogs with heels and specialty themed footwear geared toward children, such as the “Wednesday Addams” edition. Crocs recently released footwear for dogs which sold out the same day.

“(Crocs) embraced ‘ugliness’ as part of its ethos, emphasizing joy and its unique style for leaning into a more unconventional aesthetic,” Babb said.

All social media images feature playful messaging that mirrors the relaxed, “who cares?” vibe of the products it now offers.  The company also tapped into a relationship with a range of influencers, such as musician Carter Vail and singer Post Malone – leading to a reemergence of the brand, especially among teens.

PR pros can use this as an example of taking a step back to look at their product and showcase how it best relates to the current cultural landscape.

The value of a brand

Babb described brands as “intangible assets with tangible value” for companies. A positive brand identity is likely the reason a consumer wants to associate with a company and makes them feel comfortable paying for a product.

A bad reputation will have the opposite, negative effect.

Abercrombie & Fitch is an example of a brand that has experienced both ends of that spectrum over the past few years.

After being voted America’s most hated retailer just eight years ago, Abercrombie worked to move away from an over-sexualized image, which didn’t resonate with Gen Z or even the millennials that had grown up with the brand. The brand’s PR leaned into shared media to announce #AbercrombieIsBack on social media, knowing the importance of changing customer perceptions of their reputation. Posts featured new, more relaxed fit clothing, such as sweaters and trendy cargo pants. 

And in that transition, the company managed to restore millennial love for the brand.

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“They decided to dig deep into customer insights about the millennial audience that grew up with and loved Abercrombie and are now young professionals,” Babb said.

However, much of that good work is now being undercut by a scandal involving its former CEO, Mike Jeffries, accused of various sex crimes. Its stock price has suffered.

Abercrombie has sought to distance itself from Jeffries and his association with the company. In social media posts, A&F highlighted that Jeffries hasn’t worked there in nearly 10 years and the company also has moved on from the image he created for the brand.

Babb expressed a belief that those types of efforts to distance from unsavory elements of a brand’s history are important to withstand continued blowback.

“In a world where everything is an ad network, from the top of a taxi to the televisions in Walmart, authentic messages from humans are essential,” Babb said.

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.

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There’s no such thing as surefire homerun when it comes to a product launch or campaign. No matter the quality of content or the product its promoting, sometimes things just don’t resonate with the target audience.

While no one likes to admit failure, there are important lessons that a PR team can learn from these situations. By understanding what went wrong, there’s a chance to make fixes that can salvage the effort.

“If you’re thinking about a PR campaign that’s supporting a product launch, but the sales aren’t there, then you’ve got to ask yourself why,” said Anne Marie Squeo, founder and CEO of Proof Point Communications.

Squeo experienced one of those challenges firsthand while a vice president of communications at IBM. By the time she joined the company, it had already  issued what Squeo described as “hundreds of press releases” about Watson, its AI-based offering. The focus of those communications was to highlight the company’s thought leadership in the still-emerging artificial intelligence space.

The technology famously beat trivia masters on Jeopardy in 2011. By 2016, then-IBM CEO Ginni Rometty boldly stated that Watson was on track for use in some form by a billion people by the end of the following year.

That didn’t happen.

The product was expensive to adopt, and it wasn’t the industry-changing, do-everything solution that it was made out to be. In fact, it didn’t work very well. As a result, clients openly expressed their disappointment to the press, and the narrative surrounding Watson as a breakthrough in artificial intelligence quickly turned into a PR and business issue.

“We really had to move quickly to understand why this was happening, what we had said, and how we had fallen short of our promises,” explained Squeo, a former vice president of corporate communications for IBM. One of her assignments had her oversee Watson, cloud & technology communications.

First things first: Determining where things went wrong

When facing a struggling campaign or product launch, the first thing to do is to perform a root cause analysis to diagnose why things didn’t go as planned.

At IBM, Squeo and her team started by examining all of its previous releases, public statements and advertising language related to Watson. The goal of the “autopsy” was to understand the extent of the problem and where the disconnect lay between marketing claims and actual product performance.

In the case of Watson, the product simply wasn’t meeting the hype surrounding it.

Often, companies blame marketing and PR when sales don’t come through, Squeo said, but if “you’ve got an amazing product, no amount of marketing and PR can hide its appeal.” She gave the example of the almost-overnight success of Dollar Shave Club.

“PR can’t fix it unless we understand and work to address the reason the story appeared in the first place,” she added.

Scale back communications to avoid brand damage

When facing a difficult campaign or product launch, Squeo emphasized the importance of limiting public messaging while working to address those internal issues to avoid doing additional damage to the brand.

Generally, if a product launch isn’t getting traction or is receiving criticism, the PR team should turn its outward-facing messaging to the successful business areas while reworking its approach to the field product, Squeo said. Any messaging about the struggling product or campaign should focus on facts and clarifying information.

Squeo left IBM in late 2018, so she wasn’t there for all the aftermath of the Watson fallout. From the outside, it felt like the company had stopped talking about Watson almost entirely. She agreed with the approach.

“I didn’t see many ads for it, and when I watched IBM’s investor days, they barely mentioned it,” said Squeo. “So, I think that’s a clear sign they’d moved on. They were focusing on other parts of the business instead.”

Don’t be afraid to try new things

Just because a campaign doesn’t hit right away, it doesn’t mean the product is bad or there isn’t a market for it. PR teams need to test and iterate, adjusting media strategies and messaging as needed based on data and feedback.

If traditional PR and marketing haven’t gotten many hits, it may be time to shift to a paid approach, where you don’t need to convince someone to promote your product, Squeo said. If the paid approach is done well, it might help the other side and make the media more receptive to pitches.

In some instances, the best strategy is simply giving more time for the campaign or product to find its audience. Some campaigns or products take longer to have an impact, especially if the product or service is expensive or a longer-term investment rather than a short-term necessity, Squeo said.

“If one thing isn’t working, you can try shifting your focus to see if you get better results by shifting your approach,” she said. “You should always be looking to learn and adjust.”

Be a thought leader, not just a ‘doer’

Rather than simply executing orders, Squeo stressed the need for PR professionals to take a more involved approach in the campaign analysis.

“It’s our responsibility to take that expertise and make it actionable and explainable to our internal partners, whether it’s the product development team, sales team, marketing team or CEO,” Squeo said.

“We need to clearly explain why we’re recommending a particular course of action, what results we expect to achieve,” she added. “If those results aren’t delivered, why that happened and how we’re addressing it.”

When facing a campaign or product challenge, it’s vital to collaborate across departments. PR teams should work hand-in-hand with the product development, sales and marketing teams to fully understand the challenges and to develop effective solutions.

“I don’t think you can do that alone,” Squeo said. “All those things play a role. It’s not just marketing and PR.”

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.

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Vice President Kamala Harris is using her remaining time on the campaign trail to remind undecided voters about why they rejected former President Donald Trump at the polls four years ago.

With Election Day just two weeks away, most polls have the presidential race as a 50/50 contest. The Washington Post has Harris ahead in four of seven key battleground states, but the leads are tight.

In an effort to sway undecided voters, Harris’ camp has teamed up with Republican Liz Cheney and made efforts to reconnect with Black male voters, according to the New York Times. But the Democratic nominee has spent much of her time trying to paint Trump as unfit for the job and dangerous to the country. She’s doing so by using his own words against him.

“See for yourself,” Harris said during a recent campaign stop in Wisconsin before pointing to a screen that showed a 40-second video featuring Trump boasting about overturning Roe v. Wade.

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“Harris’s attacks on Trump are intensifying as she tries to catch up to his lead on the economy, a key voter concern,” per the Times report. “Her campaign is reaching out to groups that might be turned off by Trump’s divisive style.”

Why it matters: Harris’ messaging strategy aims to frame her opponent as an unacceptable alternative.

While Trump’s remarks have raised eyebrows, Harris is spending crucial time highlighting what Trump doesn’t offer rather than presenting what she offers.

Opinions on Trump are mostly set. The New York Times reported that Trump’s advisers are urging him to focus on key issues and avoid personal attacks against Harris because they feel it could hurt him among female voters. However, his aggressive style and boldness seem intentional and resonate with some voters. His communication approach focuses on projecting strength and confidence, and it’s helped him gain ground among Black and Hispanic voters.

While Harris is trying to lure back some of that support by highlighting Trump’s negatives, she also needs to commit time to present more about her vision for the future. Harris did some of that during her recent interview on Republican-friendly Fox News, but she doesn’t have many remaining opportunities to generate support among could-be voters.

From a branding perspective, it’s crucial to focus on a product’s strengths, rather than just the drawbacks of the competition. People often prefer to buy into – or vote for – something they genuinely believe in and want. It’s hard to get excited about something presented as the little more than the best available option.

Editor’s Top Reads

• The NFL is taking a long game approach to developing markets around the world before rushing into true global expansion. The approach involves a heavy dose of relationship building and a development of brand loyalty. The league is doing so through a number of in person events, such as watch parties, athletic clinics and working with local business leaders. In Germany, for instance, the league has developed an alliance with Bayern Munich, a powerhouse in other football. The NFL hosts a handful of games around the world every year, in places like England, Germany, Brazil and next year, Spain. But the goal is “not to be the traveling circus and turn up and then go away again,” Henry Hodgson, who oversees the NFL’s operations in the United Kingdom and Ireland, said during an 800-person watch party for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Ireland. Instead, the league makes sure it has strong, proven relationships with sponsors, media partners and a large number of fans before deciding where it plans to host a game. Ireland, which last hosted an NFL preseason game in 1997, has an estimated 350,000 fans out of roughly 7 million residents. “It’s about putting roots down,” Hodgson said. The NFL’s approach to growing its global brand is worth considering, even though it’s a unique product. When introducing a product or campaign, it’s essential to think about long-term growth, as you can’t relaunch it twice. Rather than pushing a product quickly and hoping it works, taking the time to understand your audience can lead to better results in the long run.
• Chick-fil-A plans to launch a new app featuring original, family-friendly media content, including animated shows, scripted podcasts, games, recipes and e-books. This content, designed for kids under 12 and their parents, will focus on themes like generosity, friendship, problem-solving, creativity and entrepreneurship. By taking control of its brand and storytelling, Chick-fil-A is working to forge emotional relationships with their customers that they hope will lead to increased sales. The app aims to keep the brand top of mind, even when customers aren’t visiting the restaurant, by providing engaging content that families can enjoy together. This push toward branded storytelling and content allows organizations to own brand perception from end-to-end in a way that feels organic and embeds the brand into daily life.
• The producers of “Alien: Romulus” are planning to release the sci-fi film on VHS. Yes, you read that correctly. Gizmodo reported that the video will feature the film only and come with no special bells and whistles. But the release will surely inspire film buffs and collectors of a certain age to consider purchasing it. The decision is an homage to the original “Alien” movie that came out more than 40 years ago. Beyond inspiring nostalgia, the approach aims to renew interest in the overall film franchise, which is set to have at least two more films in future years. It’s a unique throwback idea that piggybacks on nostalgia for watching grainy videos on a small screen – and it’s garnering plenty of earned media too for the quirky stunt.

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.

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Paris became the center of the athletics universe on July 26 when more than 10,000 of the best athletes from around the world descended on the City of Light for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

For the companies that sponsor the games, this is a rare and powerful opportunity to put their name in front of a global audience of potential customers. Coca-Cola, Visa, Toyota, Airbnb and Intel are among the big brands making their names known in Paris.

For Guild, a platform for employer-provided education, the Paris Olympics are an opportunity to make a splash in the branding pool, as well as engage internal employees and turn them into brand ambassadors.

[RELATED: Join Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council, exclusively for leaders in employee and internal communications]

The Denver-based company is in its first year as the official education provider for Team USA. Their marketing campaign kicked off earlier this month with a brand awareness campaign called “What the Heck is Guild?” featuring some of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

“There’s been so many ripple effects that we’re just starting to see and this has been one way for us to bring folks together, to galvanize us [and] reinvigorate folks around our mission at Guild, to see it play out in such a meaningful way,” said Rebecca Biestman, Guild chief marketing officer.

The brand-building benefits of sponsorship

This is Guild’s first foray into the world of sports sponsorship, and Team USA was a natural place to start.

“What we’ve been searching for is a partnership that really reflected both the ethos of our brand, which is helping talent to rise, and also a place where we could meaningfully instill and install our platform to a population that really needed it,” Biestmann said.

As part of their sponsorship, Team USA athletes will have access to tuition-free education programs available through Guild’s learning marketplace, including degree programs through Purdue Global and professional development courses from eCornell.

The vast majority of Olympic athletes pause or stop their education to compete, Biestman said, and their career prospects after competition, unless they are the top 5-10% sponsored by big brands, are limited.

“What really appealed to us about this was that you had a population that could leverage what we do day-in and day-out, so that it was a business-aligned sponsorship as well as a great opportunity to build brand awareness and brand affinity with a really well-known partner like Team USA,” Biestman said.

Beyond getting the 5,000 current and former athletes enrolled on the platform, Guild’s goals are to build brand awareness and to develop their channel business.

“One of the aspirational goals we have as a business is to make sure that any working American knows that a benefit like this is available to them to start their education, to continue their education or to get career services,” Biestman said.

That broad consumer awareness in turn creates upward pressure on the employers who pay for employees to access Guild’s platform. Sponsoring Team USA allows Guild to amplify that voice by getting an audience with large employers in a way they might not normally be able to, she added.

An Olympic-sized opportunity for employee engagement

The brand benefits were clear upfront, but Guild is also using their sponsorship as an opportunity to bring together internal and external communications.

“It’s been such a great opportunity for the teams to come together again around one shared mission, which is how do we amplify this and get internal and external audiences galvanized and invigorated around what we’re doing,” Biestman said.

The benefits for employees are tangible because of the excitement around the Olympics and Team USA, but also because Guild’s career growth coaches will actually get to work with the athletes who register for their programs.

“So much of our company is going to be able to touch this in a meaningful way,” she added. “We’ve even seen just with the campaign launching yesterday on social, so many reposts, so many shares for employees, so many employees excited to talk about this in a way that makes them feel like an evangelist of our brand in a very tangible way where normally you have the brand teams and the marketing teams who sort of serve as that purpose.”

In a post-COVID world with a distributed workforce, it’s harder to feel connected to colleagues, she said, and sponsorship of sporting events like the Olympics and Team USA are ways to boost the employee experience.

“It’s been very exciting for our employees, and I think that employers probably across the world, definitely across America, are struggling with what are those moments where we can bring our people together,” Biestman said.

It’s not just the Olympics: Home Depot and the NCAA

The Olympics aren’t the only opportunity that brands have to engage their internal audiences in their sponsorship of big sporting events.

The Home Depot, the largest home improvement retailer in the U.S., has engaged in several sports sponsorships across professional and collegiate sports for many years, said Paul Mayer, director, internal communications at the Atlanta-based retailer. That includes sponsoring March Madness, the annual NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. This year’s sponsorship included a commercial series featuring NBA great Shaquille O’Neal.

“We had some fun with an internal call for auditions, and the associates who appeared in the ‘Tips From the Tool Shaq’ commercials were actual associates from our stores and other locations,” Mayer said.

The Home Depot also sponsors College GameDay, the weekly college football pre-game show broadcast on ESPN from the campus of the team hosting that week’s featured game.

“Our ongoing partnership with College GameDay, built by The Home Depot, has been an associate and customer favorite for more than 20 years,” Mayer said. “During the season in the markets where College GameDay visits, we utilize our activations as a way to recognize deserving associates.”

While sponsorships are often run by marketing, it’s important to think through the many other external and internal activation points to make the most of these high-profile events in the long term. Guild’s sponsorship will continue through the Los Angeles games in 2028.

“When you’re thinking about planning especially early on, if you’re not thinking about all of the stakeholders across your business that you’re going to need and you bring on internal comms as an afterthought, it’s never going be as successful or as helpful,” Biestman said.

Paul Mayer and The Home Depot are members of Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council. Learn more about joining here.

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Sen. JD Vance has labeled a political foe a “childless cat lady” and refused to back down. But to communications professionals, adults without children represent an evolving customer demographic that’ll be vital to businesses in the future.

And a new Pew Research Center survey suggests their importance may become even greater faster than you might think.

Pew’s “The Experiences of U.S. Adults Who Don’t Have Children” indicates that 47% of childless adults under the age 50 in the United States don’t want to have kids at any point. That’s a stark contrast from even 2018 when that number was only 37%.

Members of that age group listed things such as the state of the world (38%) and climate change (26%) as major reasons they don’t want to have kids. Others don’t think they can afford to raise a kid (36%) and sadly, there are fertility and medical reasons that play a role (13%).

But 57% indicated they just don’t want children. Women are much more likely to give that reason than men, 64% to 50%.

More than two-fifths of young adults said they have more important priorities in their life. Among older adults, those 50 and over, who’ve never had children, about four-in-10 said it just never happened and 31% said they didn’t want to have children.

The survey reflects a gradual but drastic change in the way many American view their futures. And that changing reality represents an important opportunity for PR teams and marketers to reshape their views of the “childless customer.”

Being childfree makes life ‘easier’ to younger people

The Pew report surveyed two broad segments of the U.S. population: People 50 and older who don’t have children and younger adults who don’t have children and aren’t planning to in the future.

Most respondents in the under-50 group (71%) said having a fulfilling life doesn’t have much to do with whether someone has children.

In fact, most of the 18-to-49 age demographic believes not having children has made most aspects of life easier. That’s especially the case when it comes to:

• Having time for hobbies and interests (80%)
• Being able to afford things they want (79%)
• Saving for the future (75%)
• Maintaining an active social life (58%).

Additionally, more than three-in-five respondents said they believe being child-free makes it easier to be successful in their career.

As such, brands should frame messaging around themes that accentuate those goals: lifestyle, personal growth, professional aspirations, the freedom to pursue opportunities, etc.

The post By the Numbers: What more kid-free homes means for the future of PR appeared first on PR Daily.

Twice a year, Dieter Landenberger and a group of his young colleagues take a trip to Poland.

It’s not your typical corporate retreat. Landenberger, Volkswagen director of heritage communications, and a group of apprentices from the German automaker travel to Auschwitz, the site of Nazi Germany’s most notorious concentration camp where an estimated 1.1 million Jews, Poles, Romanis and others were murdered.

Their goal is to commemorate the lives of those lost during the Holocaust and remind themselves of Volkswagen’s responsibility for the horrors of the past. Between 1940 and 1945, 20,000 forced laborers and 5,000 concentration camp prisoners were forced into working for the company.

“It has become part of our company culture,” said Landenberger, who spoke to us from Auschwitz where he and the apprentices were staying for two weeks and doing site restoration work. “It’s very important work and for the young people, it’s really life changing.”

With the Juneteenth commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S. approaching, it also points the way for other companies to meaningfully engage with their own communities and histories. From a brand perspective, it’s important to do the research, ideally with external experts, and take an active role in reckoning with that history, whatever it reveals. Transparency and authenticity are the keys.

National Geographic and its history of racism

Volkswagen isn’t alone in openly addressing its history in this way.

Washington, D.C.-based National Geographic is recognized globally for its iconic magazine and its role in the fight for environmental conservation. Despite that positive reputation, the magazine’s editors made the decision to confront the brand’s racist past.

The National Geographic Society was founded in 1888 by a group of 33 explorers and scientists, all of them white men, with the mission to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge. But that work came freighted with the prevailing notions of race at the time, said Tara Roberts, National Geographic explorer in residence, during a keynote speech at the Ragan Communications Leadership Council Spring Retreat in California

So in 2018, National Geographic published an entire issue devoted to race and reckoning with the magazine’s role in perpetuating the racial divide and amplifying stereotypes. Nobody called on the editors to do it, Roberts said, and after publication some critics dismissed their efforts and questioned the editors’ motives.

“It was a very mixed public relations bag,” Roberts said.

The power of an open reckoning with the past

But for Roberts, the effect was deeply personal. She had recently become involved with Diving With a Purpose, a group of scuba divers whose mission is to discover the wrecks of the ships that carried enslaved Africans to the Americas. After seeing the issue, she reached out to National Geographic and applied for a grant from the society to document their story.

Tara Roberts, National Geographic explorer in residence. (Courtesy image)

That $30,000 grant allowed her to travel from Mozambique to Costa Rica and create a podcast series called “Into the Depths.” Roberts was featured on the magazine’s cover and was tapped as 2022’s Explorer of the Year, the first Black person to receive the award.

Roberts’ experience is a testament to the power of one organization’s decision to confront its past and let others be a part of the reckoning process. Approximately 1.8 million Africans died in the crossing from Africa, most of them forgotten to history.

“These people were poets and farmers. They were mothers and fathers,” Roberts said. “They were more than faceless statistics in a cargo hold. They were real people and they’ve never been properly mourned or grieved.”

It is difficult but empowering work, Roberts told the audience of communicators in California. “We have raised our hands and said we’re not going to wait for anyone else to decide this history is important. We are going to search for it ourselves and bring it back into memory.”

Roberts is now working with National Geographic on a new project. The Return Expedition is a reverse boat journey that will trace the route of the transatlantic slave trade across 27 countries. “It changed the world we live in today but we don’t really talk about it,” Roberts said.

Transparency in communications about history

Some brands are increasingly willing to talk. In 2020, the Scott Trust, owner of the Guardian and Observer newspapers in the UK, commissioned an academic review to look into the links between the paper’s founders and the slave trade. They published the results of that study in 2022, and issued an apology and announced a restorative justice program.

Volkswagen followed a similar route. The company was founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front, the national labor organization of the Nazi Party, said Landenberger, the company’s official historian.

“With such kind of history, you have to deal with it and you have to take responsibility,” Landenberger said.

That effort was led by the workers’ union and the board starting in the 1980s and culminated in a 10-year research project that delivered a 1,000-page report on the company’s founding by one of Germany’s leading historians.

Volkswagen also entered into a cooperative agreement with the Auschwitz Committee and funded a youth meeting center at the site. Company executives also take part regularly in Holocaust Remembrance Day and partner with groups like Yad Vashem in Israel and the Anti-Defamation League in the US.

Dieter Landenberger leads a group through the memorial to forced laborers at the Wolfsburg factory. (Courtesy image)

The company also established a small museum in a former air raid shelter at its Wolfsburg, Germany factory in 1999 that 4,000 people visit each year. During the war, forced laborers went into the shelter during Allied bombing raids.

“It’s not a nice place,” Landenberger said. “Not every visitor can take it, but I think it’s the best place for an exhibition like this.”

Connection, not marketing, drives the efforts

While it’s important to be open and invite others in, communicators have to find the right approach and tone. Volkswagen is open about its history but the company avoids doing active marketing with their efforts.

“If our partners communicate these projects, it’s OK, we’re happy,” Landenberger said. “But we do not do press releases saying we donated this amount of money, we did this program. We don’t want to do marketing with it, not at all.”

That’s not to say there is no communication. Volkswagen maintains a site that directly addresses its history and in January launched a social media campaign on Instagram sharing the stories of forced laborers in conjunction with Holocaust Remembrance Day.

“Transparency is the most important thing these days,” Landenberger said. “You cannot hide or deny anything. I always say history sticks. It sticks on the soles of your shoes and you cannot get rid of it.”

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After 114 years, the Boy Scouts of America are changing their name — but little else about the organization.

The “boy” is dropping out of the name, which will become simply Scouting America.

“Certainly, Boy Scouts of America’s got to be one of the most highly recognizable names out there in terms of youth service, but you’ve got to do something to retain that, but also make sure that everyone feels welcome,” Michael Ramsey, chief marketing officer of the organization, told PR Daily.

The change is designed to create a bigger tent and welcome more people — namely, girls — to the organization. But girls have been involved with the scouts in various capacities for decades, starting with the Exploring program in 1969, to women serving as Cub Scout leaders. But five years ago, girls were formally welcome to become involved as Cub Scouts all the way up to Eagle Scouts. Boys and girls remain in separate Dens and Packs under the same organizations, but otherwise, the experience remains the same for both groups: camping, hiking, tying knots — the whole traditional scouting package.

Today, 176,000 girls are involved in scouting, and 6,000 have earned the elite rank of Eagle Scout.

“I think there may be some people that didn’t know that girls were involved in the scouting program as deeply as they are, because the name still said boy over the door,” Ramsey said. “So, it’s important for us to change that. We think a lot more girls will become involved in the program simply by changing the name.”

This is how Scouting America changed the name, rolled it out to the public and its massive volunteer base, and weathered criticism.

‘Weren’t aware they could join’

Like any good major rebrand, the scouts’ journey began with focus groups. Namely, it was with families that weren’t involved with scouting — yet.

Because growth is imperative for the organization. A combination of the pandemic, changing hobbies and interests, and the revelation that many boys were sexually abused during their time in the scouts led to a crash in membership. The AP reported that between 2019 and 2021, membership plummeted from 1.97 million to just 762,000. The organization filed for bankruptcy in 2020 to handle the flood of sexual abuse lawsuits.

So, getting girls into the organization is a path to survival, increasing potential scouts by 50%.

When hosting focus groups with families, the organization found that families loved the activities and what the scouts stood for, but still weren’t clear that girls were welcome.

“For whatever reason, they just weren’t aware that they could join,” Ramsey said. “So, for us, this is an opportunity to refresh the brand, to reintroduce the brand to families today, and also re-invite people to join, let them know that young men and young women can both be involved in scouting.”

They played around with multiple variations of the name before settling on Scouting America.

“Scouting America just seems to resonate. And, quite frankly, it’s a lot of fun because it’s a noun and a verb. So, we’re gonna have some fun with that going forward,” Ramsey said.

Announcing the change

There were two major constituencies for the rollout announcement: the general public, including prospective scouts and their families, and the 477,000 adult volunteers who make the organization run.

“There is a relatively small cadre of paid professionals in the organization. It’s volunteers that deliver the program, that raise the funds, that just make scouting possible,” Ramsey said. “So, it’s critically important that we let the community know about the change.”

That was mostly delivered through a classic cascade since the organization is decentralized and divided into thousands of dens and troops. On launch day, every one of those groups received an email, including a letter from the CEO, logos, key messaging, a press release and more.

LinkedIn has also been a key, surprising part of the rollout. Most of those adult volunteers have day jobs, and they’re on LinkedIn already, making it a strong platform for delivering videos and other information about the rebrand.

Everyone is aware this change won’t happen in a day. In fact, it won’t even become official until Feb. 8, 2025. But the initial blast was the start of that change.

The biggest messaging sent to local organizations was about what wasn’t changing.

“The Scout Oath and the Scout Law, which are just central to who we are as an organization, that’s not changing,” Ramsey said. “The fun, the life-changing experiences, that’s not changing. Duty to God, which is part of the oath and law, those kinds of things aren’t changing. The only thing that’s changing is the name, to make sure that people feel welcome in the organization. And that’s the key message.”

Externally, the most important audience for the rebrand is moms, who make the decisions about what activities kids are involved in.

The organization worked with FleishmanHillard on press for the rollout, targeting outlets that speak to parents. And the messaging involved was not significantly different than that used for internal audiences: the name is changing but nothing else. Everyone is welcome, everyone is invited. Ramsey refers to it as “rebrand, refresh, re-invite.”

Of course, no change is without difficulty. The term “boy” has been central to the organization since its founding. Notably, the Girl Scouts does not allow boys at all. And there has been some blowback, especially from conservative media, which has dubbed the rebrand “woke” and “progressive.”

Ramsey acknowledged that change is hard but stood behind the rebrand.

“For us, as an organization, we are not standing still. We want to make sure that we’re serving the entire country with scouting. Anybody that wants to be involved in scouting, should be welcome in the program. Our message back to those families has been, scouting hasn’t changed. This is the same scouting experience that they had as a young person.”

What’s next

The organization has a whole year plotted out already, leaning on the rhythms of the year: a push for Cub Scouts to join during the back-to-school registration push, then a celebration of the official name change in February, followed by a spring call for older kids to join the BSA Scouting program. Video will remain a key component of the rollout, as will leaning on female scouts to tell their stories, as Eagle Scout Selby Chipman did during the initial rebrand announcement.

“The voices of young women in our program that are having an amazing experience, they’re doing amazing things, is very powerful,” Ramsey said. “So we’re gonna lean on the voices of our members to help us tell the story and invite other people to join.”

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on X or LinkedIn.

The post How the Boy Scouts rolled out their rebrand and weathered name-change controversy appeared first on PR Daily.

Kennyatta Collins is a freelance brand strategist. Follow him on LinkedIn.

Award-winning sunscreen company Vacation Inc. reflects the leisure-filled beach days that defined the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Everything from the brand’s website and social media to campaign imagery and packaging encourages consumers to indulge in an unending world of vacation. For Vacation Inc., the two years invested in relaunching the iconic Orange Gelée sunscreen was an ode to the eras that inspired the brand and an invitation for audiences to recapture the fantasies of yesterday.

“If you’re familiar with the sunscreen industry, chances are you’ve heard of, or probably even used, Orange Gelée,” says Dakota Green, founding partner of Vacation Inc. “The cult following around this century-old product is unlike anything we’ve seen before. After it was abruptly discontinued in 2019, fans of the product begged for its reinstatement, and we received messages from our community asking us directly as well. So we thought – why not us?” 

While Vacation Inc. did not purchase the original recipe, they acquired the trademark for the name “Orange Gelée” and invested in maintaining the product’s integrity. 

The brand launched the “Orange Gelée Revival Project,” a dedicated landing page that provided visitors with product development and visual design updates. It showcased the people involved, all with a nostalgic twist. By the time the product launched in March, more than 15,000 people had joined the waitlist.

“Because there were so many components to this revival, from the storied history of the original product to the advisory board and the extensive formulation process, we documented the entire project…so fans of the original plus our existing community could follow along,” says Green.

Nostalgia works when elements of past eras or cultures resonate with the audience. The fantasy is broken, however, when the product falls short of memories. Every part of the original product was distinct, from the orange tint to its smell and consistency, so the difficulty setting for the project was extremely high.

“Because this product had such a uniquely devoted and passionate fan base, we knew we couldn’t just work on reviving the formula ourselves in a vacuum. We wanted to involve them at every step along the way,” says Green. A panel of experts included lifelong users of the original product, homemade dupe experts, modern beauty experts, and a fragrance buyer who worked in the industry in the ‘90s. “(They) helped us at every step of the process, weighing in on everything from the scent to the ingredients, the feel, the color, the SPF level, and even the design.”

On March 28, the brand officially launched the revived product in a company announcement on social media to an audience of over 130,000. For an immersive brand like Vacation Inc., it isn’t enough to just use visual design and products to convey their take on nostalgia — the language and references must always reflect the world they’ve created, including in social copy. The media chosen for the Instagram post announcement wasn’t content; it was a “ColorJet photocopy of the Orange Gelée Product Pamphlet.” T The attention to detail that went into ensuring the revived product lives up to expectations is the same attention to detail the brand invests into reintroducing the leisure-filled beach lifestyles of the past through vintage-themed products and advertising.

 

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“Our goal is to create fun, ‘leisure-enhancing’ sunscreens that make people look, feel, and smell like they’ve been to paradise and back,” Green said. “Anything that we can do to make the conversation around sunscreen a joyous one is a pretty clear green light for us.”

Effectively harnessing nostalgia’s power over consumer behavior takes an appreciation and understanding of the eras you reference in your brand position and messaging. The devotion to honoring the iconic Orange Gelée sunscreen and its fanbase came with a big reward as the revived Vacation Inc. edition sold out in a week, giving the brand its fastest product sell-out ever. 

The post How Orange Gelée sunscreen made a comeback with retro-chic flair appeared first on PR Daily.

Dustin Siggins is founder of Proven Media Solutions. 

Last month, Domino’s delivered a supreme serving of viral marketing. The company launched a new promotion: customers who tip their delivery driver will get a $3 coupon as a thank you – a “you tip, we tip” campaign that engaged customers, investors, and national press.

Then, three days later, Domino’s released its quarterly report showing unexpected sales growth…and investors ate it up, sending its stock through the roof as part of a 21% gain since the start of the year.

It’s easy to look at Domino’s clever ads, influencer relationships, and its oft-praised app technology as the keys to its success. However, these are just the tactics behind a business strategy that consistently makes customers, investors and employees all part of the company’s growth. For example, it’s no coincidence that the $3 tipping policy came out just days before the quarterly report, as inflation continues to hurt consumers and tipping fatigue grows.

Domino’s has always been a company of customer service innovation combined with savvy public relations. It changed the food delivery landscape with the “30 minutes or it’s free” guarantee in the 1970s. Fifteen years ago, the company publicly confessed that its pizza wasn’t very good – and that it was changing its half-century old recipe to meet customer expectations. And during labor shortages in 2022, Domino’s connected with customers, alleviated delivery delays and addressed growing food delivery service charges across the industry by giving customers who picked up their pizza a $3 coupon.

Here are three PR lessons to learn from Domino’s success:

Focus on long-term strategy, not short-term virality.

Domino’shas consistently aligned every part of its operations – from tips and coupons to its recipe and app – to its brand of affordable pizza for pickup or delivery. It delivers what the customer wants when the customer wants it for the price the customer can pay and does so in ways that create high value. The laser-like focus on customers is why it can count on positive press over and over again with every new move that it makes.

Create a perfect storm with good timing. In 2022, the first $3 “tip” coupon took pressure off thinly stretched delivery workers. The expansion of this strategy two years later gives price-conscious customers an incentive to keep buying when inflation and tipping fatigue are huge challenges. And by announcing the $3 “tip” campaign right before earnings, Domino’s prepped investors for its positive report days later.

Own your lane. In 2009, Domino’s reconstructed its recipe from scratch after a consumer survey ranked the chain’s pizza in last place in terms of taste. The “Pizza Turnaround” wasn’t a sudden rebrand to compete with Neapolitan-style, premium pizza restaurants, nor was it a spin campaign telling customers they were wrong.  Domino’s fixed the crisis by addressing the issue head-on only with the people in its target audience.

Look, investors probably don’t think about Domino’s when seeking out the best pizza. But they clearly believe that Domino’s is a great pizza company. And it’s no wonder – it’s a brand that has embraced what it is and who it serves and delivers great results for stakeholders. And then it makes sure everyone knows about it.

The post Domino’s goes viral $3 at a time appeared first on PR Daily.

In the Mississippi delta sits the town of Greenville. Dubbed “Queen of the Delta,” Greenville is known for its complex history, blues music and hot tamales. It’s also home to the Ben’s Original rice plant.

Since 1977, this division of Mars Food has turned out parboiled rice to be sent across the country and around the world. Today, it’s one of the largest employers in Washington County, of which Greenville is the county seat.

“Greenville is endearing,” said Kristen Campos, VP of corporate affairs for Mars North America. “I think that it’s just charming. The people are just so lovely, so kind.”

This town of just 28,000 makes up an important constituency for Mars (total employees: 130,000). And not just for those who work at the plant.

“In addition to the factory being the heart of our business, we know we also have a responsibility to drive a mutually beneficial relationship in that city and in that community,” Campos said during a recent conversation with PR Daily about the role of community relations in reshaping the Ben’s Original brand — and reshaping the future of Greenville.

Listening, listening, listening

In 2020, amid a renewed conversation around racial justice and equity, the name and mascot of Uncle Ben’s rice — a fictional elderly Black man who, for many, evoked tropes rooted in slavery and the oppression of Black Americans — came under criticism.

“We understand the inequities that were associated with the name and face of the Uncle Ben’s brand,” Mars said in a statement at the time. “We have committed to change.”

And associates in Greenville were an important part of that change and the evolution into Ben’s Original. Greenville is 83% Black, according to census data, and its history is deeply intertwined with slavery and the Civil War. Locals felt they had a personal stake in the brand, and were also committed to helping the brand move forward through its rebrand.

So Mars listened. A lot. In the course of our conversation, Campos used the word “listen” nine times.

They of course conducted large-scale listening and surveys and interviews; Mars is a multinational company and whatever evolution emerged would need to play well around the world.

But they took special time to listen in Greenville.

“In addition to listening to and conducting listening sessions with our associates there, we doubled down in listening to business leaders, stakeholders, not-for-profits, all in the Mississippi area but specifically in Washington County and in Greenville,” Campos said.

“That helped us to understand what we could be doing to bring that purpose to life in a community that’s at the heart of our business and so important to us.”

When the new Ben’s Original brand was unveiled, including a new commitment to ensuring everyone has “a seat at the table,” the reaction from that core community was overwhelmingly positive, Campos said.

“I think the other part of the reaction was the refreshing way we went about it, involving everybody in that change,” Campos recalled.

But that involvement went beyond just the rebrand. With that new commitment to a seat at the table for everyone came a renewed promise to the city of Greenville itself.

A seat at the table

For all its charm, Campos notes that Greenville is a city with challenges that date back to its pre-Civil War history and are deeply intertwined with racial division in the state. Nearly a third of citizens live below the poverty line, compared to 19% statewide. Nearly 20% never graduated high school. Access to food is also an issue: While the city has two grocery stores, they’re concentrated on one side of town. With no public transportation, residents on the opposite end can struggle to get access to fresh produce and meat.

So Mars decided to do something to help.

“We fall back on all decisions by looking through the lens of our five principles,” Campos explained.
“One of those principles is mutuality, which at its core basically means any decision we make, anything that we do from a business operation standpoint or otherwise, needs to look at what how do we drive a mutual decision that benefits not only Mars, but also all of those people and companies that touch Mars.”

In this case, mutuality meant working with Greenville and Washington County in two key areas: Food access and education. A scholarship in conjunction with the United Negro College Fund has pledged $2 million through 2026 to help Black students around the world who seek careers in the food industry.

Mars has also pledged $2.5 million to the area over the next five years but has also doubled that promise through partnerships with other area employers, including Molina Healthcare and Kroger. A partnership with Hearty Helpings Food Pantry and the Mississippi Food Network also helps get fresh produce and meat in the hands of hundreds of residents throughout the year.

Campos recalled a visit just a few weeks ago where members of the Mars team, in partnership with the Mississippi Food Network, took a semitruck of food to a neighborhood in Greenville, passing out fresh food to families.

“Unanimously, you got this response of, thank you so much, Ben’s Original and Mars Food has done so much for our community. I get a lot of blessings. So it makes you feel really, really good. Like you are making an impact.”

Beyond the personal impact, investing in the community makes good business sense, too.

“We want to make sure that everyone feels proud of where they work,” Campos said. “And that we continue to attract the top talent in the Mississippi Delta area and that there is an ambition to work for our factory.”

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

The post ‘The heart of our business’: How Ben’s Original’s Mississippi employees helped shape its rebrand appeared first on PR Daily.

Karen Freberg is a professor of strategic communications at the University of Louisville. 

Everyone wants to target Gen Z when it comes to promotions, marketing, PR and experiences. From consumer brands to sporting events, everyone wants to capture the most valuable asset this audience has to offer: their attention.

The Kentucky Derby is known for its history and tradition of horse racing, fashion and entertainment sporting experiences that have made it a bucket list item for 150 years. Their legacy for being a global premier sporting event has been established.

However, The Kentucky Derby has solidified itself as a brand that has turned tradition into transformation to capture the attention of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. How did the team from the Kentucky Derby do this and what lessons can PR professionals garner from KYD 150?

• Fully embracing the creator culture on and offline. Celebrities are part of what makes the Kentucky Derby iconic. However, bringing together celebrities – creators, entertainers (Jimmy Fallon and Jack Harlow), sports icons (Travis Kelce),and more –helps create content across social media channels. This has played a key role in the Derby’s overall strategy, especially on TikTok and Instagram. Content ranged from high-resolution videos and Reels to tiny mic interviews with attendees and celebrities, to even AI-generated photos showcasing the new age of content creation, which provided a 360-degree perspective of the event beyond the race trackto grab Gen Z’s attention.
• Creating new partnerships geared towards experiential marketing for Gen Z. There were many new partnerships that were announced with brands for the KYD 150 that were marketed to all audiences, but were geared towards the younger audience. Some new partnerships that were brought in included PopCorners (a speakeasy activation), Boot Barn (customizable cowboy hats), Sports Illustrated (Club SI), and fashion collaborations with brands such as Aviator Nation and Fanatics. Fashion ideas were also showcased in their partnership with Pinterest as well, a platform that garners both high use and respect for Gen Z.
• Bringing TikTok FYP to RLP (Real Life Page). Churchill Downs partnered with Unwell, which oversees the podcasts of Alexandra Cooper (Call Her Daddy) and Alix Earle (Hot Mess). The Kentucky Derby featured a new activation in the infield at Churchill Downs during the Kentucky Derby 150 to feature two modern day media trailblazers to engage with the Kentucky Derby’s female fan base. Fans at the activation were able to ask questions of the podcast hosts and interact with them. Unwell had a booth at Churchill Downs, featuring personalized merch and a glambot to create experiences for Gen Z to remember their time at the iconic racetrack with Alex and Alix. Both hosts held their own events at Jefferson Events for Thurby and Oaks before the Kentucky Derby.
• Partnering with Gen Z and Gen Alpha to co-create engaged learning experiences. Churchill Downs and the KYD team integrated students in their events and marketing activities. From recruiting FFA students to help with floral arrangements at the Taste of Derby to Sullivan Culinary students helping celebrity chefs serve luxury meals to attendees, to University of Louisville students assisting with social media and event planning aspects of the races. All these students will be able to add this experience to their portfolios, which will make them marketable candidates for future employment.

The Kentucky Derby is the place in making legends on the racetrack, but this year’s event was a true global masterclass for an iconic event by turning legacy into legendary through creative marketing and promotional partnerships, experiential experiences, and innovative content strategies in attracting the next generation of fans.

The post Saddle up, squad: How the Kentucky Derby gallops to Gen Z hearts appeared first on PR Daily.

Kennyatta Collins is a freelance brand strategist. Follow him on LinkedIn.

When you’re a brand steeped in tradition, communicating to modern audiences can feel like crossing a constantly expanding chasm.

Shinola’s director of brand, Phil Pirkovic, uses a thorough understanding of the brand and the communities the storied watch company serves to build bridges that translate tradition into nuanced contributions to conversations in culture through original content. A little over a year into the role, he’s taking calculated risks to tell the story of the decade-old brand with a name tied to centuries of American craftsmanship through contemporary lenses.

“When I started at Shinola, I knew the best way to start growing the brand was through content. Nowadays, you’re seeing a lot of brands invest in original content — to stay top of mind, grow awareness and increase engagement,” said Pirkovic.

Originally established in 1877 as a shoe polish company, Shinola was purchased by Fossil watch cofounder Tim Kartosis and converted into a watch company in 2011. Even though the brand as we know it isn’t as old as its name suggests, it embraces the themes associated with decades-old American manufacturing. “What I’ve been tasked to do is essentially open the aperture of the brand up and bring new customers into the mix. It’s not about ignoring the legacy and trying to create a new one. We’re simply building onto what’s been established.” 

The brand’s flagship series, “The Movement,” gives audiences a behind-the-scenes look at what goes down in their Detroit watch factory while influential guests such as SNL’s Tim Robinson, Hip-Hop Legend Royce 59, and Detroit Piston’s Jayden Ivey, speak about their journey while working on a watch with host and Shinola service center manager Titus Hayes.

“Unfortunately, we can’t bring everyone to Detroit to experience how amazing it is, but through original content, we can bring the watch factory to everyone,” says Pirkovic. “It’s a way for Shinola to stay topical by interacting with celebrities but also bringing them into our world of watchmaking. It’s part entertainment, part educational, and it’s something unique to Shinola.”

The original content series uses Reels as a short-form video preview to direct fans of guests and Shinola to the full episodes on YouTube. The announcement reel alone saw 65,000 views with the first full episode more than doubling that with 184,000 tuning in to watch actor and comedian Sam Richardson as The Movement’s first guest.   

“Factory Sessions” subtly introduces audiences to the rich collection of leather by using it as a backdrop to artist performances. Each Factory Session is a one-song performance shot live from the brand’s leather factory that follows a similar Instagram and YouTube release schedule as The Movement. While the brand isn’t the first to do a music series, the focus on artistry and craft gives it a unique spin that makes the series relevant to its value proposition.

 

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“The precision, discipline, and passion that go into making a watch can be applied to many verticals. We drew parallels between the craft of watchmaking and other verticals such as music… there was such a clear connection between the worlds that we knew we needed to create a way for Shinola to bridge that gap,” Pirkovic said.

Knowing where Shinola stands as a brand makes it easy for the company to know when and how to show up culturally. Instead of forcing relevance by trying to be in the mix of every pop culture conversation, Pirkovic and his team confidently stay away from hollow actions that would compromise the brand’s integrity. “You see a lot of brands that end up trying to be culturally relevant completely miss the mark because they don’t have a good sense of who they are and what they believe in,” says Pirkovic.

Together, Shinola and Quincy Isaiah, a Michigan native actor and past guest on “The Movement,” created the Limited Edition Grassland Runwell. The 4/20-themed watch doubles as a conversation piece for Isaiah’s  film of the same name that focuses on the disproportionate punishments served to Black and brown communities through the fractured justice system around marijuana. Shinola is donating a percentage of proceeds from the sale of the limited-edition timepiece to fund criminal justice reform.

“The campaign for us was multifaceted. We were able to get some studio time with Quincy and recorded a series of videos that explain why he chose to do the film, what he wanted people to get out of it, and it was such a personal thing for us to share,” says Pirkovic. “Again, using video and content as the main vehicle to tell this story, we were able to create a pretty comprehensive campaign around the collaboration using social, press, digital, email and even got wildposting up in New York City.”

In a time where market disruptions are constant, Shinola is unwavering in its commitment to celebrating timeless designs and experiences that inspire people to live well. If what Shinola represents is its history, then its foray into original content is the kind of renovations that offer new audiences exciting ways to connect with its legacy of craftsmanship.

“You’re not always going to get it right every single time,” says Pirokovic. “However, I’d rather try new things, tell new stories, empower new communities, and learn from it than do nothing at all. You have to be willing to take calculated risks.”

The post How Shinola brings its legacy into today appeared first on PR Daily.

Kennyatta Collins is a freelance brand strategist. Follow him on LinkedIn.

Recent quotes from Papa John’s leadership in a story focusing on the grammar of their new tagline, “Better Get You Some,” put the brand in the hot seat as the court of public opinion convened on its use of African American Vernacular English and the rich culture that supports the dialect.

 “The work is going to come to life across social and digital platforms — it’s by nature an accessible dialogue,” said Mark Shambura, CMO of Papa Johns, told Adweek. “There are times when you want to be grammatically correct, but the things that we find resonate with consumers are those very pithy, memorable phrases,” said Jaclyn Ruelle, VP and head of brand.

Marketers buzzed about the tagline after the piece was released, leaving some to wonder about Papa Johns’ authenticity and commitment to the Black community as they were accused of “stretching down” when using slang. 

Papa Johns’ head of external communication, Janelle Panebianco, wasn’t caught off guard by response. While some may call the brand’s intentions into question, she and her team trust the truth will break through the noise as they stay committed to the long-term vision.

“The market and consumers need time to process things when you’re making big changes as a brand,” said Panebianco. “Our job is to understand who our consumers are and how they’re looking to be connected with — feedback will come. whether negative or positive and that comes with the game.”

In the new high-energy campaign from The Martin Agency, Papa John’s personified pizza cravings with pop culture references, trippy animations and an updated tagline: “Better ingredients, better pizza, better get you some,” narrated by hip-hop legend Big Boi. The platform gives audiences a feast for the senses as it trades in the conventional view of pizza marketing for a celebration of our universal devotion to the food. “We were trying to romance how you see the craving moment. We’ve all felt that our entire lives.”

Seizing the opportunity to speak to our emotional connection to pizza was a strategic decision by Papa Johns after noticing a need for more attention placed on the irrational cravings that often lead to purchases. With the help of consumer research, they keyed in on specific themes their customers craved to guide them on where to establish authentic connections — themes like the NBA, fashion, and hip-hop stood out. “The culture is the expert to us. What we want to do is connect with our consumers in those moments and slide in on pizza occasions there,” said Panebianco.

It doesn’t get more culturally defining than hip-hop. As the most impactful and pervasive genres in music, hip-hop is often used as a vehicle for brands to access consumers at large. With one of their headquarters in Atlanta and Big Boi’s long history with Papa Johns fueling his late-night recording sessions, the pairing proves its authenticity and proper fit.

“Anytime I participate, it got to be organic, and it can never be forced,” said Big Boi in an interview with Hot New Hip Hop. “I first got the clip with the visuals to it, and then, the commercial was just crazy, you know what I mean, I loved it. I was like, Okay, this is dope. It’s hypnotizing in a way where it just captures your attention. And when you look at it, you go and call Papa John’s.”

While the “Better Get You Some” addition to the longstanding tagline became the subject of controversy within the marketing industry, audiences received it with praise in a track preview released on Instagram. You’ll find “Sounding absolutely fire tonight” and “Nah this go hard” from Papa Johns and Big Boi fans throughout the comment section on the Reel. 

Isn’t that what matters most?

“I’m seeing a lot of the backlash come from people in the brand space who weren’t involved themselves so I question the authenticity of their concern…anybody with kids who are Gen Z knows that a lot of what is AAVE is what Gen Z kids are saying,” says Carl Murray III, principal strategist at Endurance. 

If a brand makes a bold change, it should provoke conversations and polarizing opinions; even the harshest critiques are better than indifference. “My hope is that people will see the journey the brand is on,” said Panebianco. “We aren’t trying to be the captain of culture.” Papa John’s is just willing to wade through the initial critiques to satisfy their audience’s cravings with that “ooey gooey, crispy crunchy, mouth-watering Papa Johns.”

The post Inside Papa Johns sometimes controversial ‘Better Get You Some’ tagline appeared first on PR Daily.

Kennyatta Collins is a freelance brand strategist. Follow him on LinkedIn.

At its core, niche marketing allows brands to stand out in crowded markets and foster deeper connections that build deeply committed communities. Sometimes, the devotion good niche marketing inspires can feel almost cult-like in its fervor. 

As brands like Gymshark make mass marketing their mantra, U.K.-based athletic brand Oner Active forsakes the status quo in favor of a covenant to niche marketing. Catering to the specific audience of women who embrace strength training as a lifestyle, the brand amassed a community of over half a million women worldwide and over $30 million in revenue in three years. By focusing on this segment of the fitness industry, Oner Active provides richer experiences to its audience and can further integrate them into the marketing efforts that drive growth for the brand like community-centered activations and community-casted brand campaigns. 

People who make the pilgrimage to the brand’s website are introduced to its story through a declaration that “nothing is clearer to [them] than the belief that every woman should include strength training in her life to enhance both physical and mental well-being.” This statement may seem bold given strength training’s long reputation as a male-dominated endeavor, but data indicates that women are participating in amateur weightlifting in ever-greater numbers. 

Oner Active leverages founder Krissy Cela’s experience and network as a launchpad for its campaigns and activations. With 3.3 million followers on Instagram and 2.4 million subscribers on YouTube, Cela’s fitness journey is a testimony that gives women with similar interests a reason to trust the brand she’s building. 

Using community-focused activations to reinforce the connection between the brand and its audience became standard after the success of Oner Active’s first birthday online event in 2021. Attendees received an exclusive look at new pieces of the limited-edition collection through try-on hauls, live shopping experiences and dedicated workout sessions. Each activity mirrored popular content themes the community would see from the brand through its affiliates or on owned social pages. This made the 22,000 community members in attendance a part of the celebration while also seeding ideas on how to share their Oner Active stories with friends and families. Building on the success of the first online event, the brand added a quarterly in-person event called “Stronger Together,” bringing their sponsorship team together to eat, train, create content and build camaraderie doing what they love.

“Everything we do will be with (the community) in mind, every questionnaire we do, every survey we take, every campaign we build, how can we continue to nourish the community we have, is a message that will never change,” says Cela in the Oner Active YouTube documentary series. 

Oner Active’s “Extraordinary Stories” campaign drew in over 100,000 views as it once again challenged the market’s perception of what a strong woman looks like. “We wanted to do a campaign that was fearless, resilient and extraordinary… we worked hard as a team to understand the voices that are not currently being amplified enough and found women who could showcase and celebrate their own extraordinary stories,” says Cela. Featuring a series of moving videos of women from the Oner Active community exhibiting their training routines and sharing their stories of overcoming traumatic experiences, living with health conditions or embracing who they are regardless of beauty standards, the campaign became another strand in the chord that weaves the community and brand together. 

Oner Active’s embrace of niche marketing allows it to take advantage of these trends as it stays committed to its mission as an advocate that brings women who strength train from the shadows of obscurity and into the spotlight to be celebrated and find community with others who do too.

The post How Oner Active empowered women by rejecting mass marketing appeared first on PR Daily.

Kennyatta Collins is a freelance brand strategist. Follow him on LinkedIn.

The most intriguing storyline in toys isn’t from industry giants like Mattel or Disney, but from a small team that transformed a struggling NFT project into a challenger brand. The Pudgy Penguins NFT project is now doing $10 million in sales and selling out inventory in over 2,000 Walmart locations thanks to GIFs and an adorable character.

On the heels of Rolling Stone’s scathing report on the worthlessness of NFTs, Pudgy Penguins announced over $400 million in digital collectible sales and a purchase order that would see the world’s largest retailer carry their plush toys and figurines in 2,000 stores.

“We went with Walmart because we wanted to make a big statement. It’s not just any store; it’s where everyone shops,” says Austin Lee, marketing director of Pudgy Penguins. “It’s not every day an NFT project hits the shelves of the largest retailer in the world.”

The toys come with QR codes that can be scanned to authenticate their Pudgy Penguin with a unique birth certificate that allows users to claim traits for a digital version of their character in Pudgy World, an open-world platform currently in its beta phase. Think of it as Club Penguin 2.0.

Building awareness was the first step to becoming a household brand in the toy space and GIPHY was the key to that strategy. GIPHY says it regularly serves more than 10 billion pieces of content to more than1 billion people, putting its reach on par with Meta platforms. “Foundationally, it was just a no-brainer to hop on GIPHY given the goal of mass adoption of our IP and open territory to explore our growth strategies on an otherwise unvalued platform,” Lee says.

The integration of GIFs across social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X and Whatsapp allows for a more subtle approach to increasing awareness through keyword associations and establishing familiarity without users having to interact with the brand directly. Whether you’re looking to celebrate a holiday, share positive affirmations, or let your friends know what kind of mood you’re in, there is a Pudgy Penguins GIF ready for use.  

“(Pudgys) have this charm that’s cute and rare — something anyone could see existing in the IP industry regardless of our NFT backstory,” Lee said.

“It starts with Trojan horsing —  using a familiar experience as the entry point to reshape the narrative of the space with a completely unique user journey and experience,” Lee says. And that strategy has seen big success: Disney boasts 16.2 billion GIF views on GIPHY, and Pudgy Penguins surpassed them with 16.5 billion.

 

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But marketing the Pudgy Penguin characters through GIFs is just a supplement to a short-form video strategy focused on turning the Pudgy Penguins characters into mirror images of the audience they cater to. Often addressing the “if you know you know” cultural jokes and moments, you’ll find Reels and TikToks that address the difference between his and hers skincare routines, how expensive it is to leave the house, or that person who scrolls social media all night until they realize they didn’t get any sleep. By making the characters reflect the lived experiences of their audience, the brand bypasses the need to educate on NFTs and avoids the pitfalls that come with the sometimes scammy reputation of Web3. 

In May of 2023, the brand launched their first run of plush toys and figurines on Amazon and quickly became the “#1 Hot New Release” in the toy category, selling over $500,000 worth of toys in less than a week. The brand found success with parents buying plushies for their kids and young adults buying figurines to collect and show off to friends. Their e-commerce success and compelling experiences at conventions like the New York Toy Fair attracted the attention of the retail giants and gave Walmart the proof they needed to make their first purchase order. 

 

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While NFTs may still mystify the everyday consumer, adorable plush toys, cool collectibles and GIFs are easier to understand. After a successful initial run, Walmart put in a second order of toys and expanded its footprint to now 3,100 stores. “Our vision is to make entering Web3 as easy as it gets. I believe we’re the gateway for the next wave of blockchain-curious folks to flood the ecosystem,” says Lee. With an almost 20% conversion rate on toy customers scanning their QR codes and claiming their free NFT certificates to unlock their Pudgy Penguin in the Pudgy World, Lee may be right.

The post How an NFT turned plushie thrives with GIFs and ‘Trojan horsing’ appeared first on PR Daily.

Having a brand social video strategy around TikTok is a crucial part of connecting with audiences today.

Dropbox’s head of social media, Susan Chang, has been with the software company since 2014, two years longer than TikTok has been in existence. During her time there, she’s had the chance to craft the social media strategy around the short-form video app from its inception.

“It was just undeniable that TikTok was becoming such a popular way to consume content that we couldn’t not be on it anymore,” said Chang, who occasionally guest stars on her brand’s channel. Dropbox joined just two years ago with a cheeky “let’s go” post. Today, the channel regularly pulls in millions of views on individual videos.

Part of Chang’s strategy was to create videos that felt like they belonged on that platform. “As a team, we needed to be smart about understanding the channel and the audience that was there.”

Ahead of her session at Ragan and PR Daily’s Social Media Conference, Chang shared her best advice for TikTok, including how to be authentic, the evolving role of user generated content and ways to engage beyond videos.

Create videos specifically for the platform

It’s important to understand the audience on TikTok. “You might feel that there are some similarities between [TikTok and other short-form video platforms],” said Chang, “however, the audience is different from the audience that’s on Reels.”

Specifically, TikTok videos need to be tuned into the app’s own unique, self-referential culture. “So much of TikTok is responding to what else is happening on TikTok,” said Chang. “You have to react quickly to the new thing that day.”

When videos are recycled across platforms, they feel inauthentic. “When brands do that, it’s very obvious and people (notice).”

@dropbox This is your sign to stop remixing the same password. Starting today, all Dropbox users can store unlimited passwords and payment cards. Dropbox Passwords lets you seamlessly sign in to websites and apps by storing your passwords. The Passwords app remembers your usernames and passwords on all your devices so you don’t have to—helpful tool to keep safe and secure online. #passwordmanager #passwords #Dropbox #DropboxPasswords ♬ Keyboard_typing sound(894890) – keiichiro Akamine

Don’t ignore the comments section

“The comments section is very special,” said Chang. “Sometimes it’s more interesting and entertaining than the actual video.”

TikTok thrives on engagement between video creators, including through the stitch and duet tools. But the comments section is where engagement can thrive. “You can’t just post (and) leave,” said Chang. “Look at what people are saying, how are people reacting to you. Could you be reacting to their reactions?”

Dropbox’s strategy for the TikTok channel now includes best practices around the comments section and is part of their larger community engagement strategy.

“It’s another way for us to interact with our customers. You’ll see other brands pop up [in the comments] on popular TikTok all the time.”

Build a UGC strategy

UGC has become a critical part of Dropbox’s strategy.

“TikTok is a channel where people love to see someone talking to you and having a conversation with you,” said Chang. With that thought in mind, her team vetted micro influencers who had been previously posting content that felt on brand for Dropbox.

“These (were) real customers using Dropbox, in their actual daily lives, talking about how to use it and why they like it,” said Chang. “Having them say that on our behalf (was) more effective than the Dropbox brand saying (the same thing). When you see an actual customer saying something, it feels much more authentic and it helps you see yourself in that customer.”

As an added bonus, it’s allowed the channel to post more regularly.

“It’s been a great way for us to feature customers (and) also create video content at a much more efficient rate than we previously had been.”

@dropboxDropbox Dash keeps everything you need for that important meeting all in one place. Join the Dash beta program at the link in profile.♬ original sound – dropbox

Followers aren’t everything

“Your executives probably ask you ‘How many followers do you have?’” acknowledged Chang. “It’s one of those key metrics that a lot of brands will track. (But) I don’t feel like followers (are) that important to a channel. Discoverability has nothing to do with number of followers on TikTok.”

TikTok’s discoverability model allows relevant videos to appear on viewer’s For You tab even if a user isn’t following the account — which means any video can go viral.

“We want to know that content we’re publishing is doing well with our audience and that people are watching it,” said Chang. Her key metrics include engagement, as well as ROI on video creation.

“With UGC content, our costs to make each video have come down. That’s also something that we track as a business to make sure that we’re investing (correctly).”

Have fun

The short-form video platform turns 8 years old this September and now boasts over 1 billion monthly active users. A trend Chang has noticed is that increased audience means that more and more public figures or celebrities have joined the platform in earnest. (President Biden’s social team just joined in early February.)

“(The audience on TikTok) love to see the authentic sides of people,” said Chang. “You have to be aware of the beats on the platform on the daily.”

Whether those celebrities can adapt to that platform will be something she’s curious to watch. “You (can’t) only post beautifully produced videos or things (that feel) brand approved.“

Remember: in the end, sometimes you just have to give the audience what they want.

@dropbox Replying to @ch226799000 #Dropbox ♬ Cheers and applause(201652) – おでぃ

Join Chang at Ragan and PR Daily’s Social Media Conference on March 27-29. Chang will speak alongside communications leaders from Alaska Airlines, Hyatt, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Intel, AARP, Wendy’s and more.

The post 5 tips for TikTok brand engagement appeared first on PR Daily.

The Super Bowl won’t kick off until Sunday, but PR practitioners have already been at work for months as they prepare for the biggest brand bonanza of the year.  

Social media mentions will be a key metric this year in measuring interest and excitement around the ads, and some have already earned a greater share of the conversation than others.. 

From Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, NYX Cosmetics was the winner in the buzz bowl, with a big assist from Cardi B. According to data from Sprout Social measuring Super Bowl-related brand mentions across social platforms, a teaser that saw the rapper and singer recreating her “that’s suspicious” meme raked in 8,782 mentions and 156,127 engagements.  

Cardi B recreates her viral “That’s suspicious” meme in new teaser for her upcoming Super Bowl commercial with NYX Cosmetics. pic.twitter.com/U9NpbohXDZ

— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 1, 2024

It’s fairly logical that playing on a meme that became an incredibly popular TikTok sound was successful on social media; it’s also a bold, confident move to call your product “weird,” “suspicious” and “freaky,” but one that pays off here. The smart pairing of celebrity to brand is also paying off here, with the hip, fashion-forward star paired with the budget friendly, youth-oriented makeup.  

The next most-discussed Big Game ad on social media was also thanks to a big celebrity. Pringles released its ad featuring a mustachioed Chris Pratt and earned 4,049 mentions, 60,620 engagements. The ad, which sees Pratt compared to the Mr. Pringles mascot, apparently features real facial hair Pratt grew during the writer’s strike. After he posted about it on social media, Pringles spotted the resemblance to their mascot and a Super Bowl ad was born, Variety reported.  

Chris Pratt becomes Mr. Pringles in a new #SuperBowl ad pic.twitter.com/2FTjNArUV3

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) February 5, 2024

The third most buzzed-about brand in connection with the Super Bowl was FanDuel. Not only will many people be using the sports book during the game, their Big Game plans were disrupted by the death of Carl Weathers, who is featured in their ad alongside Rob Gronkowski. Weathers died last week at age 76.  

“FanDuel was fortunate to have had an opportunity to work with him during our Super Bowl campaign. We are adjusting our campaign accordingly out of respect for the family during their time of grief,” Fan Duel said in a statement.  

It’s a tragic loss and a disruptive event for the brand — but it also provided a surprise boost in conversation about the ad. How they address Weathers’ death in the ad and honor is legacy will be crucial now.  

Other top-mentioned brands, according to Sprout Social, include Michelob Ultra’s star-studded ad, Bud Light’s ongoing struggles to overcome its influencer controversy and a BetMGM ad that’s for everyone but Tom Brady.  

The commonality? Social media tie-ins, big celebrities and major news all lead to more buzz. No surprises there. 

The music angle 

Outside of brands, the Super Bowl is also a critical moment for all manner of musicians. Halftime show star Usher has been featured in more than 24,000 media articles since Jan. 1, according to data provided by Muck Rack, a respectable number. But the real musical star of this Super Bowl is, of course, Taylor Swift. 

Despite having no official role in the big game — she’s reportedly turned down requests to perform the halftime show herself — she’s been featured in more than 99,000 articles about the game, most circling around her relationship with tight end Travis Kelce, though some involve bizarre conspiracy theories.  

There’s no conspiracy here: Swift is simply wildly popular and has a devoted fanbase. Indeed, the new audience that she brings to the table is changing the composition of Super Bowl ads and putting a new focus on female viewers.  

Which brands will continue to drive forward on their pre-Super Bowl momentum to sales success? And which dark horses will pop up during the game? 

We’ll just have to wait and see.  

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on X or LinkedIn.

The post By the Numbers: These brands are already winning the Super Bowl appeared first on PR Daily.

Any rebrand is challenging. People become emotionally attached to even the smallest nuance of logo design and brand colors. But doing a rebrand complete with a full name change? That’s a next-level challenge.  

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service took on that challenge, transforming into Global Refuge. But what didn’t change in this extensive rebrand process is its commitment to advocating for refugees and helping them feel welcome and settled in the United States. In fact, that mission has only grown, as the 85-year-old organization ballooned from about 75 employees two and a half years ago to 560 today. 

The non-profit’s board asked it to determine a name that would help set a bigger table for the many refugees around the world, including migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. It also considered a full rebrand alongside the name change. 

Here’s how LIRS planned and rolled out its new birth as Global Refuge. 

What’s in a name? 

LIRS began this journey with Legend Labs, a brand consulting company based in Austin, Texas. With Legend’s help, LIRS began to conduct deep research including a staff survey, donor survey and a national, statistically significant survey to better understand current knowledge of the brand and what compels people to donate to an organization like theirs. LIRS coupled this quantitative data with qualitative data based on interviews with board members, affiliates, former clients, government partners and others.  

Several key points revealed themselves. 

First was the key role of mission in non-profit names. “We know that in such a crowded brand space, you have to be able to very quickly grab somebody’s attention, and what does your name signal?” Erin Taylor, chief communications officer at Global Refuge, told PR Daily. “And if we were going to change our name, we wanted something that stayed true to our mission, but would allow us maybe quicker recognition in that critical moment where somebody’s trying to learn about you.”  

LIRS also suffered from low name recognition, a true problem. Part of that may have been the acronym itself, which added to what Taylor called “alphabet soup” in the non-profit space. 

The organization was getting closer to what it needed from a new name. But there was still one major decision to be made.  

Reformers 

“Lutheran” played a key role in the original name of the organization. And while it no longer appears in the title, it’s still a vital part of the charity.  

“We are absolutely remaining a Lutheran faith-based organization. Our mission, vision and values have not changed,” Taylor said.  

But the inclusion of the denomination in the name did cause some confusion among the organization’s constituents. The organization helps all, regardless of religion. But for many of LIRS constituents, the inclusion of “Lutheran” in the title was an important touchstone to faith, and removing it hurt. 

Taylor said they recognize and honor that hurt, and that the team has taken time to travel across the country for face-to-face meetings with people skeptical of the name change. But she also stressed that Christian faith is still embedded in the name, albeit more subtly. 

“Refuge is actually an important part of Psalm 46 in the Bible: ‘And so God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,’” Taylor quoted. “And that’s actually a passage that a lot resonates with a lot of members of the Lutheran faith.” 

Ultimately, her team understands not everyone will agree with change, but that it, too, is a core part of Lutheranism. 

“The Lutheran church is in and of itself a reformer, right? That’s how the church formed, started,” she said, referencing church founder Martin Luther, who famously nailed his 95 theses to a church door and started the Protestant Reformation.  

“The idea that that our organization continues to evolve to meet needs and serve clients is really important to us.” 

Rolling it out 

After all this research and conversation, the organization settled on Global Refuge. It was shorter, made up of real words, and eliminated the need for an acronym. It set that bigger table that the board wanted while still retaining faith identity through the inclusion of “refuge,” with its nod to Psalm 46. It also more quickly helped people understand what they did. A quick round of market testing revealed that the name resonated with their target audiences too. 

Now the creative endeavor was over and the hard work of rolling out logistical changes needed to begin. 

The internal rollout was particularly critical.  

“We see our staff as some of our best brand ambassadors, and folks that would need to be early on board in terms of being able to share the news and articulate the why behind it,” Taylor said. 

That work started with an all-staff, in-person meeting in San Antonio, but continued with in-person, in-depth conversations. 

“We tried to reach as many people in person as we could to talk in a transparent way about what this change was and what it would mean for the organization and, critically, what it wouldn’t mean for the organization — again, that the work was not changing,” Taylor said. 

The comms team also created a variety of collateral materials, ranging from an in-depth 15-page FAQ, as well as a physical at-a-glance one sheet on the rebrand. 

The one-sheet also included key messages and even an elevator pitch – a few words employees could share if they met someone for only a brief moment. The team even went beyond just sending collateral materials by providing training to help team members adapt the talking points for their particular audience.  

The internal and external response to the rebrand has been positive. But most important has been the incorporation of client voices into their new identity. 

“Beyond the name, it’s, it’s the storytelling, it’s the inclusivity, it’s the welcoming messaging that we’re building in that will then be reflected across our comms materials,” Taylor said. “So we’re really jazzed about that, too.” 

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on X or LinkedIn.

The post Navigating a name change: Practical tips from Global Refuge, formerly LIRS appeared first on PR Daily.

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is almost here. Is your brand ready for it?

Held on Nov. 1 – Nov. 2, it is a deeply culturally significant holiday that originated in Mexico but is now recognized throughout Latin America and beyond. The holiday honors deceased loved ones with parties, parades and costumes, according to National Geographic.

Celebrants also give offerings on altars, or ofrendas, to the spirits of relatives who have died to encourage them to visit again.

PepsiCo’s Rockstar Energy drink honors this holiday with its new national campaign, Proud Hasta Los Huesos (Proud to the Bones). The campaign ushers in the upcoming Day of the Dead holiday with custom cans for Rockstar Energy Drinks, Manzanita Sol, Crush and Brisk, part of the “Proud Hasta Los Huesos” limited-edition can collection.

Mexican illustrator and artist Joaquín Nava designed the cans for the campaign, which feature the image of La Catrina, a recognizable symbol for Día de los Muertos.

“Proud Hasta Los Huesos honors Día de los Muertos tradition and encourages the discovery of a new generation of talented Latino creators who use art as a cultural expression, especially those intrinsically preserving tradition,” according to a PepsiCo press release.

Other design elements on the cans include:

• Signature colors surrounded by customary ofrendas (altars)
• Alebrije icons (spiritual guides)
• A Xolo, or Mexican hairless dog
• Feathered serpent
• Other distinct decorative cues like marigold flowers and papel picado (paper banners)

The Rockstar Pure Zero fruit punch can, in particular, is black, white, red and gray. The can is mesmerizing to the eye and a bit mysterious as the stoic, prominently placed La Catrina beckons the observer to take a sip. La Catrina’s hollowed-out eyes seemingly also draws people in to learn more about otherworldly matters around Día de los Muertos.

“Every can has a tie to the Mexican community and culture while recognizing the past, per the release.

PR Daily sat down with Esperanza Teasdale, VP and general manager, Hispanic Business Unit, PepsiCo Beverages North America, to talk about the campaign.

The audience

Teasdale said that this campaign came about because PepsiCo studied Hispanic celebrations and holidays.

Tapping into that knowledge, PepsiCo developed its cans to resonate with audiences and their cultural celebrations.

“Cultural authenticity across all creative touchpoints of the campaign was critical, especially to preserve the symbolism and meaning behind the holiday,” Teasdale said, adding that partnering with Nava was an important element. Nava was given the freedom to bring “his artistic vision to life through the rich cultural lens of Día de los Muertos.”

“(Nava) did a great job leveraging color for our packaging and illustration of Latino custom and nuances,” Teasdale said. “He does beautiful work, very artistic and full of culture.”

The purpose

Teasdale’s said that PepsiCo’s Hispanic business unit team was dedicated to using its employees as a cultural resource for the campaign.

Teasdale said that PepsiCo’s Hispanic Business Unit is comprised of a diverse team from across the Hispanic diaspora, including consultants and a multicultural insights team. They worked together to ensure the campaign authentically captures the “cultural nuances of this beloved Mexican holiday,” she said.

The beautiful artwork draws the eye and piques interest of prospective buyers.

“Our cans, really, (are) the thing people see before they make that purchase,” Teasdale said.

In addition to driving growth, PepsiCo wants to educate more people on what Día de los Muertos is about.

“It’s about celebrating the life of those who have lived on and who have just passed in beautiful ways and encouraging people to make their own ofrendas,” Teasdale said.

The bone (and heart) of the matter

Teasdale said that the campaign slogan felt “really smart” and “beautiful” because it drives home the essence of how people feel about being Latino, “Proud to the Bones.”

“There is a lot of pride, a lot of optimism, a lot of passion. The whole concept captures that really nicely for a moment in time that celebrates life,” Teasdale said.

Rockstar Pure Zero cans are available nationwide; Manzanita Sol and Brisk cans are located in the western and central regions of the U.S. The Crush cans are available in markets including Houston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

PepsiCo chose these metropolitan areas to cater to some of the largest Hispanic, Mexican and Mexican-American populations located there.

PepsiCo used the @RockstarEnergy Instagram page to promote a limited-edition Rockstar Pure Zero ceremonial box, which includes items to put on people’s own altars like cans, custom papel picada, calavera (skull) candles and La Catrina temporary tattoos. Teasdale said that Instagram was the brand’s choice as it is a “highly visual platform where consumers go to share and be inspired by visually compelling content.”

“With the limited-edition cans serving as the artistic anchor of the Proud Hasta Los Huesos campaign, we knew that Instagram was the right place to showcase the beautiful artwork and rich Mexican culture through visual storytelling that would capture the attention of our socially engaged audience,” Teasdale said.

Teasdale said that the biggest message here for PR and comms pros is to be authentic for the culture they are trying to reach.

“Help people celebrate more who they are,” Teasdale said.

Sherri Kolade is a writer and conference producer at Ragan Communications. She enjoys watching old films, reading and building an authentically curated life. Follow her on LinkedIn. Have a great PR/comms speaker in mind for one of Ragan’s events? Email her at sherrik@ragan.com.

The post How Rockstar Energy celebrates Día de los Muertos with pride, optimism and passion appeared first on PR Daily.

Public relations professionals are good at getting the word out about other people, brands and initiatives. But some might find it hard to give that same time, attention and energy to their own personal brands.

A steady cadence of posts that highlight your own work wins on social media can boost your career and grow your professional sphere of influence. But be careful not to venture too far into the obnoxious category with incessant posting and over-the-top bragging across social media platforms. Nobody likes that.

Terry Isner, owner of Jaffe PR, said that he is successful in his own personal brand building because he uses a simple, yet effective, formula to connect with his audience: being himself.

“Basically, the idea is that if we just bring our whole selves – and our unique selves – to people confidently, then we will attract and innovate and collaborate and do all these great things with great people. I think it’s important that we put ourselves out there and find those collaborative areas,” Isner told PR Daily.

Isner said that as people go through life and their careers, they are building upon their personal brand online and off, whether they intend to or not.

“Your actions, characteristics, personality, beliefs, values and preferred ways to communicate and collaborate, these are who you are. These are your brand,” Isner said. “Knowing that this will happen organically … should alert you that controlling, maintaining and consciously building a personal brand matters.”

Isner said that no matter what one posts, or which platform people use to communicate, it’s about bringing your whole self to each post.

“One of the things that I’ve allowed is my life at work to become one and be able to use the platforms to share that,” Isner said about intertwining his personal and professional life. “When you share that obviously through social media, you’re creating brand reputation.”

Isner posted on LinkedIn about the concept of improving one’s personal brand and how it ties to bringing one’s opinions to the forefront – whether at work or doing life.

“There is a fantastic landscape today for cultivating your personal brand through thought leadership,” Isner said in the post. “Podcasts, social media, blog writing, public speaking and participation in conferences all serve as excellent platforms … to exhibit your personality and perspectives. Remember, prospective clients aren’t merely seeking assurances of your capabilities; they’re interested in gauging your relatability and whether the potential working relationship seems like it would be mutually satisfying. … Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine, doing so will attract the clients who are right for you.”

PR experts don’t have to mix work and life if that’s not their thing. They can stick strictly to work-related topics and boost their personal brand that way.

Paisley Haddad, senior account executive at Zeno Group and host of The Queen of Comm Podcast, has built her brand around being a Gen Z industry voice. Haddad uses her podcast to boost her personal brand and professional prowess on LinkedIn, Instagram and other platforms.

“As a dual PR pro and podcaster, it’s important to me to build my personal brand as a thought leader in the podcasting space to provide informed counsel to any clients or colleagues who may seek more information on the medium in earned media,” Haddad said. “Also, in my career, building my personal brand has allowed me to take part in conferences, Clubhouse chats, op-eds and (opportunities) where I’m able to learn and grow within my role as well as provide insights on behalf of Gen Z.”
Haddad said whether a PR professional is looking to build their personal brand by starting a podcast or posting more consistently across social media, it all boils down to getting the word out about oneself and making connections.

Isner said no matter how new a PR expert is to personal branding, it’s important to think about authentically crafting a personal brand now.

“You should be in charge of it. Be the person you want to be, own it and foster relationships with those that appreciate your brand,” Isner said.

Haddad mused that it’s never too late to start learning and being open to new ideas while thriving in this new territory.

“I just feel like everyone should always be curious. No matter what level you are at in the PR industry. Just continue learning and talking with others,” Haddad said.

Sherri Kolade is a writer at PR Daily. When she is not with her family, she enjoys watching old films, reading and building an authentically curated life. This includes, more than occasionally, finding something deliciously fried. Follow her on LinkedIn. Have a great PR story idea? Email her at sherrik@ragan.com.

The post The secret to building a personal brand? Letting your personality shine. appeared first on PR Daily.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup is in full swing, showcasing some of the very best soccer in the world.

Gender is an inescapable part of the Cup. This is the first Women’s World Cup since the United States team secured a promise from U.S. Soccer to receive pay and treatment that’s equal to the men’s team. Their advocacy set off broader conversations about pay equity in the country, since the women were paid a fraction of what the men received, despite having won four World Cups, compared to the men’s zero.

There has also been international progress: the winner’s pot for the Women’s World Cup jumped from $30 million in 2019 to $150 million today — though that number still far lags the men’s $440 million pool. And consumers are showing strong interest in the cup, as the U.S. women’s team opening victory over Vietnam earned ratings equal to the men’s World Cup final, in which the American team did not play. But even amid growth in interest in the women’s game, true equality, including in PR and marketing dollars, remains a long way off.

“We do see far more women’s sports than we ever have before,” Ellen Staurowsky, professor of sports media at Ithaca College, told Marketplace. “But at the same time, women are still just getting less than 1% of sport marketing dollars globally. What is it going to take financially, in terms of media coverage, to actually see women’s sports at 20%? At 25%?”

We’re seeing signs of increasing interest in the Cup from advertisers, though: Digiday reports that some online sports news publishers are seeing more revenue from the women’s match than the men’s. And Google is working to increase interest in the women’s cup, including by using altering results for “gender-ambiguous” search terms, Mashable reports, so general sports searches don’t default to all-male results.

In other words: the Women’s World Cup is a big deal, and only likely to get bigger.

As a result, there’s been a shift in how advertising and social media campaigns engage with and present the tournament.

A change from 2019

Even as recently as the last Women’s World Cup, we saw campaigns that struggled with the women’s (understandable) frustration over their lack of recognition. Take a look at this video introducing the German women’s team four years ago. “We play for a nation that doesn’t even know our names,” one player says. “We don’t have balls, but we know how to use them,” they tease in a clear comparison to men’s soccer.

Compare that to this video introducing American legend Megan Rapinoe, who has already announced her retirement at the end of the year.

Megan Rapinoe. The All-American Hero. She’s chasing a historic three-peat championship and another star for the @uswnt for her last trip to the big stage. @mpinoe #JustDoIt #NikeFootball pic.twitter.com/32o5vcI0V3

— Nike Football (@nikefootball) July 16, 2023

There is no mention of gender in the video (though you will catch Pride flags in one scene of the ‘80s-style animated spot). She’s celebrated for how darn good she is at soccer, with scenes of full-body scans implying that her skill is even beyond normal human abilities. She is an All-American hero because she’s just that freaking good, because she has a sense of flair and style that appeal to the rebellious spirit of the country. The spot doesn’t hide that she’s a woman (or a lesbian, for that matter, showing her wooing a lady on a beach with a scorching keytar solo), but nor does it treat that like the most interesting thing about her. And there’s certainly no need to compare her to the men.

How media is showcasing the female players’ interactions with and influence on young players is also evolving. In this Nike ad from 2019, merely being included in the excitement is enough for one fan, being shown that she, too, can be whatever she wants to be, from a player to a coach.

It’s an inspiring ad to be sure. But this year’s Frito-Lay ad takes a different tactic when it comes to inspiring the next generation: a mother shows her daughter why U.S. players, past and present, are the best, using their moves and their physicality rather than their mere existence.

To be clear, there is nothing wrong with the 2019 ads. Women had to fight to get where they are, and are still fighting for their fair share of recognition and pay. But we’re moving into a phase where audiences don’t need to be told that wow, girls can play soccer just like boys. We don’t even need to say that they’re just as good as the boys. In fact, we can leave men’s soccer entirely out of the conversation.

Well, sometimes.

The men

One of the buzziest ads of the Cup does feature male players. Well, we’ll let you watch the ad for yourself:

Spectacular plays performed by the France women’s team were digitally altered to make it seem as if their men’s team were performing them. The ad quietly peels back the often-inadvertent sexism society can suffer from: you thought these were amazing when they were men. Aren’t they just as good if it’s women? Just as incredible, just as thrilling? It illuminates the issue without shaming the viewer — a rare feat.

However your brand chooses to participate in this year’s Women’s World Cup, whether a simple social media post or a full-fledged campaign, remember that even in the last four years, the perception of women and gender has evolved.

Women belong on the pitch. Not everything has to be compared to men. And the next generation doesn’t just deserve to be included — they deserve to be the best in the world.

No qualifiers.

Allison Carter is executive editor of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter, LinkedIn or Threads.

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Have you placed a client on a podcast before as an interview subject? Or listened to a popular one as of late with a subject matter expert giving sage advice or expounding on an idea? If not, you are missing out. Podcasts are still all the rage and will be for quite some time, according to a Pew Research Center top-ranked podcast survey.

The Pew Research Center recently revealed an analysis of the 451 top-ranking podcasts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify from April 1, 2022, to September 30, 2022. The podcast data homed in on show formats and primary factors that made these podcasts popular.

Of those 451 podcasts, these are the most popular genres:

• True crime: 24%
• Multiple topics: 20%
• Other topics: 12%
• Politics and government: 10%
• Entertainment, pop culture and the arts 9%
• Self-help and relationship: 8%
• Sports: 6%
• History 4%
• Money and finance, comedy, and religion: 2%
• Science and technology and health: 1%.

Audiences are also heavily engaged in podcasts. Pew Research from this past spring finds that roughly half of Americans have listened to a podcast in the last year (49%).

That’s a lot of listeners. With so many tuning in, podcasts are the perfect place for people to learn about your client and brand. They can offer a fresh perspective or bold take to an already popular show on topics discussing true crime, entertainment and self-help.

The top-ranked podcasts come in various formats with 38% featuring deep reporting or explaining a topic. About a quarter (23%) of podcasts are interview shows, and another 16% are commentary-centered.

Your subject matter experts have stories to tell and can share their expertise, advice, or overall amplify the brand with their knowledge.

Putting them on interview-based podcasts could be a great place to start where they could naturally lend their expertise to the topic at hand.

Adding their voice to a popular podcast could elevate the brand in new ways and could connect them to more audiences, too.

Across all genres, about 15% of the top-ranked podcasts are primarily news focused, the study found.

“There are several possible reasons for this, including that many podcasts that do not primarily focus on the news occasionally discuss news-related topics,” according to Pew.

Podcasts with a news slant can touch on various topics including politics, sports and entertainment.

However, nearly half (49%) of the news-focused podcasts are centered around politics and government, like “The Dan Bongino Show” and “The Kyle Kulinski Show.”

Also, 63% of news-focused top podcasts feature a video element to their show. Podcasting is no longer merely a visual medium, as platforms like YouTube move into the space. Be sure to prep your clients that they need to be camera ready for podcasts — and consider preparing visuals to help them.

Hannah Nieves, founder and principal at Hannah Nieves Consulting, said in a Forbes article that sharing your story can go a long way because “your story is your most powerful asset.”

“Similar to sharing your story, showcasing your expertise in your field is a great way to spark the interest of a potential podcast host,” Nieves said. “Sharing your knowledge with an audience provides credibility for your experiences and allows you to show what you bring to that community. Your expertise can be shared through similar outlets such as on social media platforms, at larger events and with your clients.”

Sherri Kolade is a writer at Ragan Communications. When she is not with her family, she enjoys watching Alfred Hitchcock-style films, reading and building an authentically curated life that includes more than occasionally finding something deliciously fried. Follow her on LinkedIn. Have a great PR story idea? Email her at sherrik@ragan.com. 

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NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell parted ways with his company after an investigation from outside counsel found his behavior with a female colleague inappropriate, USA Today reported. 

Comcast announced on April 23 that their company and Shell “mutually agreed” that he would leave his position. 

“Today is my last day as CEO of NBCUniversal,” he said in a statement shared by Comcast. “I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret. I’m truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down, they are the most talented people in the business and the opportunity to work with them the last 19 years has been a privilege.” 

Why it matters: Comcast President Mike Cavanaugh and Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts responded in a note to employees about the matter, per a copy given to USA TODAY. 

“You should count on your leaders to create a safe and respectful workplace. When our principles and policies are violated, we will always move quickly to take appropriate action, as we have done here,” the note said.  

Having an external investigation on Shell while publicizing that in messaging to the public shows that the company is handling it with tact and diplomacy. The company does not want to be in hot water themselves accused of playing games with corporate politics. They are also looking at how to move in such a way as to not hurt their brand or appear to give Shell a slap on the wrist for violating their rules. 

Keep an eye out for brand imitators  

Brands can now be easily compromised with the rise of AI t creating copycat images and fake social media content. 

According to Capterra’s 2023 Brand Monitoring Survey, AI-generated fake information is becoming a reality for brands looking to combat this trend. Fifty-seven percent of marketing professionals surveyed said, “They have witnessed criticism or defamatory content about their brand or company on social media.”  

Forty-nine percent of survey takers reported encountering a “fraudulent brand or company account.” 

According to the survey, smaller marketing businesses (58%) don’t have the proper technology like social media monitoring software to protect their brand.  

Why it matters: Savvy brands need to buckle in for a wild ride with generative AI content that could easily imitate or discredit a brand. Preparing for the worst while taking ways to think about how to protect your brands should be a running thought for brands. Whether that be through using monitoring software to detect fake content or simply keeping an eye out on social media, be aware of imitators and know how to respond when the situation arises.   

Bed Bath & Beyond CEO responds to bankruptcy announcement  

Bed Bath & Beyond has filed for bankruptcy, CNBC reported. 

The company faced tough financial times because of online retail giants like Amazon scooping up their customers among other reasons. According to the article: 

Sixth Street has agreed to lend Bed Bath $240 million in debtor-in-possession financing so the company can have the cash flow necessary to support operations through the bankruptcy process. Bed Bath said it plans to continue to pay employees wages and benefits, maintain customer programs and honor obligations to vendors. 

“Millions of customers have trusted us through the most important milestones in their lives – from going to college to getting married, settling into a new home to having a baby,” according to a statement from CEO Sue Gove noted in the article. “Our teams have worked with incredible purpose to support and strengthen our beloved banners, Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy BABY,”  

Why it matters: Despite Bed Bath & Beyond’s bankruptcy proceedings, the company’s messaging about putting customers and employees at the forefront resonates. Their priorities of ensuring that their stakeholders are at the center of many of their decisions reinforce their image of strongly being connected to who matters most even during their financial turbulence and change. Though there are many lessons to be learned from their bankruptcy, their concern for those impacted is good for the public image. 

DoorDash driver attacked while on the job 

A Tampa DoorDash driver was sexually after making a delivery recently, CNN reported: 

The driver was trying to make a delivery to the Residence Inn in Tampa at night on April 18 when she was approached by an armed man – identified as 38-year-old Joseph Killins – who forced her back into her car at gunpoint and made her drive to another location more than 6 miles away, where he sexually battered her, the Tampa Police Department said in a news release. 

DoorDash spokesperson Julian Crowley said in a statement to CNN that the company is “appalled:”  

No one should ever have to endure something as horrific as this and we’re here to support the Dasher in any way we can,” per the article. We’re grateful to Tampa Police for their work to hold the perpetrator accountable and we strongly hope justice is served. 

Why it matters: DoorDash has safety measures in place with protocols available to help their drivers. Letting that be known in statements when possible helps the public know that they are upfront about how they care about drivers—and not mentioning or linking back to these measures amounts to a missed opportunity. Supporting your brand with messaging that conveys a sense of safety goes a long way. 

 Sherri Kolade is a writer at Ragan Communications. When she is not with her family, she enjoys watching Alfred Hitchcock-style films, reading and building an authentically curated life that includes more than occasionally finding something deliciously fried. Follow her on LinkedIn. Have a great PR story idea? Email her at sherrik@ragan.com. 

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One of the biggest news items of the day is former President Donald Trump’s Manhattan grand jury indictment on over 30 counts related to business fraud.    

As America enters uncharted waters, politicians are issuing statements at lightning speed. If your organization doesn’t need to make a statement, the best strategy right now is to keep quiet and wait and see.  

Beyoncé puts Adidas in a box to the left  

Beyoncé and Adidas had a good thing going, but they must bid each other adieu.   

Their fashionable collaboration debuted the shoe and clothing line Ivy Park in 2019. The duo, however, decided recently to go their separate ways over “creative differences,” according to a CBS News article.   

The departure is yet another awkward blow for Adidas which is feeling the financial sting of having to cut ties with Kanye West over his anti-Semitic remarks. The Beyoncé breakup (they won’t break her soul) won’t impact Adidas’ bottom line to that same degree “because Ivy Park has never been a material revenue driver,” said David Schwartz, an analyst for Morningstar Research.   

“It highlights Adidas’ inability to find a celebrity partnership that is anything close to the relevance of Yeezy,” Swartz told CBS MoneyWatch.   

Not everyone is sad about the news.   

Ashley Cobb, at Gossip and Gasms, posted her takeaway on Facebook.   

“Ivy Park didn’t sell because Ivy Park only looks good on Beyoncé. Also, Bey isn’t a fashion icon… an athleisure brand never made sense.”   

Why it matters: It’s not always easy to choose the best partner, either for brands or for influencers Sometimes it’s preferable to part ways if things aren’t working. Knowing when to quit goes a long way.   

Trending e-commerce, fintech and gaming apps prove invaluable to marketers   

E-commerce, fintech and gaming mobile apps are ripe with new opportunities, especially for marketers and developers.    

A new report from Adjust reveals positive “early momentum” for e-commerce, fintech and gaming mobile apps in 2023.   

In 2022, the industries saw a slight downturn but this year there are major wins including in areas of fintech (+13%), and gaming (+10%) in comparison to their 2022 figures, according to report details:   

The report — based on datasets totaling more than 100,000 apps tracked by Adjust — analyzes long-term trends in installs, sessions, time spent in-app, retention, re-attribution rates, and more, across the globe. These insights enable developers and marketers to better understand their audience and the state of the app economy.  

Adjust’s CEO Simon “Bobby” Dussart discussed the uptick:   

“Global conditions and user needs are evolving rapidly, but the need for growth and ROI in the mobile app marketing industry remains the same. Delivering highly customized, seamless user experiences, executing cross-platform campaigns, and tapping into the potential of new channels, such as connected TV, will prove invaluable for marketers and developers seeking sustained and strategic growth in 2023 and beyond.”   

Why it matters: PR pros need to consider the full range of possibilities with these popular apps and how to potentially reach audiences. Learn ways to leverage these platforms and stay up to date with trends in this space.   

Is BuzzFeed’s new robot contributor ‘Buzzy AI’ the new king of content?    

There is a lot of buzz around BuzzFeed right now. It’s not because of their trending articles or sometimes cringeworthy content that Gen Zers and Millennials lap up.   

They are under scrutiny for publishing overly generic and oftentimes badly written AI-generated articles, not just quizzes.   

BuzzFeed is using AI tools from OpenAI’s ChatGPT to “enhance” and “personalize” its digital content described as “SEO bait.”  It largely offers glimpses of “hidden gem” travel destinations.

A Futurism article reminds BuzzFeed of its earlier-in-the-year promises to hold its AI-assisted content to a “high standard.”   

However, the rollout of travel articles has been choppy and controversial to say the least.   

“It doesn’t seem like that commitment to quality has held up, though,” the Futurism author noted. The similarly modeled travel articles read, “like the content mill model that Peretti had promised to avoid.”   

Nieman Labs calls them, “bad.”   

BuzzFeed disagrees and says there’s a bright future to be etched out with AI.   

“As we iterate, future formats will continue to have built-in ways for humans to be in the loop as co-collaborators and editors,” they said in the article.   

Why it matters: We get it. AI is the latest shiny gadget that everyone wants to get their hands on. However, not everything that glitters is gold. PR pros might have a more difficult task at hand connecting with journalists if a hefty amount of their content foregoes the human touch. Journalists using AI might not be so easily prone to checking their inboxes for similar content pitched. Striking the right balance means getting it wrong sometimes and veering back toward a good rhythm where humans and robots alike can meet in the middle.  

The importance of fonts in a rebrand

The luxury brand Burberry recently got a throwback makeover, the New York Times reported. 

“Burberry joined two recently debuted serif logos from Ferragamo and Phoebe Philo, leading online followers to proclaim the era of serif typefaces in, and the era of ‘blanding’ sans-serifs decidedly out,” according to the article.   

Grace Robinson-Leo, founder and creative director at Decade, said that Burberry’s logo is impressive.    

“When a logo is really beautiful and really well drawn, it really stands the test of time, and it often sets the tone for a kind of style or aesthetic that other people get excited about.”   

 The tweak is to woo back customer bases in “an increasingly competitive landscape of newer brands.”    

On Twitter, James Genchi, @UXyThing, called the brand move a “huge step backward” but in the best way.  

“It looks amazing! It’s great to see a brand with such rich heritage abandoning the bland, sans serif trend which has been draining character from some of the world’s biggest brands for a while.”  

Why it matters: Sometimes going backward means a step in the right direction. You don’t have to be an iconic brand with a rich heritage to switch things up. Don’t be afraid of change if that means swapping out a logo. Or looking back at older logos of your brand and bringing them to the forefront in an updated version. Bottom line, tweak to your liking and see what unfolds. Happy redesigning!  

Sherri Kolade is a writer at Ragan Communications. When she is not with her family, she enjoys watching Alfred Hitchcock-style films, reading and building an authentically curated life that includes more than occasionally finding something deliciously fried. Follow her on LinkedIn.    

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Pepsi is marking its 125 years of history in style this year with a rebrand to update its iconic look.  

The Pepsi brand is debuting a new logo and visual identity system in the fall after maintaining its current one for 14 years, according to a news release by PR Newswire.  

Some dramatic changes include a bold typeface, revamped color palette and a “signature pulse” fans can still readily recognize as familiar, according to the press release.   

Todd Kaplan, chief marketing officer, noted the need to refresh while still keeping continuity with the beloved brand: 

“Pepsi is an iconic brand that is constantly evolving with the times, as it has been a staple in pop culture and disrupted the category for the past 125 years. We couldn’t be more excited to begin a new era for Pepsi, as this exciting new and modern look will drive brand distinction to show up bigger and bolder and help people find new ways to unapologetically enjoy the things they love. This new visual system brings out the best of the Pepsi brand’s rich heritage, while taking a giant leap forward to set it up for success in an increasingly digital world.”  

The revamped “Pepsi persona” will be released this fall in the United States and Canada. A worldwide release is set in 2024.   

Why it matters: Pepsi has many connections to pop culture events and celebrities down the years (Michael Jackson and Britney Spears anyone?).  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mphfSLf9Inw

Building on an already popular foundation while staying relevant can go a long way for anyone looking to make the redesign leap. Don’t be afraid to modernize, revamp or rebrand your business, especially one with deep, cherished ties to a community. Pepsi is a good example of pivoting while maintaining brand integrity. 

Cyber disruption threats are a real risk  

Cybersecurity threats are a growing concern for Americans.  

According to the new Gallup’s World Affairs survey on terrorism-related concerns, cyberterrorism is “ranked highest among ‘critical threats’ to U.S. vital interests,” per 84% of survey takers. Thirteen percent of survey takers think this threat is important but not critical.  

The potential cybersecurity threat outweighs concern over the development of nuclear weapons by Iran, which comes in second on the list at 74% of people who think the threat is critical. Twenty-two percent of survey takers view it as important but not critical, according to the Gallup report.  

The survey, conducted in February, also found that Chinese military threats and the Russia-Ukraine conflict are also points of concern. 

Why it matters: Prepare your communications strategies in advance in case cyber risks harm staff members and customers who depend on your brand to handle their sensitive data. Prepare a communications strategy in case of a breach and be ready to be a source of trusted information, even amid chaos.  

Amazon gives you the lowdown on regularly returned items   

Consumers cherish the ability to make educated selections on products before they buy.  

Amazon is significantly simplifying this process by giving customers the heads up about frequently returned products, according to an article by The Verge.   

“We’re currently showing return rate information on some product detail pages to help our customers make more informed purchase decisions,” Amazon spokesperson Betsy Harden said in the article to The Information.  

Amazon is letting its warning label of “frequently returned” items speak for itself to “encourage consumers to check the item details and reviews before making their purchase, helping customers avoid misleading or low-quality products and reducing unnecessary returns,” according to the article.  

Screenshot of a frequently returned item on Amazon with an orange label warning (near the bottom of the product description) identifying it as such.

Presently, Amazon’s return policy lets customers return new and unused purchases up to 30 days after ordering, typically for free, except if the item is deemed nonreturnable, according to the article. This move aims to cut down on the inconvenience of returning products, bypassing “deceptively marketed products” with fake reviews, the article adds.   

The “frequently returned item” addition has not yet been fully released.  

Why it matters: Being transparent is king and being upfront is priceless to consumers. No one wants to buy a repeat-offender product that has to be returned. Amazon gets cool points on providing excellent, honest feedback and promoting being open about occasionally unpopular items that they could turn a blind eye to. Giving customers another tool to consider when deciding what to buy is a priceless advantage. It helps a lot if terrible transactions aren’t hidden.  

Roblox gets fashionable   

Move over kids, adults are getting in on Roblox, too.  

Renowned supermodel Karlie Kloss is taking the virtual runways on the online gaming community platform in a welcomed partnership, Mashable reported.  

Kloss told Mashable that her interest in connecting Roblox with fashion stemmed from her seeing unique threads already on the game creation system, which has 67.3 million daily active users and around 214 million monthly active users, according to statistics. Players are already creating fashion trends that many are cashing in on. 

Welcome to Fashion Klossette, my new world exclusively on @roblox! Anyone can design, style, create, express themselves, and share that with others. Can’t wait to see you there! xx pic.twitter.com/IVlTjUPJev

— Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) March 22, 2023

Kloss explains to Mashable her reason for coming from exclusivity in the fashion industry to accessibility for all: 

“How did I end up in these spaces? And how do I share that access? That’s where I see the potential; democratizing these experiences, tools, and opportunities. This game is reaching a demographic and audience that is very real. And if you build it, they will come.”  

Why it matters: It’s important to find new ways to interact with niche populations that might not be your regular clients or customers. Kloss, a fashion icon, emphasized the significance of thinking outside the box, recognizing the potential and utilizing the already devoted gaming community to close the gap. That can go a long way for PR pros. It also speaks to the growing power of the metaverse for all audiences.  

Sherri Kolade is a writer at Ragan Communications. In her spare time when she is not with family, she enjoys watching Alfred Hitchcock-style films, reading, and building an authentically curated life that includes occasionally finding something deliciously fried.  

Follow her on LinkedIn.  

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