It’s common to think of disinformation campaigns as complex efforts heralded by world governments or shadowy organizations, seeking to advance nefarious agendas and subtly manipulate us all.

But in at least one case, it involved a group of Redditors fed up over long lines to purchase their favorite sandwich.

The Wall Street Journal shares the bizarre story of how Angus Steakhouse, a tourist trap restaurant comparable to Applebee’s, suddenly topped Google searches for the best restaurants in London. It all started with Reddit user Flonkerton_Scranton sharing his frustration over long lines at his favorite sandwich cart after influencers started touting it as London’s best.

So, London Redditors banded together to create a new “best” sandwich in London: those at Angus Steakhouse, which sports five locations in London and is “byword for tourist-trap mediocrity,” according to the Journal.

The conspirators began flooding online review sites from Google to Tripadvisor with fake praise, one claiming they loved the steak sandwich despite being vegetarian. The campaign bore fruit: The Journal said that Angus appeared in the top 10 Google search results for “best steakhouse in London,” though PR Daily could not replicate this search, save a Reddit thread that offered a thread of unanimous praise.

Angus Steakhouse confirmed that they’ve seen a bump in diners  since the campaign began. “We enjoy a good joke as much as the next person and appreciate the creativity and humor that sparked this love-bombing,” said CEO Paul Sarlas.

Why it matters: It all sounds very funny. Annoyed Redditors steer hapless tourists to anoverpriced restaurant. No one really gets hurt.

But the implications are far-reaching and frightening.

This incident shows just how easy it is to manipulate the algorithms that drive the modern internet. Reddit has become more important to Google search results in the last year: the two companies struck a deal that allows Google to train its AI on millions and millions of user-generated Reddit posts, which also appear to give it exclusive access to surface Reddit posts in search results. So Redditors – or bad actors posing as Redditors – can do quite a lot of damage to the web in the name of humor.

We’ve seen this in the past with the far-reaching impacts of meme stocks, or stocks that Reddit has decided to pump up. They can roil markets and turn companies on their head. And all of this can leave PR pros scrambling.

Even in the relatively benign case of Angus Steakhouse, people going to the restaurant expecting to eat the best steak sandwich of their life and instead getting one that’s “a hellish, tough, teeth-testing beast,” as a London restaurant critic dubbed it, can create problems. Beyond the disappointed reviews sure to follow, this creates a bad situation for restaurant servers and staff who now must deal with confused, angry customers.

Unfortunately, there is little way to counter this. Once a group of people put their mind to overwhelm the algorithm, there are few safeguards in place. And no restaurant is going to chime in with “actually, we serve mediocre steak at inflated prices, don’t come here expecting the best.”

But a strong social listening campaign can help serve as an early warning sign that can allow communicators to put together strategies to help formulate strategies for responses, flag front-line workers and help weather the storm until Redditors get tired and move on to their next big joke.

Ensure those Google alerts are up to date and that your social listening software includes Reddit. Consider creating a Reddit account for handling customer service issues as well – it’s often considered hostile to brands, but being a positive, responsive presence might head these issues off before they blow up into major meme campaigns.

Editor’s Top Reads

• Documentarian Christopher Rufo isn’t angling for a spot in Donald Trump’s administration. But he may still have a major impact in shaping federal policy around DEI for the next four years, the Wall Street Journal reports. Rufo, who has targeted both companies and universities for diversity hiring practices, is perhaps best known for uncovering plagiarism by former Harvard President Claudine Gay, which was one of several factors leading to her resignation. Now, he’ll present a plan to President-elect Donald Trump on how to withhold federal money from universities if they do not end certain DEI practices. “It’s time to really put the hammer to these institutions and to start withdrawing potentially billions of dollars in funding until they follow the law,” Rufo said. Universities and companies have seen for the last several years that DEI is changing and needs new branding and new tactics to survive. With the election of Trump as president, the urgency for those changes has ratcheted up significantly.
• The McRib is back, a periodic reintroduction to processed pork patties that garners massive headlines around the world. The latest return, which is accompanied by the sale of half gallons of sauce, shows the power of scarcity as a PR strategy. “If (the McRib) was something that was on the menu year-round, I think it would be one of those products that would probably be toward the lower end of McDonald’s menu items,” David Henkes, senior principal at food industry research and consulting firm Technomic, told CNN. But by trotting out the item periodically, the restaurant brings a thrill of excitement and nearly 13,000 headlines in the last week alone. McDonald’s obviously has a larger bully pulpit than most brands, but is there a way to incorporate a limited-time aspect into your PR?

New research from Google Workspace and the Harris Poll finds that nearly all Gen Z knowledge workers are using AI in the office – and most Millennials too. The survey found that 93% of Gen Z and 79% of Millennials use at least two generative AI tools at work each week. Eighty-eight percent said AI helps them when a task feels “overwhelming, while 88% also believe AI helps “strike the right tone in their writing.” With such strong adoption among the leaders of tomorrow, it’s certain that AI will be a lasting force in the workplace. It’s up to companies to strike the right balance between empowering workers to use these tools and setting responsible guardrails to protect the organization’s data and integrity. And it will be up to communications departments to ensure both internal and external audiences understand these rules.

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

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Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk plan to star in a new podcast to highlight their work as co-leaders of a new non-governmental agency – the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – focused on drastically slashing government spending over the next two years.

Ramaswamy posted a three-minute YouTube video late Wednesday saying he and Musk will discuss their efforts on the “DOGE-cast” to explain “exactly what we’re doing to the public to provide transparency.”

The former presidential candidate noted that the goal is to continue these podcasts about the “downsized American government” through the conclusion of the taskforce by July 4, 2026, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Why it matters: Podcasts offer a wide-reaching digital soapbox, including unfettered access between a spokesperson and a target audience in a way that traditional earned media can’t.

Through this platform, PR professionals can control the entire message while coming across to their audience as being transparent and unfiltered.

More people than ever are listening to podcasts: 47% of the 12-and-over population are monthly podcast listeners and 34% are weekly listeners, according to Edison Research. About 23% of weekly listeners spend 10 or more hours each week listening to the medium. The media strategies of both presidential candidates this go around leaned heavily into the power of the pod. 

Ramaswamy is no stranger to podcasts. He has hosted “The Truth Podcast” on YouTube for the past year, discussing a range of conservative topics  ranging from “Uncle Sam’s Welfare Trap” to debates about immigration.

In announcing his new podcast, Ramaswamy sprinkled in popular political cliches related to transparency and decision making: “We want to bring the public along with us to lift the curtain, take us behind the scenes of what actually that waste, fraud and abuse in government looks like.”

Those comments promise the prospective audience members the ability to hear about the situation firsthand. Rather than relying on a journalist to tell the story, they’re able to deliver a message with a specific goal in mind with no outside interpreter needed.

Developing an audience for a podcast isn’t easy. The value of earned media is the ability to lean into a proven platform with an established audience. But if the content is good and it’s positioned in a way that the audience wants, there’s clearly a market for organizations going directly to the public with their own podcasts. Expect this trend to only continue to grow.

Editor’s Top Reads

• As part of its effort to capitalize on growing dissatisfaction with X under Musk, the head of upstart Bluesky is calling her platform “billionaire proof.” CEO Jay Graber used this phrasing during a CNBC interview to set Bluesky’s decentralized, open source social platform apart from X. Bluesky backend development allows a user to create a standard digital identity that they can carry across various apps. “What happened to Twitter couldn’t happen to us in the same ways, because you would always have the option to immediately move without having to start over,” Graber said. Graber is sending a clear message to current and future users: Bluesky won’t become X but instead will become a better version of Twitter. Graber leans into the fact Bluesky began as a Twitter project during Dorsey’s second stint as CEO of Twitter. Bluesky is promises to put “much more control” in the hands of users and add more transparency, Graber told CNBC. Her media blitz around the fast-growing social network fascinatingly puts both a love and hate of the same platform at the center of its pitch. Bluesky wants to be the Twitter you loved in 2015, not the X you hate in 2024. It’s a risky strategy, and one certain to alienate some customers. But it’s obviously working for the millions of people who have joined the platform since the U.S. presidential election. 
• Controversy has erupted over the artificial food dyes in Froot Loops as longtime food dye critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to become the nation’s top health official. He claims that the dyes in the WK Kellogg product can cause widespread health issues, particularly in children. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has noted that while rare, it is possible to have an allergic-type reaction to approved color additives. While permitted in the United States, these food dyes aren’t in cereals Kellogg sells in other countries around the world. Critics like Kennedy are quick to point to the fact that the bright, artificial dyes aren’t used in countries like Canada, though they are legal there. Kellogg has staged a relatively staid public response to the furor, with no reaction to be found on their website or social media and only a single brief statement from mid-November that emphasized the safety of ingredients and chalked up differences between the U.S. and Canada to market preference. Kellogg’s stock price is on the climb after an initial tumble, but this issue doesn’t seem likely to go away. The question is: are the people concerned about this issue buying Froot Loops or is it a separate audience entirely? Regardless, any company that deals with food dyes must be ready for an overhaul under a new administration – and how they plan to explain their new choices (and their less bright colors).
• A group of athletes attended the United Nations’ climate summit in Azerbaijan to discuss the threat that climate change poses to sports. “In the future, if climate change is not addressed and is not thoughtfully handled, triathlons can cease to exist,” triathlete Pragnya Mohan said. She noted delays of some events at the Paris Olympics because of heavy rains — caused by a warming atmosphere — that contributed to high bacteria levels in the Seine River, according to the Associated Press. The AP report also noted that climate change is making sports more expensive and widening disparities. Putting athletes front-and-center is a brilliant PR move that represents the real-world implications of climate change. Getting caught up in facts and figures, rainfall totals and temperature changes won’t resonate with broader audiences. By being able to say “this will affect that and here’s how” makes the content more relatable. While individual athletes may not be enough to create change, grouping them together may have the power to inspire organizations such as the Olympics, FIFA and the companies that sponsor those events to be more receptive to calls for changes related to climate impacts.

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

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Struggling British carmaker Jaguar has launched a flashy rebranding effort that aims to lure a young, posh audience.

The ad features a group of androgynous models in bright clothing and a techno-inspired soundtrack. The tagline? “Copy nothing.” The one thing missing, as NBC News pointed out, is the cars.

The campaign is part of a broader rebrand that includes a reinvention of its lineup of vehicles as well as a new logo that emphasizes the British pronunciation ( “jag-you-are”). The company also recreated its classic logo and is getting rid of its iconic leaping cat emblem and hood ornament in favor of a badge.

“New Jaguar is a brand built around exuberant modernism,” Gerry McGovern, the company’s CCO, said in a release. “It is imaginative, bold and artistic at every touchpoint. It is unique and fearless.”

The moves come as Jaguar looks to reclaim its historic marketshare as a luxury auto manufacturer. Last year, it sold fewer than 67,000 cars worldwide.

Why it matters: A brand is the heart and soul of a company. It’s how customers have come to interpret and relate to it. Any change – whether it’s new packaging or a revamped logo  – will alter  how people view it.

For Jaguar, the change is a particularly delicate balance. On the one hand, the company has represented ultra-luxury and excellence in automotive engineering for more than 100 years. On the other, that’s no longer resonating with its car buyers.

Rawdon Glober, Jaguar’s managing director, described the new approach as a “complete reset” of the brand, setting customers up to know that something new and exciting is around the corner.

“To bring back such a globally renowned brand we had to be fearless,” Glober said. “Jaguar is transformed to reclaim its originality and inspire a new generation.”

As part of its campaign, Jaguar doesn’t include a single car in its ads. The focus is on trying to sell a sexy new vibe ahead of the unofficial unveiling of one of its new EVs at Miami’s Art Basel in early December. But that might be a hard sell when you’re talking about cars that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“Jaguar should be saying … some version of ‘our cars are engineered to the gills and go very very fast’… Art school grads simply aren’t associated with elite engineering ability, I’m sorry,” Lulu Cheng Meservey, co-founder of Rostra PR group, wrote in a lengthy post on X. She criticized Jaguar for a lack of innovation in the field and unclear market positioning. 

“Lastly, Jaguar simply failed to read the room,” Cheng Meservey continued. “We are in an era of NOSTALGIA. People want to RETVRN. Tradition, heritage, and classics are more in demand than they’ve been for a long time.”

In response to criticisms on social media, Jaguar framed the campaign as “a declaration of intent” about its move toward that “exuberant modernism” aesthetic. 

Bottom line: When a brand is struggling, sometimes that requires taking a risk. While legacy can be incredibly valuable in the marketplace, if it’s not working with customers, something needs to change.

Editor’s Top Reads

• Germany’s national soccer team plans to stop making political statements after a disastrous 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The German team – and others – had criticized the host country over human rights concerns. “We saw in Qatar that too many political issues can harm a team,” Coach Julian Nagelsmann said Tuesday. It can be challenging for businesses or brands to “leave politics out of it.” Even well-intentioned protests or symbols can distract the team from broader goals – in this case, winning games. Of course, an organizational policy can’t control the views and personal actions of employees, in this case players. Germany captain Joshua Kimmich has said the team’s gestures in Qatar “took away from the joy of the tournament.” Yet, his sentiment may not reflect the views of his teammates. It’s a delicate balance, especially when an employee’s work requires them to do something that may be at odds with their personal values – in this case, supporting the economy of a country with a history of human rights violations. There are no easy answers except to move forward with compassion, thoughtfulness and an eye on the end goal.
• Young adults are increasingly getting their news from social media influencers. Nearly 40% of American 18- to 29-year-olds get their news regularly from online “news influencers” who post about current events, according to a Pew Research Center study published on Monday. That compares to about 21% of all adult Americans. News influencers are mostly men (63%) and more of them explicitly identify as right-leaning compared to left-leaning (27% vs. 21%), per Pew. Among those who get news from influencers, 65% reported that it shapes their understanding of current events and civic issues. The survey results shouldn’t come as a major surprise. Influencers have become a powerful element of messaging strategies given their ability to engage with audiences over an extended period of time. Communicators should use this information as a framework for building out their influencer pool and making content decisions.
• The Department of Justice plans to request that the antitrust trial judge order Google to sell its Chrome browser. A judge recently ruled that Google’s search monopoly is illegal, given Chrome’s dominant position. If Google has to separate from Chrome, it could reshape the browser market, giving competitors like Safari and Firefox more of a chance. More importantly, “(g)overnment officials are saying they want to give content-producing websites more control over whether Google’s AI products can access a site’s content to use it for training its AI model or get ‘surfaced’ as part of an AI search answer,” as reported by Inc. PR and marketing professionals should closely follow this developing lawsuit, as its outcome may have a major influence on content marketing, SEO and how we use the internet.

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

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Quick, think of Tropicana orange juice.

You’re probably picturing a clear plastic carafe with a long, slender neck bearing an image of a straw-punctured orange.

But a new change has upended that clear branding position — and is costing the company big bucks.

CNN reports that Tropicana replaced its iconic carafe over the summer with a new container sporting a much shorter neck. That design is meant to reduce the plastic used in manufacturing and to make it easier for customers to pour. Notably, the bottle also holds just 46 ounces of orangey goodness, down from 52 ounces in the old bottle.

To compensate, the new bottle is intended to retail for 70 cents less than its predecessor — a good deal, given that you’re getting 11% less juice but paying about 15% less. However, some stores reportedly have not taken the manufacturer’s suggested retail price and are selling the new, shrunken bottles for the old price, leading to accusations of shrinkflation.

Customers also claim the new bottles are harder to pour and that they just don’t look as nice.

The fallout has been tangible. As of October, sales of Tropicana were down 19% year over year. It has yielded up to 4% of its market share to competitor Simply Orange.

Why it matters: Multiple hot-button topics are converging into one single snafu.

The topic of shrinkflation, or getting less product for the same cost, has dominated the conversation for years now, and customers are fed up. Major players like PepsiCo, which owns Lay’s and Doritos, have added volume back to their snacks to lure customers back. But in this case, Tropicana’s guidance on pricing has been ignored, leaving customers with less juice.

There’s also the emotional attachment people feel to the ubiquitous items they use every day. Tropicana differentiated itself with a bottle that conveyed freshness and familiarity, then took it away.

The CNN article notes that Tropicana has faced backlash before over packaging changes. In 2009, it changed its logo from that orange with a straw to a basic glass of orange juice.

Consumers were having none of it. Sales plummeted 20%. The logo was rolled back just six weeks later.

This time, it’s unlikely to back down so quickly — it’s far more expensive to change a bottle design than a label.

“Changes can take time, and after just a few months, we’re continuing to do what we can to help shoppers get accustomed to our new look,” a spokesperson told CNN, saying in-store elements and advertising were helping to tell their new story.

People are change averse, and sometimes they’ll quickly adjust. But a 19% sales decline is worrisome on every level. More storytelling and explanation on the front-end could have helped ease the transition, as well as research beforehand to understand the attachment to the old bottle.

We’ll see if customers give it a fair squeeze.

Editor’s Top Reads

• President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Karoline Leavitt to serve as his press secretary. At just 27, she’ll be the youngest person ever to command the briefing room podium. She previously served as Trump campaign press secretary. Before that, she made history as the youngest-ever candidate for Congress, though she lost the New Hampshire race. She endeared herself to Trump and MAGA world when she was kicked off CNN for impugning the impartiality of the network’s journalists. This likely sets the tone for Leavitt’s relationship with the press: fiery and antagonistic. During Trump’s first term, he had four press secretaries, many of whom went on to become household names, like Sean Spicer and Sarah Sanders, who now serves as governor of Arkansas. How will Leavitt’s star rise — or fall?
• Social network Bluesky is exploding in popularity as users, especially liberal ones, move away from X in the wake of the presidential election. In just a week, the platform’s user base doubled to 15 million, the New York Times reported. Bluesky Chief Jay Graber said the platform is setting itself up as David versus Goliath, making pledges not to use content to train AI (a notable departure from most other major social networks today) and to keep its open-source ethos. “The state of most social platforms right now is that users are locked in and developers are locked out,” Graber told the Times. “We want to build something that makes sure users have the freedom to move and developers have the freedom to build.” Those are noble aspirations for a platform in its infancy, but those pledges can come back to bite as companies grow and scale. People will remember what Bluesky says now — so best to tread lightly and not make promises they can’t keep. On the other hand, make sure you at least reserve your Bluesky company username, even if you aren’t ready to use it just yet.
• CoverGirl, which became famous as supermodels put the face in their walk, is now pivoting to make influencers the bread and butter of its marketing over glossy magazines and runway looks. One way they’re encouraging more influencers to feature their products in videos is by offering them access to their social media filming studio, glamorously located in the Empire State Building. One influencer given access to the space and profiled by the Wall Street Journal has just 17,000 followers. But wooing these micro influencers can make a big impact for a small price tag and earn a loyal following without needing to pay the likes of Tyra Banks or Christie Brinkley for similar promotions.

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

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It’s been only a little more than a week since the U.S. presidential election and the wheels of change are already turning – including on social media.

Since President-elect Donald Trump secured his return to the White House, there’ve been a movement and conjecture about the future of both TikTok and X.

Congress passed a bill that could ban TikTok unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells to a non-Chinese company. President Joe Biden signed that into law, though the ByteDance is challenging it in the courts. . 

Trump, who tried to ban the short-form video platform himself, has changed his view.

In March, Trump said during an interview with CNBC that he still believed TikTok posed a national security risk. However, he disagreed with the idea of banning it because “doing so would help its rival, Facebook, which he has continued to lambast over his 2020 election loss,” according to the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, X is facing another user exodus after owner Elon Musk’s hard turn into conservative politics, with users this time moving toward Bluesky, a decentralized social media site.

Since September, Bluesky has grown from 9 million users to over 14.6 million as of Tuesday, with a surge in new users over the weekend, according to TechCrunch. That includes a reported 1 million people in just the past week.

Trump announced on Tuesday that Musk and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new non-governmental agency to provide “advice and guidance” to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.”

Why it matters: While these most recent developments are noteworthy, they’re also largely driven by the post-election groundswell of emotion and political posturing. We’ll see how things shake out as new political realities settle in.

Walking back the TikTok law can’t be handled with an executive order. Because it was passed through Congress, it needs to be overturned either by the courts or through another law. So untangling that sticky situation could take time, leaving TikTok in limbo for even longer. And Trump has shown himself to be fickle in the past – while he likes TikTok now that he’s found popularity there, it’s not impossible his anti-China actions could lead him to flipflop once again.

The previous strategy of holding the course, not withdrawing from TikTok but also exploring other microvideo platforms like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, holds up.

X continues to present a thornier conundrum. While many users, brands included, have fled the volatile site, a clear successor has not yet emerged. Today the buzz is around Bluesky, but at other times it’s been Threads, Mastodon and more. Right now people are motivated to make a change, but will that stand or will they slide back into the familiarity of X?

Others yet may want to become more aggressive on X, given Musk’s seeming prominence in the new Trump administration. Loyalty is a powerful currency under this president, and X can be one way to express it.

But it does seem that users are beginning to self-segregate more based on politics. Where Twitter/X was once a mixing grounds of different political viewpoints, it appears more liberal users are heading to other sites, leaving more politically siloed spaces. That can mean brands might need to make choices about where to reach their audiences, even if their own brand has no particular political stances.

It’s a time to be nimble, be ready to change course and to listen very closely to your audience. 

Editor’s Top Reads

• KFC is suing Church’s Texas Chicken, alleging the company is violating its trademark rights by using the phrase “original recipe” in ads and promotions. The lawsuit claims this will likely confuse customers. “We take it personally when another company tries to pass off our iconic taste and branding as their own,” a KFC spokesperson told CNN about its trademark that dates back to 1984. Church’s declined to comment, citing the ongoing lawsuit. By taking Church’s to court over “original recipe” usage, KFC is making a bold move to stand out in a crowded market – and using a legal case as a PR move. This suit, while perhaps of legal merit, also grabbed headlines and reminded audiences who has the true original recipe. And KFC needs the boost: Yum! Brands, KFC’s parent company, reported a 5% drop in U.S. same-store sales, marking three straight quarters of decline. This lawsuit sends a strategic message to consumers, reinforcing KFC’s position as the original fried chicken destination. 
• The NFL delayed fining San Francisco 49ers player Nick Bosa for breaking league rules by wearing a MAGA hat until after the presidential election. The league prohibits players from displaying personal or political messages on game days. However, it took the NFL nearly two weeks to issue Bosa an $11,255 fine, whereas Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens received his earlier this season fine within days for having a personal message on his eyeblack. The Wall Street Journal reported that NFL owners admitted Trump’s past pressure of the league, most notably during the Colin Kaepernick protests, influenced their handling Bosa. No matter how the NFL handled the situation, it would have likely faced criticism. In the end, they upheld their rules, it was only the timing that was changed. It’s a fine and difficult line to walk in an era when the president is also likely to chime in on Sunday gameday happenings. Their decision sought to minimize that outcry – and perhaps to bury the story on a newsy week. It’s a risky decision that could pay off as Trump is occupied elsewhere. 
• Apple’s latest devices come with a range of AI features, including summaries of notifications from apps and text messages. Although these summaries are technically accurate, the tool struggles to understand the context of human communication when combining details from multiple messages. As a result, the AI-produced recaps can be confusing, awkward and amusing. A list compiled by Verge writer Wes Davis showcases some of the most hilarious examples. User danielocnnr posted on X that they enjoy Apple Intelligence’s summary feature because it turns every boring notification into a “cute little mystery to unwrap.” This was after receiving a summary that read: “Love salmon might not be a good idea; polar bears are back in Britain.” Apple’s technology will surely evolve and improve over time, but for now, they serve as a cautionary tale for using AI.  The technology is not capable of replicating human understanding of context and sentiment or replacing the skills and instincts a professional communicator brings to the table. AI is still just a tool. You’re the pro.

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

The post The Scoop: How the Trump administration could change social media appeared first on PR Daily.

If you’ve stepped into a Target or a Starbucks lately, the wave of bubblegum pink and emerald green is impossible to miss.

Taking a page out of the “Barbie” movie’s successful playbook, the upcoming adaptation of the Broadway smash “Wicked” is filling stores – and capturing headlines – with quirky merchandising that plays up the main character’s iconic color palettes: the bright pink of Galinda, who will become the Good Witch of “Wizard of Oz” fame, and the vivid emerald of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.

CNBC reports that collaborations include makeup collabs with r.e.m. beauty, Lego sets, color-changing Betty Crocker cake mixes and even two custom wrapped Lexus luxury cars. The color blocking even extends to the press tour for the film, with stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo swathing themselves in vivid shades that instantly evoke the film. Again, this seems to be an extension of the strategy pioneered by Margot Robbie during the press junket for “Barbie,” when she wore a cavalcade of looks inspired by the doll’s wardrobe – many of them also in a trademark shade of pink.

Why it matters: Licensing and merch are, of course, great ways to earn some extra cash for a major film. But the press being generated by these collabs – and the social media buzz – is just as powerful.

The Daily Dot posted a story about a hack to get that Betty Crocker mix to change colors just right. Lifestyle sites like Town & Country and Women’s World posted roundups of the best “Wicked” merch. Even Vogue is diving into the clothes from the premiere. And of course, social media is paying attention as well, amplifying and reamplifying the messages.

The entire campaign is showing the power of marketing tactics building atop one another. Merchandising becomes part of the messaging. The messaging gets picked up by fans who amplify it. The media picks up on the fan excitement. The cycle repeats.

But it hasn’t all been bubbly and easy. Erivo lashed out at fans for an edit that made a movie poster look more like the playbill of the Broadway musical, dubbing it “offensive,” which can tamp down on the free viral marketing fans are likely to do. While Erivo didn’t quite apologize, she did later acknowledge she “probably should have called (her) friends, but it’s fine.”

And over the weekend, the public discovered that the wrong URL was featured on the packaging of Mattel “Wicked” dolls. Whatever you do, do not search “Wicked.com” on a work computer – it is an adult site, not the site for the film.

Still, even that unfortunate misprint is more likely to generate additional press than to scar children in the long-run. It’s a funny, relatively harmless misprint.

We’ll see if all this PR is enough to make the movie popular.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• During the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, FEMA had to fight back hard against misinformation on a variety of fronts. One of the rumors, which the agency strongly denied, was that assistance was being withheld from supporters of Donald Trump. But it appears that in at least one case, that was true. A FEMA worker was fired for instructing response teams (reportedly but not confirmed to have been stationed in Florida) not to render aid to homes with Trump signs in the yard. The worker has been fired and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell called the actions “reprehensible,” but the damage has been done. The agency was already widely mistrusted and now critics have concrete proof of discrimination. FEMA must continue a full-on crisis communications blitz here, explaining in detail, every step of the way, how the lapse occurred and how they will ensure everyone is treated equally. Their challenge of combatting misinformation during uncertain times just got much, much harder.
• OpenAI has provided some insight into how its groundbreaking ChatGPT was used during the first truly AI election. The company revealed in a blog post that in the days leading up to the election, 1 million answers directed users to CanIVote.org, a nonpartisan website that helps people figure out how, when and where to vote. An additional 2 million answers pushed queriers away from ChatGPT and to reputable news sites like the AP and Reuters. ChatGPT refused 250,000 times to create images of the presidential or vice presidential candidates in a bid to stop deepfakes – a move the company itself says was largely successful, with no “evidence of U.S. election-related influence operations attracting viral engagement or building sustained audiences through the use of our models.” Naturally, we can’t see the full impact of AI on the election, but on the surface, fears of a deepfake-driven disaster did not come to pass in 2024.
• British chef Jamie Oliver has pulled copies of his fantasy children’s book, “Billy and the Epic Escape,” after accusations that the book perpetuates stereotypes and contains misleading information about Aboriginal Australians. Critics of the book say it contains language errors, boils down complex beliefs to “magic” and that a kidnapping plot is insensitive, given the pain of Aboriginal children being removed from their homes. Oliver apologized, saying he was “devastated” by the pain he’d caused. While Oliver had apparently requested a consultation with Aboriginal leaders, his publisher, Penguin Random House UK, said it had not occurred due to an “oversight.” This seems like a large oversight. Always check in with your audiences, especially when they’re different from your own identity. Get feedback, make changes and avoid embarrassment down the road.

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

The post The Scoop: Why Wicked’s merch blitz is good PR appeared first on PR Daily.

President Joe Biden described Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss to Donald Trump in the 2024 election as a “setback” but he urged Americans to unite and accept the results. 

“We accept the country’s choice,” Biden said. “You can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree.” 

Both Harris and Biden said it was important for their supporters to continue their work.

“I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” Harris said.

Why it matters: Change is scary – whether it’s in Washington, D.C. or a boardroom. 

In the case of this election, both Biden and Harris often framed a potential Trump return to the White House as a threat to democracy. After Biden’s win in 2020, Trump delayed the transition, refusing to accept the results. Many of his supporters were involved in an insurrection at the Capitol.

“He’s willing to sacrifice our democracy, put himself in power,” Biden said in January.

Following any major shakeup, it’s important that leadership sends a message that highlights any understanding of those concerns and sympathizes with what they’re going through, offering reassurance where and if possible.

During her concession speech, Harris noted that accepting the results of an election “distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny. And anyone who seeks the public trust must honor it.”  At the same time,” she continued, “in this nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States, and loyalty to our conscience and to our God.” 

“My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say, while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign—the fight: the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness, and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up. … And we will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square.”

As part of any transition messaging, it’s important to emphasize that even if the ultimate goal wasn’t achieved, there were still individual successes along the way. Highlighting these wins shows shareholders and supporters — whether they’re employees, investors or voters — that they value and appreciate their support, and that their efforts weren’t in vain.

In his speech, Biden did just that, saying that while “Setbacks are unavoidable,” “giving up is unforgivable.”

“We all get knocked down, but the measure of our character, as my dad would say, is how quickly we get back up. Remember, a defeat does not mean we are defeated,” he said. “We lost this battle. The America of your dreams is calling for you to get back up.”

Editor’s Top Reads:

• A major takeaway from the 2024 election cycle is the growing popularity of podcasts. The Wall Street Journal noted that Trump’s three-hour interview with podcast host Joe Rogan garnered over 45 million views on YouTube and more than 25 million listens across other streaming platforms in just two weeks. Harris used podcasts as a major strategy, appearing on popular shows like “Call Her Daddy,” currently the No. 16 podcast on Spotify which has a largely female audience, and “All the Smoke,” a top-40 sports podcast featuring former NBA players. These online talk shows, typically hosted by comedians and celebrities rather than news personalities, aim to both entertain and inform. Podcasts have more freedom to take risks and have fun with their guests – even if they’re potential leaders of the United States. To that end, some 47% of people in the U.S. have listened to a podcast in the past month, including nearly 60% of people who are under 35. Moreover, 54% of podcast listeners say they tune in for news or political analysis. Podcasts provide a unique opportunity to humanize your principals while still connecting with a large, diverse audience hungry for information.
• Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, removed several years-old social media posts that criticized Donald Trump. One such post was a tweet from 2020 that reads: “The most destructive president in history. He drags America and democracy through the mud.” Rudd explained on his personal website that he made those remarks as a commentator on American politics and deleted them “out of respect for the office of president of the United States.” He wanted to avoid giving the impression that his views represented those of the Australian government. For PR pros, this is a reminder that the timely post or comment you’re thinking about making today may not come across the same way a year or two from now. Political and cultural landscapes can drastically change almost overnight, so ensure you’re looking not only at today when you post, but also down the road. Failing that, regularly go through old posts and delete those that no longer fall in line with today’s reality. But while you can physically delete a post it will never truly go away.
• Prices for most goods have been falling throughout the year. However, inflation for a wide range of services, such as restaurants and car repairs, remains high. Food services inflation rose 3.6% in September, according to the Associated Press. The report notes that chains such as Chipotle and McDonald’s expect inflationary pressure from wages to continue. With the overall price of goods actually on the decrease, service-based companies and brands would be wise to create a messaging strategy that centers around what they can provide that they can’t get at home. Discounts and promotions such as that will work well, too, especially since many consumers are still struggling financially. But when push comes to shove, brands must  emphasize why a customer should shell out a few more dollars to come out to their eatery or buy a service they may be able to do themselves. Messaging should highlight the convenience factor of having someone do it for you or the high quality of the product.

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

The post The Scoop: Democrats’ post-election messaging highlights understanding during transition appeared first on PR Daily.

Kamala Harris campaigned in Michigan on Sunday without mentioning “Donald Trump” even once. Instead of criticizing Trump directly, the Democratic nominee contrasted her hopeful message with her Republican opponent’s darker approach.

She emphasized the need for unity, stating, “I don’t believe people who disagree with me are the enemy” – referencing Trump’s own comments without explicitly naming him.

“We are done with that,” she said. “We are exhausted with that. America is ready for a fresh start, ready for a new way forward where we see our fellow American not as an enemy, but as a neighbor.”

By contrast, Trump used his time in Pennsylvania and other key battleground states this weekend to make the case that his victory would “save the country,” once again trying to paint a picture of the failures of the last four years, especially emphasizing the economy.

Trump claimed that a vote for his ticket would usher in “the four greatest years in American history.” 

“You watch,” Trump said. “It’s going to be so good. It’s going to be so much fun. It’ll be a bit nasty at times, especially at first. But it’s going to be something.”  

Why it matters: This past weekend, both Harris and Trump used a messaging strategy that emphasized their competitor’s weaknesses and how their own brand is superior.

Since becoming the Democratic nominee in July, Harris has worked to rally a diverse group of supporters, with a particular emphasis on young people. Key to her messaging has been her depiction of Trump as unstable and a threat to things such as abortion rights.

She also used language on social media – words and phrases like “fight,” “power” and “make our voices heard” – to emphasize the active role her voters can play in combating that potential reality while strengthening the country.

“We have an opportunity in this election to finally turn the page on a decade of politics driven by fear and division,” she said.

This weekend saw a return of Trump’s sometimes violent rhetoric. At a rally in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Trump reportedly spoke off-script, reviving false claims about election fraud, arguing that he could only lose to Harris through cheating.

There is no evidence of widespread election fraud, either in 2020 or in 2024. 

“It’s a crooked country,” Trump told the crowd. “They’ll want to put you in jail because you want to make it straight. Think about it. They cheat in elections, and you call them on it, and they want to put you in jail.”

With a tight race developing in the final hours of the election cycle, returned to the bold, unapologetic style he used successfully to win the election in 2016 – even bringing back his “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan.

For communicators, tapping into the emotional needs of their target audience is a powerful motivator. Both Trump and Harris understand that this involves a mix of hope and fear. 

Editor’s Top Reads

• The Federal Reserve will likely lower interest rates this week due to declining inflation. The agency’s policymakers are set to reduce their benchmark rate by a quarter-point to around 4.6%, following last month’s half-point cut. Economists predict another quarter-point rate cut in December and possibly more next year. While these numbers are good for the economy, the election results may still have a lasting impact on interest rates. The Associated Press noted that if Trump takes office, his economic policies could have impacts on inflation rates, given his calls for new tariffs on all imports, mass deportations and threats to interfere with the Fed’s independent rate decisions. The outcome of Tuesday’s election will have far-reaching impacts, including into an area of the government typically seen as neutral, which will have massive impacts on both consumer sentiment and the business environment in which case organizations operate. Keep an eye on this number. 
• Groups supporting Trump have been using Telegram to recruit poll watchers, preparing them to dispute votes in Democratic areas, a New York Times analysis found. Others have spread conspiracy theories, claiming that any outcome short of a Trump win would be unfair. While the idea of people storming Capitol Hill might have seemed unlikely a decade ago, it’s now a real possibility. As a result, PR teams need to be ready for any situation. Approach this election like a crisis communications scenario and be prepared for anything.
• Ride-sharing companies Lyft and Uber are encouraging people to participate in the democratic process by offering discounted rides to the polls. Since announcing the promotion over a week ago, Lyft has posted multiple “Vote24” messages on social media. Its Instagram posts feature personal stories from Lyft drivers, passengers and influencers, including drag queen Sasha Colby. The campaign’s overall theme is that voting matters and that individual actions can make a difference. By offering 50% off rides (up to $10) to polling places on Election Day, both companies are earning goodwill among potential customers while showcasing their product’s usefulness. That combination is a great opportunity to generate brand loyalty. Also, if you were previously unsure of how you’d get to the polls, now you have no excuse. Go vote.

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

The post Harris goes positive, while Trump goes dark on build up to Election Day appeared first on PR Daily.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump climbed into the passenger seat of a garbage truck on Wednesday as a pre-election stunt meant to highlight negative remarks President Joe Biden appeared to make about his fanbase.

“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said of Trump supporters. “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”

Those comments were in response to a comedian calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” during a Trump rally in New York City last weekend.

After his remarks drew criticism from Trump and fellow Republicans, Biden turned to social media to attempt to clarify the message, saying he was referring to the “hateful rhetoric” spewed during the Trump event at Madison Square Garden, not his supporters.

“That’s all I meant to say,” Biden wrote on X. “The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.”

Trump didn’t let that slide though. Donning a security vest, he traveled briefly in white garbage truck bearing his name to call out Biden’s comments and directly connect them to his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

“How do you like my garbage truck?” Trump asked the crowd. “This is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden.”

 Why it matters: Harris holds a slight lead over Trump, with 44% to his 43%, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. And with Election Day right around the corner, any misstep or criticism has the potential of leaving a lasting impression as voters make their way to the ballot box.

Trump’s camp found itself in hot water in light of the comments made in New York City. By latching onto Biden’s remarks, the Republican was able to not only change the headlines in the news cycle but also fire up his supporters.

With this garbage truck theatrics, Trump also made sure to connect the dots between Harris’ association with Biden.

As he has done throughout the campaign, Trump made a point of drawing out the connection between the president and his second-in-command. Those criticisms typically focus on policies or economic situations. However, in this instance Trump’s Harris-is-Biden approach meant to convince undecided voters that the Democrats have negative views of anyone who supports him.

Harris and her team took a significant step to distance themselves from Biden’s comments, without directly mentioning him. As she has in recent weeks, Harris uses her talking points to show that she’s her own person with her own ideas.

“I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for. You heard my speech last night and continuously throughout my career. I believe that the work I do is about representing all the people, whether they support me or not,” Harris told reporters while on the campaign trail. “And as president of the United States, I will be a president for all Americans, whether you vote for me or not.”

It’s unlikely that a presidential campaign is likely to come down to a ride in a garbage truck. But in this unprecedented presidential campaign season, anything is possible. It’ll be important for both candidates to be on top of their game through Tuesday. 

Editor’s Top Reads

• A Pentagon audit revealed that Boeing overcharged the Air Force by nearly $1 million for spare parts on C-17 cargo planes, including a staggering 8,000% markup on simple lavatory soap dispensers. Boeing disputed the findings, a crucial move for the company as it faces reputational and legal challenges. Rather than simply saying, “We disagree,” leadership detailed their reasons. “We are reviewing the report, which appears to be based on an inapt comparison of the prices paid for parts that meet aircraft and contract specifications and designs versus basic commercial items that would not be qualified or approved for use on the C-17,” its media statement reads. The company outlined specific next steps as well, stating that it’s working with the OIG and the U.S. Air Force and that it plans to provide a detailed written response to the report in the coming days. In a crisis, statements need to be genuine and meaningful. Insincere comments or mere PR efforts can alienate shareholders. Boeing’s response isn’t a fix-all. But it showcases an attempt damage control in the face of a nearly unwinnable situation. Sometimes, the only thing a comms team can do is work to stop further harm.
• Apple Intelligence launched with the iOS 18.1 iPhone update, generating significant interest in its capabilities and “convenience.” Many are excited about features like a more conversational Siri, improved writing and photo editing tools that can instantly remove unwanted elements from photos, such as people in the background. Additionally, the update allows iPhone users to record phone calls for the first time. When a call is recorded, the phone automatically transcribes the conversation and saves it to the Notes app. From a messaging perspective, Apple used its AI launch to position itself against competitors like Android, which has its own AI features, by emphasizing that consumers now expect AI to be part of their daily lives. Apple CEO Tim Cook described the new tools as a way to unlock “brand-new experiences and tools that will transform what our users can accomplish.” The iPhone has traditionally been associated with luxury, but this announcement focused on highlighting its utility to users. Certainly, there’s a cool factor with Apple Intelligence, but in its statement repeatedly sprinkled in words like “helpful” and “useful” to stress that the iPhone is not only a cool device but also provides practical benefits. While Apple isn’t ready to take on Otter or Photoshop just yet, iPhone users now know that in a pinch, their device offers a range of tools at their fingertips whenever they need them. Sometimes as communicators we want to focus on the sexy bells and whistles of a campaign, but often what people really want to know is how things will benefit them. And that’s what Apple tried to display with its AI rollout. Remember: There’s nothing wrong with something being both cool and useful.
• Job growth came to a sharp halt last month. According to the Labor Department’s Friday report, the economy added a seasonally adjusted 12,000 jobs in October, a significant drop from the 223,000 jobs gained in September. Economists link the figure in part to hurricanes that ravaged parts of the United States as well as the Boeing labor strike. Despite the challenges, the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.1%, matching economists’ expectations. This is a great example of numbers now always telling the whole story. For communicators, it’s important to be there to help shape those data points and figures to make sure the target audience understands them. That’s something both presidential camps are going to do a lot of as Election Day approaches. “This jobs report is a catastrophe and definitively reveals how badly Kamala Harris broke our economy,” the Trump campaign said Friday morning. The Harris camp, in turn, would be wise to highlight that the still-low unemployment rate and the fact that the economy has created around 2.2 million jobs over the past year. As of Friday morning, Harris hadn’t commented on the job report’s specifics. However, her team has spent the past few days commenting specifically on what her administration would do to “bring down the cost of living for Americans” and other such topics. PR pros don’t always have the luxury of straightforward, easy-to-understand data so it’s imperative to take the guesswork out of it and show the audience what the numbers really mean.

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

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CNN has banned conservative writer Ryan Girduskyfrom the network after a contentious on-air exchange with panelist Mehdi Hasan for his support of Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas War. 

During a discussion about Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden on “NewsNight with Abby Phillip,” Girdusky told Hasan, “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” a reference to recent attacks where Hezbollah members’ pagers and walkie-talkies exploded in Lebanon and Syria, killing 39 people. Hezbollah blames Israel for the attack.

The heated encounter begins with Hasan saying to Girdusky, “If you (Republicans/conservatives) don’t want to be called Nazis, stop…” before he’s cut off. Hasan and Girdusky then have a back-and-forth, Hasan said he was used to being called an antisemite because he supports “Palestinians.” 

That’s when Girdusky made his comment.

Hasan, a Muslim, responded: “Did you just tell me I should die?… You just said I should be killed.” Girdusky apologized, but after the commercial break, he was removed from the panel. Hasan also left the panel during the break, but of his own choice – Phillip clarified that he was asked to stay but chose to leave.

On Tuesday, Girdusky responded on X, writing, “You can stay on CNN if you falsely call every Republican a Nazi,” but apparently can’t “if you make a joke. I’m glad America gets to see what CNN stands for.”

Why it matters: CNN needed to send a clear message to its guests and audiences that Girdusky crossed a line.

Viewers expect lively political discussions and disagreements, especially about politics. However, a heated argument featuring apparent wishes of violence against a panelist during a presidential election discussion is bad for the brand – and for public civility as a whole. 

Immediately following the Hasan-Girdusky exchange, a frantic scene erupted as all panelists talked over each other, with host Abby Phillip trying to restore some sense of decorum. Phillip quickly rebuked Girdusky, saying, “Ryan, that’s completely out of line. You know that.”

As Girdusky attempted to apologize, Phillip cut in, saying, “Don’t say ‘Then I apologize.’ You literally accused him…”. Phillip later stated during the broadcast: 

“A line was crossed there, and it’s not acceptable to me. It’s not acceptable to us at this network. We want discussion. We want people who disagree with each other to talk to each other. But when you cross the line of complete incivility, that won’t happen here on this show.”

After the show, Phillip apologized to Hasan and viewers on social media, stating that Girdusky had crossed a line. She also clarified that Hasan was invited back for the following segment and wanted to hear more insights, but he chose not to return. Hasan is welcome to return as a guest in the future as well.

Phillip did a great job of using her brief comments to not only diffuse a tense situation but also to shape the narrative about her program’s representation. CNN followed her lead with similar comments, showing support for Phillip while reiterating its organizational mission. The network made it clear that it has “zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air,” and explicitly stated that Girdusky would not be invited back as a guest.

“We aim to foster thoughtful conversations and debate, including between people who profoundly disagree with each other, to explore important issues and promote mutual understanding,” the statement continued.

Editor’s Top Reads

• Starbucks is stepping up enforcement of its return-to-office policy, warning employees that they must comply or face termination. Starting in January, the company will monitor compliance with the three-day-a-week policy. “We are continuing to support our leaders as they hold their teams accountable to our existing hybrid work policy,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “We’ve made updates to our workspaces to make sure they work for the teams who use them.” This move is likely aimed at sending a message to investors that the company is working to get back on track by building culture and ensuring workers are pulling in the right direction. Even before new CEO Brian Niccol took over, the company had struggled with sales and its reputation. “This is not a game of tracking. This is a game of winning,” Niccol said during an employee forum. “I care about seeing everybody here succeed, and if success requires us being together more often than not, let’s be together more often.” While returning to office work may not boost sales figures, it will show that Niccol is making efforts to improve things. In its messaging, Starbucks has stated that its expectations for hybrid corporate employees have remained the same over the past two years. However, it’s sending a reminder to workers that they must follow these expectations. To make the policy more universal, Starbucks has tried to emphasize that no one is exempt, including Niccol, who is also a hybrid worker. The Starbucks has said Niccol would meet or exceed Starbucks’s in-office mandates. However, some workers have expressed skepticism of Niccol’s arrangement. Rob Sadow, who helped create an index that benchmarks remote-work policies, told the Wall Street Journal that workers may now wonder “do we still need to be in the office three days a week?” In light of this double-down by corporate, trying to convince mid-level employees that their daily commutes are equivalent to a millionaire like Niccol taking a private jet from Southern California to Seattle a couple of times a week might be a tough sell.
• At least 250,000 Washington Post readers have canceled their subscriptions since the news organization announced it wouldn’t endorse a presidential candidate, which is about 10% of its digital subscribers. This has sparked a crisis for both The Post and its owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, from a PR perspective. In response, some outlets, like Slate, have suggested that instead of punishing the journalists, people should cancel their Amazon Prime subscription to criticize Bezos. It was important for Bezos to send a message to customers about the reasoning behind the non-endorsement in an effort to stop the proverbial bleeding. On Monday night he published an op-ed in The Post titled “The hard truth: Americans don’t trust the news media.” It argued that endorsements don’t matter to voters. In the piece, Bezos aims to show that there was no quid pro quo and that he didn’t interact with Trump or the Harris camps before the announcement. While he admitted that Dave Limp, the chief executive of one of his companies, Blue Origin, met Trump on the day of the announcement, he made a point of highlighting that he didn’t have a role in the decision-making and wasn’t aware of the meeting. “I sighed when I found out, because I knew it would provide ammunition to those who would like to frame this as anything other than a principled decision,” Bezos said. “But the fact is, I didn’t know about the meeting beforehand.” This statement aimed to show customers that the decision didn’t stem from a particular business interest. Bezos also tried to position the decision as a way to keep The Post an “independent voice amid a surge of misinformation. He said that, “While I do not and will not push my personal interest, I will also not allow this paper to stay on autopilot and fade into irrelevance — overtaken by unresearched podcasts and social media barbs — not without a fight. It’s too important” before highlighting that his reporters are “the finest journalists you’ll find anywhere.” Makes it interesting then that he wouldn’t allow them to use their independent voice to do their jobs.
• The federal government plans to release its final jobs report before the November elections, and officials warn that recent hurricanes and strikes will skew the data affecting job growth. As a result, the picture of the economy will be unclear as many American voters head to the polls. The strength of the U.S. economy has been a key talking point throughout this election cycle, and the findings of this report will likely become a major talking point in the days leading up to Nov. 5. From a messaging perspective, Democrats need to emphasize the report’s finer points and paint a picture of the health of U.S. economy’s status. Most economists agree that the country has experienced positive trends in job growth and other economic indicators. However, some Democratic strategists, like Steve Jarding, have criticized Harris for not focusing enough on these positives and instead letting Trump get away with claiming “the economy is the worst it’s ever been” and criticizing unemployment and inflation numbers. “It’s almost like he lies so much you get tired of refuting it, and I think that’s a mistake,” Jarding said. If the jobs numbers are bad, Democrats will need to focus on explaining why they’re not as strong as they were in previous months and highlighting other economic positives.

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

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Friday, just 11 days before the U.S. election, the Washington Post made a decision not to endorse either presidential candidate.

Publisher and CEO William Lewis leaned heavily on history in explaining the choice, extensively quoting a 1960 editorial board missive describing that 64-year-old decision then not to endorse. However, the paper later reversed course and has endorsed in all but one race since 1976. Lewis framed the decision as a return to the paper’s roots.

“We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility. That is inevitable,” Lewis wrote, with an air of resignation. And he was correct.

The choice has been met with condemnation both within the newsroom and from many of its subscribers. NPR reports that 200,000 subscribers have canceled since the decision — a huge 8% of all subscribers.

Indeed, much of the speculation about the true reasons for the lack of endorsement center around Bezos and his business interests, most notably his space company, Blue Origin. The New York Times reported that representatives from Blue Origin met with presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday, right around the time the non-endorsement decision was made, leading to some to wonder if a quid pro quo was in place. Blue Origin says there was not.

Bezos reportedly made the final decision to kill an editorial endorsing Trump’s opponent to Kamala Harris, which had already been drafted.

Besides public backlash, the Washington Post newsroom is also in turmoil over the last-minute choice. A group of Post columnists condemned the choice. Some resigned. Fabled reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein publicly criticized the choice, as did former executive editor Marty Baron: “This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty.”

Why it matters:

Whether or not newspapers should endorse candidates is a matter for journalist trade publications to debate (and they are, especially as the LA Times also decided not to endorse). Here, let’s talk about how the decision was communicated.

One major factor was timing. With just 11 days before the election, it does not come off as a principled, long-planned stance. The news that an endorsement had already been drafted (though the paper denies that Bezos had read it) further raises eyebrows.

There would have been blowback regardless of when this decision was made. But the close timing to a close election makes the choice seem like a last-minute swerve rather than a strategic move.

The choice in Lewis’ column to tie the non-endorsement to history also raises eyebrows. Sure, the newspaper didn’t endorse prior to 1976, but that was generations ago and a vastly different world of newspapers, media and politics. Returning to a stance of 48 years ago is unlikely to impress many, but strike subscribers (especially younger ones) as out-of-touch with today’s world.

And finally, there’s the issue of the billionaire in the room. Bezos purchased the Post in 2013 for $250 million and has since improved the institution’s fortunes. But that brings complications, especially in the ultimate political city of Washington. His interests in Blue Origin and Amazon are far more lucrative than the paper, and Trump has made it clear he rewards those who like him -– and seeks to punish those who oppose him. Why would Bezos take on such a risk when it was already a bygone conclusion that the paper would support Harris?

The conflict of interests here are only set to grow. We’ll see how the Post attempts to navigate this sticky situation – and tries to win back subscribers at a pivotal moment.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• In other political news, Puerto Ricans are coming into focus as a key constituency after warmup comic Tony Hinchcliffe insulted the U.S. territory during a Trump rally Sunday. While citizens of Puerto Rico cannot vote, migration has made them an important voting bloc in the mainland, including all-important Pennsylvania, which is home to 500,000 people of Puerto Rican descent. Hinchcliffe’s crude comments, which called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage,” have mobilized that base. Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican rapper and singer, posted a video from Harris to his 45 million followers on Instagram, scoring a key win for the Harris campaign. The Trump campaign has attempted to distance itself from Hinchcliffe’s comments, saying, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.” Whether or not it reflects Trump’s view, it happened on his watch. Organizations are responsible for what guest speakers say, for better and worse. This is a reminder to vet comments beforehand – especially from comedians.
• Sorry, we’ve got even more politics. Expect it for at least another week. Conservative activist Robby Starbuck has made it his job to take down DE&I efforts at major companies like Tractor Supply Company and John Deere. And now a cottage industry is springing up to help companies defend from him, the New York Times reports, with communications agencies and consultancies building new practices around this area of corporate defense. Some of the advice these companies are touting is incredibly specific (don’t look at Starbuck’s LinkedIn or you might draw his attention, as if he was a T-rex). Some of it is much more granular, looking through annual reports and websites for triggering phrases. Whether or not you hire one of these consultants, make sure the work of understanding your DE&I commitments is being done so you aren’t caught off guard.
• Hey, we did find one non-political story for you today! Instagram head Adam Mosseri confirmed that videos that gain less traction on Instagram have downgraded quality. “In general, we want to show the highest-quality video we can … But if something isn’t watched for a long time — because the vast majority of views are in the beginning — we will move to a lower quality video,” Mosseri said in a video, as reported by The Verge. “And then if it’s watched again a lot then we’ll re-render the higher quality video.” After a user raised concerns about how this might impact smaller creators, Mosseri said that people interact with a video because of its content, not quality. Still, it’s something to bear in mind when uploading.

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

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With a week and a half  until Election Day, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are doing everything in their power to engage and sway notoriously hard-to-reach segments of the American electorate.

One rare area of agreement between the candidates has been on the power of podcasts.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump is set to record an episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” the top-rated podcast in the United States. 

The Journal noted that Trump has made around 17 podcast appearances so far this year, while Harris has appeared on 10 podcasts this year, appearing as both vice president and the Democratic nominee for president. She was to tape an interview with podcaster and social scientist Brené Brown on Friday. Brown’s show is popular among older women.

Why it matters: People may not be reading newspapers or tuning into the evening news as much as they used to, but this doesn’t mean they’re not interested in world events and important information. 

As a result, PR professionals need to make podcasts a part of their earned media strategy, since they’ve become a regular part of many Americans’ daily lives, regardless of their background.

A report by Edison Research in May showed that podcasts reach people of all ages. About 59% of 12- to 34-year-olds listen to podcasts every month, and 55% of 35- to 54-year-olds do the same. 

Podcast listeners are also diverse, with 48% of Black Americans and 43% of Hispanic Americans listening every month. The number of U.S. women listening to podcasts has reached a new high, with 45% listening monthly and 32% weekly.

In the case of this presidential race, both the Trump and Harris camps are looking for ways to engage with key demographics.

The “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, which reaches around 15 million viewers every week, is attractive to both Harris and Trump, given its listenership of 71% male and evenly split between high school and post-secondary graduates. 

For comparison, a CNN town hall featuring Harris on Wednesday drew 3.2 million viewers, with over 700,000 of them falling within the 25- to 54-year-old demographic, according to The Hill. The article noted that this figure was less than half of the 7 million viewers who watched her one-on-one interview with Fox News the previous week.

Harris had agreed to appear on Rogen’s show, despite her initial hesitation to participate in longer-form, unscripted interviews, per the Journal. However, organizing a taping has proven challenging. But it all underscores just how important podcasts have become. 

Many of these listeners may be hearing from the candidates in a meaningful way for the first time. These shows offer a great chance for candidates to make a strong impression and connect with listeners on a deeper level than they could through a tweet or TV ad. While a podcast may not be enough to win someone’s vote, it can be an important first step toward doing so.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• President Joe Biden has signed a national strategy to harness artificial intelligence for enhancing national security and safeguarding the country against its potential risks. On Thursday, National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan identified some key considerations behind the strategy, including the swift advancement of AI, the uncertainty surrounding its development and the private sector’s role in future innovations. Sullivan emphasized that the administration’s primary objectives with the policy are to help the U.S. maintain its status as a leader in AI, leverage the tech to improve security and build strong international partnerships while countering China’s influence in the field. The signing of this strategy highlights the need for everyone, including PR professionals, to continue to think of new ways to use this technology. AI has proven useful for drafting press releases and generating social media content, but it’s essential to look beyond these uses. We must anticipate what’s on the horizon to avoid being caught off guard when it arrives. As Sullivan noted, “We need to prepare for all the possible ways AI could develop by 2025, 2027, 2030 and beyond.”
• Most major indicators suggest the United States economy has greatly improved over the past two years, but many Americans still struggle to cope with the fact that they’re paying much more for everything, from housing to a deli sandwich, than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. A report this week from the Federal Reserve noted signs of Americans shifting toward “less expensive alternatives.” Although inflation has slowed down significantly, dropping to 2.4% in September, according to the U.S. Labor Department, many people still feel the pinch. A survey in late August by the Wall Street Journal found that 38% of voters believed the cost of living was still rising and causing major financial strains for their families – the highest level since the question was first asked in November 2021, when inflation was much higher. Another 26% said inflation was causing minor strains. These numbers offer a reminder that just because a person should be able to afford something on paper, it doesn’t mean they feel they can. PR pros should consider this information in their message, showing empathy to consumers while highlighting value. 
• Friday marks the start of the dream PR situation for Major League Baseball as two of its biggest brands, the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers, square off in the World Series. In recent decades, the league has lost its footing as America’s Pastime, losing audience share to the more action-packed NFL and NBA. The MLB has successfully spent the past couple seasons introducing a range of pace-of-play changes to attract modern spectators. But the World Series, taking place in the country’s two biggest markets, is a unique opportunity to attract new fans. The last time the two teams played in the Fall Classic, in 1978, a record 44 million TV viewers tuned in on average every game. “You love them, you hate them, you’ll watch. At least that’s the idea,” wrote Wall Street Journal reporter Jason Gay. Brands invest time and energy crafting data-driven messaging, earning top-tier media placements and understanding consumer behaviors. But sometimes, organic situations such as this blockbuster World Series present themselves and communicators have to be ready to be ready to capitalize on. For the MLB, it’s wasting little time highlighting the star-studded fanbases of both teams to make the World Series more of a Super Bowl-esque entertainment spectacle. Dodgers superfan and country music star Brad Paisley, for instance, is all over the league’s social media platforms. He’ll also perform the National Anthem before Game 1. Not every company has a primetime national TV broadcast to help promote its products, of course, but they all have the equivalent of a Yankees-Dodgers World Series – be ready.

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

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When Donald Trump steps foot into any establishment, it instantly becomes a political lightning rod.

That was the case for a McDonald’s franchise in Pennsylvania, where Trump spent a few moments serving fries in a carefully constructed political photo opp.

The location was immediately bombarded with one-star Yelp reviews, prompting the site to temporarily suspend reviews. McDonald’s corporate, thrust into the political conversation, sent a lengthy statement to franchisees, which has (predictably) become the public-facing statement for the event.

The statement notes that Trump is a longtime fan of the brand, and that Kamala Harris worked at a store in the ‘80s (a fact that the Trump campaign baselessly doubts).

“Upon learning of the former President’s request, we approached it through the lens of one of our core values: we open our doors to everyone,” the statement read. It also reaffirmed their apolitical stance and refusal to endorse a candidate.

This is an internal statement to the McDonald’s system from the US Senior Leadership Team regarding today’s visit by the Trump campaign to a local franchisee in Pennsylvania. The statement outlines the origins of the event, the company’s response, and an invitation extended to… pic.twitter.com/1GntbmDbbY

— McFranchisee (@McFranchisee) October 20, 2024

Just as the news cycle was beginning to shift away from the campaign stop, McDonald’s found itself squarely back in the media spotlight as an E.coli outbreak stemming from Quarter Pounders left 10 sickened and one dead in the western U.S. The revelation sent the restaurant’s stock price plummeting to its worst levels since COVID.

McDonald’s released a statement pointing the finger at slivered onions and pulling Quarter Pounders from stores in a number of states, “out of an abundance of caution.”

But that’s not all.

Democratic senators this week also slammed McDonald’s for price hikes, reigniting a political battle over inflation, pricing and corporate profits.

McDonald’s struck back with a blunt statement, saying the letter “demonstrates a lack of understanding of our franchise business model and contains contortions of facts and many inaccuracies.”

Three crises, and it’s only Wednesday.

Why it matters: McDonald’s is currently a perfect storm of three of the biggest storylines in America today: a polarized nation, food safety handling risks and price hikes. All three hit on the same week, and we’re sending a shoutout to the communicators at corporate. Take care of yourselves.

McDonald’s handled the first two crises with statements revealing grace and empathy. The franchisee letter is a masterclass in branding and consistency, finding reasons to welcome both Trump and Harris into the fold while also making it clear that “We are not red and blue – we are golden.” Likewise, the statement regarding the E.coli outbreak contains phrases like, “it’s the right thing to do.” They’re plainspoken but full of pathos and earnestness.

Meanwhile, the clapback to the Democratic senators contains more teeth, defending its pricing and pointing to new meal deals designed to save customers money. It’s a tonal pivot, but sometimes that’s what’s needed.

McDonald’s is working through a complex period and is far from out of the woods. But the initial work from communicators is strong and offers lessons in empathy and understanding for us all.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• The CCO of Intuit asked The Verge podcast “The Decoder” to delete portions of an interview with its CEO, fully Streisand Effecting the interview and ensuring it got far more attention than it otherwise would have. The section of the conversation in question dealt with how Intuit has lobbied to keep free tax preparation tools off the market, which got slightly heated with raised voices and overlapping conversation. Pretty typical interview stuff. After the interview, however, CCO Rick Heineman emailed The Verge, calling the interview “inappropriate,” “egregious,” and “disappointing” and asking for a portion to be removed. The Verge, which has a notoriously strong ethics policy, said no, published the emails and the interview in its entirety. This is a cardinal sin for any PR pro. If your CEO was unprepared for tough questions, you have to take your lumps. There’s no deleting after the fact and going in swinging by calling an interview “inappropriate” is unlikely to win you any friends – but likely to win you a bunch of additional attention to that interview.
• AI startup Perplexity is facing a lawsuit from Dow Jones, parent company of The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post, over what Dow Jones calls “massive freeriding” on its content. Perplexity bills itself as an “AI-powered answer engine” that provides digests of information rather than Google’s classic list of links. “Perplexity proudly states that users can ‘skip the links’ — apparently, Perplexity wants to skip the check,” said Robert Thompson, chief executive of News Corp., owner of Dow Jones. Perplexity is also facing a cease-and-desist letter from the New York Times over similar allegations. This all shows how seriously the news industry is taking the threat of AI. They saw the mistakes they made with the rise of the internet and search engines and aren’t going to do the same this time. In the long run, this is good for PR: news needs money to survive, and the more people read the full article with context and quotes, the better. We’ll see how it plays out in the courts.
• American Airlines has agreed to pay a $50 million fine for mishandling of wheelchairs and wheelchair users in transit. The airline tried to come out strong with a lengthy statement about how it’s improved their services with $175 million in investments and reduced complaints by 20% in the last two years – all admirable work. But despite their best comms work, the headlines all focus on the negative fine, burying the good work. In a world where many people only read the headline, the PR battle may feel lost. But consistently highlighting improvements long beyond this one tough day can change hearts and minds long-term.

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kamala Harris (@kamalaharris)

“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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Harvard’s coffers took a hit as mega-donors followed through on promises to pull back gifts over the school’s response to acts of antisemitism on campus related to the Hamas-Israel War.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the prestigious university received $1.17 billion in gifts for the fiscal year that ended June 30. This amount is lower than the $1.38 billion it received during the same period last year.

While the university’s endowment gained 9.6% for the fiscal year, gifts to the endowment fell 34% to $368.1 million, per WSJ.  Distributions from the endowment makes up 37% of Harvard’s revenue for the year, according to the university’s financial report for this fiscal year.

Following the Hamas attacks in Israel on Oct. 27, 2023, protests erupted on campuses across the United States, including Harvard. As the conflict grew into a full-blown war, some pro-Palestinian protests resulted in acts of antisemitism. Former Harvard President Claudine Gay stepped down in January amid criticism of her response to the situation as well as allegations of plagiarism.

As a result, mega-donors billionaire Ken Griffin and the family foundation of investor Len Blavatnik suspended their giving to the school until the university showed commitment to making meaningful changes.

Why it matters: Highlighting an organization’s values is crucial for building strong investor and donor relationships. Supporters need to feel confident that their investments align with their personal beliefs.

In Harvard’s case, the university had to regain the trust of donors like Griffin and Blavatnik, who had apparently lost faith due to recent events. To achieve this, the school needed to send a clear message about its commitment to promoting acceptance and tolerance on campus. That was a central part of the university’s 2024 fiscal report.

 In a statement in the report, Harvard President Alan Garber said plainly that Harvard has endured a difficult year. But they’ve used what they’ve used during that time to make necessary improvements. That includes conducting multiple task forces to explore what has taken place on campus since the Hamas attacks in Israel last year.

In June, the school released a series of task force findings, which admitted that Jewish, Muslim and Arab students had been discriminated against and bullied on campus. Garber described them in the report as “paths to more meaningful communication and constructive disagreement.”

As part of its communications on Thursday, Garber wrote that the school is committed to rebuilding a “sense of belonging” and a “genuine acceptance” on campus.

“Our community is what matters most,” his statement reads. “That is why its renewal and care are paramount, and why we have launched efforts to understand where and how we can improve.”

As part of the financial report, Garber also made sure to point out all the good work, research and important work the university is doing to improve the world. He specifically highlighted that the work is made possible by the generous financial donations and gifts the school receives every year.

Obviously, actions will speak louder than words in the end and Harvard will need to further show donors that the work is being done. But taking accountability and painting a picture of what lies ahead is an important step in that process.

“Our University will emerge stronger from this time – not in spite of being tested, but because of it,” Garber wrote.

Editor’s Top Reads

• Michigan U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib has raised concerns that grocery giant Kroger could use facial recognition technology and real-time shelving data to develop discriminatory pricing practices. “The use of facial recognition tools has the potential to invade a customer’s privacy and employ biased price discrimination,” her letter reads.” The allegations follow previous questions raised by Senators. Elizabeth Warren and Robert P. Casey, Jr. this summer. The social media post resulted in a new firestorm of headlines at a time when Kroger is currently locked in a legal battle to acquire one of its largest competitors, Albertson’s. Kroger quickly acted to deny the allegations, saying bluntly that the company “does not and has never engaged in ‘surge pricing.’” But beyond that, it took the important step to outline how it intends to use the technology: to lower consumer costs. But after years of soaring food prices, consumers are skeptical of a grocery store making those promises when the potential for misuse is so apparent. Whatever Kroger’s intentions, it needs to make them clear in a way the average consumer can understand – and fast. A real-world example of the technology in action could go a long way – because what positive impact can facial recognition software have on customers? Kroger needs to help the public understand.
• The owners of the Cleveland Browns have announced plans to move the franchise to nearby suburb Brook Park, where they intend to build a domed stadium and a sprawling campus. The team intends to relocate to the $2.4 billion complex after the 2028 season. To make this a reality, the team’s leadership will likely seek around $1.2 billion in public funding. Since the city of Brook Park probably can’t afford to cover that cost, Browns ownership will likely turn to the county and state. From a public relations standpoint, the Browns must convincingly demonstrate to fans and regional residents why this deal benefits them. One reason for this is that currently, most local elected leaders outside of Brook Park oppose the move. Cleveland’s mayor described the Browns move as abandoning Cleveland. Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne has been an outspoken advocate for the team staying in downtown Cleveland and isn’t ready to concede defeat yet. The franchise has wisely used its messaging to convey that, even though the club is moving outside city limits, it will remain part of Northeast Ohio’s “fabric.” It has also emphasized that the short move from the current stadium will benefit the region as a whole long term. This aspect of the message is crucial, especially given the team’s current struggles as one of the worst in the NFL. By announcing the decision mid-season, the ownership has given fans something exciting to focus on while the team works to improve its performance. In their statement, the Browns acknowledged: “We know our season hasn’t started as we had hoped, and we’re working hard to improve each week to make our fans proud. At the same time, we must commit to the best long-term, sustainable solution for our stadium and provide the world-class dome experience our fans deserve.” Ultimately, the Browns’ leadership team may view the Brook Park move as its best business decision, but it will only succeed if they can win over all their stakeholders.

• Singer James Blunt said he feels “stupid” for letting the public give him a new name. But in reality, the promotion to re-release his “Back To Bedlam” album is a stroke of branding genius. Ahead of the album’s 20th anniversary, Blunt – famous for his song “You’re Beautiful” – went to social media to let fans know that if they made the album reach No. 1 in the charts, he’d legally change his name to whatever they picked. The album did indeed hit No. 1 and the fans chose … Blunty McBluntface. “The people I pity more is my family,’ Blunt told ITV’s Good Morning Britain. This campaign is a great example of knowing your audience and leaning into it. While Blunt still has a lot of fans of his music, in recent years he’s become better known for his dry, self-deprecating sense of humor on social media, with over 1.1 million followers on Instagram. Most of his posts never mention specific songs or clips of his music, which even he famously makes fun of. Blunt is leaning into his public perception and taking humiliation all the way to the bank. An unconventional strategy, but one that’s paying off in a tangible way.

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

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The list of major media figures striking out on their own via newsletter platform Substack continues to grow.

Just weeks after media star Taylor Lorenz left the Washington Post to start her own newsletter, prolific author James Patterson and legendary magazine editor Tina Brown have also joined Substack.

“Like most writers — even in my situation — you’re always at the beck and call of editors,” Patterson told The Hollywood Reporter. “With Substack, we’re totally free, we get to do whatever the hell we want to do. So I can write opinion pieces. I can write whatever the hell I want to write, and that’s liberating.”

And whatever the hell Patterson wants turns out to be a list of heavy-hitter interview subjects, including Bill Clinton, novelist David Baldacci and maybe even Dolly Parton.

“They’re kind of fresh and fun, and you’re gonna find out stuff that you’re not used to, and they’re filmed so you can either watch it or or read it,” he explained.

Brown, meanwhile, is taking a more casual, diary-like approach. “This is just an extra something I’ll be doing on a Monday afternoon,” she told The New York Times.

Why it matters: Writers  on Substack  offer a new, exciting avenue for PR professionals. The platform boasts 35 million total users, including 3 million paying customers who subscribe directly to individual newsletters (Substack, of course, gets a cut). Its email-based delivery model also offers a more surefire delivery method than many traditional media outlets, which continue to rely on algorithmically fickle social media sites and search engine rankings for their traffic for digital spread.

But while there are possibilities, there are also risks. Patterson exulted in his ability to evade editors with Substack, which certainly can encourage creativity and allow for new ideas. But without an editor helping to fact check, serve as a hedge against defamatory content or just to say “maybe this isn’t a great idea,” it can pose new reputational risks for organizations – and in a way that could be tricky to monitor, since they are not easily indexable.

By all means, incorporate Substack authors into your pitching routine. But  be aware of the new risks posed by this Wild West of journalism-adjacent content.

Editor’s Top Reads

• In other media strategy news, Kamala Harris is making a foray into what is likely to be unfriendly territory: Fox News. The conservative news outlet will air an interview with the Democratic presidential nominee and Chief Political Anchor Brett Baier tonight at 6 p.m., featuring roughly a half hour of questions, The New York Times reported. Harris is following in the footsteps of her running mate, Tim Walz, who has appeared on the network the last two weekends. This media appearance can serve two key purposes. First, it’s a chance to get in front of skeptical conservative voters and perhaps pick off a few votes. It also will serve as an answer to criticism that she’s afraid to face tough questions – it’s unlikely that she’ll receive the kind of kid-glove treatment her opponent often receives on the network. Harris’ media strategy has received a great deal of scrutiny: Is she doing enough? Is she going on shows and podcasts that are too niche? Ultimately, we won’t know until after the election – but for right now, it’s certainly interesting to watch.
• Bath & Body Works faced a nightmarish crisis over the weekend when social media users pointed out that the brand’s new “Snowed In” candle featured a paper snowflake that bore an unfortunate resemblance to a Ku Klux Klan hood. Given the catchy moniker “klandle,” images and criticism spread like wildfire on social media. To its credit, Bath & Body Works responded quickly by both pulling the candle from shelves and issuing a statement to the media: “At Bath & Body Works, we are committed to listening to our teams and customers, and committed to fixing any mistakes we make-even those that are unintentional like this one. We apologize to anyone we’ve offended and are swiftly working to have this item removed and are evaluating our process going forward.” Some hammered Bath & Body Works for what they saw as a lack of diversity that allowed the candle to make it to shelves in the first place. But NBC News reported that one Instagram user summed up the situation almost perfectly: “This was an honest mistake it looks like a snowflake. But they still took accountability.” And sometimes, that’s all you can do.
• As new sports teams, especially women’s leagues, pop up across the country, many are facing a problem: they need names, and many of the good ones are taken. The branding team for the yet-unnamed Toronto WNBA expansion shared some of the trials of selecting a new name, the Wall Street Journal reported: Wildfire (“although tough and fast, they have had devastating effects on Canada,” an Instagram post reads), Vipers (“snakes are a sign of deceit in some cultures”) and Asteroids (“the nickname just won’t fly when shortened”). The naming process for the team is being carried out publicly, including a podcast, to explain the thought process behind the name – a great way to get fans involved before a team even exists. Meanwhile in Boston, their women’s soccer club is taking a different approach, shunning the animal or disaster names that often give a team its identity, instead choosing the play on words of BOS Nation FC. “BOS Nation, an anagram of ‘Bostonian,” is meant to evoke ‘boss energy,’ suggest a fan-centric identity and nod to the city’s three-letter airport code,” the Journal said. These commitments to branding in public and bringing in fan perspectives is a fantastic way to marry marketing and PR and build a strong foundation for names and teams that will endure for years to come.

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

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CBS News’ internal scrutiny over morning show co-host Tony Dokoupil’s pointed interview with author Ta-Nehisi Coates about Israel has now spread far beyond the newsroom.

During the seven-minute segment, Dokoupil said he believed Coates’ that a section of Coates’ new book dealing with Israel and Palestinians in the West Bank “would not be out of place in the backpack of an extremist.” He also questioned if Coates just doesn’t “believe that Israel in any condition has a right to exist?”

Coates responded that he was giving a voice to those who don’t have a voice and not provide a “treatise” on the complex conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ new book, “The Message,” is a trio of interconnected essays that examine how the stories people tell — or avoid telling — can shape and even distort reality: “I am most concerned always with those that don’t have a voice.” https://t.co/bDsBxZMbah pic.twitter.com/G4WCkI146I

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) September 30, 2024

In a staff call Monday, CBS News chief Wendy McMahon and her deputy, Adrienne Roark, said several journalists in the company had reached out with concerns about the interview. Roark told staff members that “There are times we have not met our editorial standards.” Not everyone agreed, including Jan Crawford, CBS News’ chief legal correspondent, who said she believed it’s a journalist’s responsibility to ask tough questions.

McMahon told staff members during the call that she expected its contents would remain confidential. But a tape of it was posted within hours of the editorial meeting, leading to a new round of discussion about the interview and CBS News’ handling of the situation.

Why it matters: Unfortunately, leaks happen, especially when employees are unhappy or feel unheard.  This incident also shows the deep disagreements that exist in workplaces over the Israel-Hamas conflict, even a year after its genesis. 

In a situation such as a disagreement with a leadership decision, the first thing to do is make sure everyone actually is on the same page, which obviously was not the case here. It’s important to project a unified, cohesive message that shows that the organization is on the same page and ready to move forward.

Unfortunately, for the CBS News team, that isn’t what happened.

McMahon and Roark drew a public rebuke from Shari Redstone, outgoing head of CBS parent company Paramount Global, on Wednesday. She defended Dokoupil, saying network leadership made a mistake. 

“I think we all agree that this was not handled correctly,” she said.

CBS News declined to comment on the recording leak, according to the New York Times. But George Cheeks, a Paramount executive with oversight for CBS News, issued a statement late Wednesday that signaled support for McMahon. Cheeks called her “an outstanding, accomplished leader.” He also acknowledged that the meeting was the result of “strong and growing discord within CBS News that needed to be addressed.” 

Cheeks also proactively addressed any possible fears that the Dokoupil situation would affect reporters’ approaches to interviews in the future.

“Our hosts and correspondents will continue to ask the toughest questions on the most important and complex issues,” Cheeks said.

The sprawling corporate structure of Paramount and CBS meant that multiple executives sounded off on this issue without a clear messaging plan. That created confusion both inside and outside the organization. Was it handled incorrectly or is the leader behind that call outstanding and effective? 

When leaks share internal discord, it’s vital that leaders, at least, have their public statements aligned. The dueling statements are at least as damaging as the leak itself.

Editor’s Top Reads

• TD Bank will pay about $3 billion after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. The Justice Department stated that the institution’s lax practices enabled at least three money laundering networks to move money through TD Bank accounts over several years. While the legal matter may be over, TD Bank must still send a message to customers, investors and the general public that shows its commitment to making changes. Following the announcement of the penalty, TD Bank CEO Bharat Masrani made his first attempt to do that. He issued a statement taking full responsibility for the situation, saying these “failures took place on my watch as CEO and I apologize to all our stakeholders.”. While the glorified “I’m sorry” is an important part of the response, the bigger piece here is outlining what TD Bank is doing to address the problem that got them in trouble in the first place. Masrani’s comments outlined specific actions the bank is taking to fix the problems, including appointing new leadership and adding hundreds of new specialists. “We know what the issues are, we are fixing them. As we move forward, we’re ensuring that this never happens again,” Masrani said. Of course, one statement isn’t going to be enough to help TD Bank overcome the mistrust it has developed as a result of this scandal, but it’s an important first step.
• Consumer price growth in the United States has slowed to its lowest pace since February 2021, according to new numbers from the Department of Labor. The consumer price index fell to 2.4%in September from a year earlier. The Washington Post reported that prices grew by just 0.2% between August and September, which was the same pace as a month earlier, though economists had expected a smaller gain. Still, the numbers are “mixed,” Marco Casiraghi of Evercore ISI, an investment banking advisory firm, told The Post. He cautioned “against declaring victory over inflation.” For PR pros, the numbers serve as an important reminder of the importance of looking at all the economic indicators when planning your engagement strategies. Despite positive gains, many Americans still face considerable financial challenges caused by price increases. NBC News noted that prices have climbed more than 21% altogether since early 2020.
• Lionel Messi’s signing with Inter Miami CF in July 2023 sparked widespread excitement about the future of Major League Soccer. However, as the league approaches its 2024 playoffs, there are concerns that its 10-year, $2.5 billion deal with Apple TV has limited Messi’s impact on the league. Almost all MLS matches are on the Apple streamer and since arriving in the U.S., Messi hasn’t given any major interviews or podcasts to promote himself or the game. It’s been over a year since he was made available to speak with reporters, according to Awful Announcing, a sports-centric publication. While MLS secured a significant payday with the Apple deal and sold tickets, its engagement approach may have undercut its ability to capitalize on the biggest brand asset in league history. Although Apple TV features stories about Messi, these aren’t accessible to everyone. Sports Business Journal reported that Apple TV’s MLS Pass has surpassed 2 million subscribers. It seems MLS hoped Messi’s popularity would be enough to convert casual observers to Apple subscribers, but it’s not yet clear if the gamble will pay off. 

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

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OpenAI has entered into a content agreement with Hearst to allow the artificial intelligence company to use the publisher’s newspapers and magazines to train its products, including ChatGPT.

As part of the agreement, ChatGPT will include citations and direct links to Hearst content, providing transparency and easy access to the original stories, according to OpenAI. Hearst publishes over 40 newspapers, such as the Houston Chronicle and San Francisco Chronicle, as well as more than 20 magazines, including Esquire, Cosmopolitan and Men’s Health.

Hearst will be paid for the use of its content, but terms weren’t disclosed.

Jeff Johnson, president of Hearst Newspapers, said that it’s “critical that journalism created by professional journalists be at the heart of all AI products.”

News Corp, owner of the Wall Street Journal and New York Post, struck a similar content-licensing deal with OpenAI five months ago, which also has deals with the likes of Time, The Atlantic and the Associated Press. However, a number of media companies have accused OpenAI of using their content without any deal being in place.

Last December, the New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement. The lawsuit claims that chatbots pose a threat to NYT’s business. Several other news outlets, ranging from local newspapers to Raw Story and The Intercept, have also filed similar lawsuits against OpenAI.

Why it matters: AI-powered tools are dramatically changing how users consume news and information.

With its content agreements, OpenAI will enhance not only its chatbot but also its prototype search engine, SearchGPT.

Right now, Google is the search king, commanding the overwhelming majority of market share. It’s estimated that about 40% of total traffic to all news sites is driven by Google search. But by establishing these integrated media partnerships, OpenAI is creating tools capable of yielding higher quality content derived from trusted news outlets and subject matter experts.

That could make OpenAI more valuable to media relations pros – especially as Google has threatened to remove links to news sites in California, New Zealand and other places that have considered charging technology companies for posting their content next to ads. As search challenges rise, it’ll be important to understand the ins and outs of those engines to optimize content – earned or not.

“Bringing Hearst’s trusted content into our products elevates our ability to provide engaging, reliable information to our users,” Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s COO, said in a statement announcing the partnership.

Put simply: AI models trained on high-quality content will result in better results.

These types of arrangements are going to have a major effect on earned media. Understanding this landscape is key to tailoring SEO and media outreach for maximum organic reach.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• The White House is turning to Reddit to provide updates on Hurricane Milton as it approaches Florida as well as ongoing efforts related to Hurricane Helene. The administration has stated it plans to target larger sub-Reddits, like r/politics and state communities. So far the account has posted in the Georgia, North Carolina and Hurricane Helene subreddits.The new approach is a response to social media users flooding Reddit, X and other platforms with misinformation and disinformation about the federal government’s response to Helene – including conspiracy theories about government-run “weather machines” and lies about funding and resources for those affected by the storm. This approach highlights the importance of reaching audiences wherever they are and providing information in a way that resonates with them. Reddit has become increasingly popular because it lends itself to user-curated conversations. It’s also been a hotbed for conspiracy theories, especially during the pandemic. By entering the belly of the beast, Biden’s team will be able to monitor misinformation as it develops and craft messaging to counteract it. Just as significantly, it will allow them to clarify information and respond directly to questions and criticisms.
  

  President Biden holds a briefing on Hurricane Milton preparation and Hurricane Helene response.
  byu/whitehouse inpics

• Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have filed lawsuits against TikTok, alleging that the short-form video platform is damaging the mental health of children. The main claim is that the platform aims to get kids hooked through the use of features such as targeted feed that encourage endless scrolling, buzzing notifications and face filters that create “unattainable appearances.” This legal challenge follows similar lawsuits against Meta’s platforms and YouTube, part of a growing movement calling out social media companies for their impact on young people’s lives. As a result, Instagram recently adopted account changes to protect teens on the app. As PR pros, these changes affect the PR industry on multiple levels. Young people are a key demographic for many brands and these changes will likely impact how they engage with them. But it’s also a crucial time to reflect on whether that approach is part of the problem. Behind each view, link and share is a person – often someone under 18. While reach and engagement matter, your approach is important, too.
• Pet food brand Meow Mix has created a 12-hour loop of its iconic jingle as a promotion that allows people to earn free cat food – more the longer they listen. Throughout the video, coupon codes appear as audio-only content, requiring viewers to listen carefully to claim them. The video, pre-roll on YouTube and available on the Meow Mix website, can’t be fast-forwarded or rewound. Those who make it to the end have a chance to win the “Ultimate Reward Pack.”  The Meow-a-thon taps into the brand’s iconic 1980s jingle and its audiences’ love for their pets by giving them a unique way to show their passion for them. (Watching a video for half a day for free food? That’s love.) The promotion launched Oct. 1 and thus far has mostly garnered industry buzz for its creativity. If it hits with the public, awesome. If it doesn’t? It was a low-risk proposition. Most importantly Meow Mix took a chance on something new. That’s worth celebrating.

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

The post The Scoop: Hearst-OpenAI deal highlights changing news ecosystem appeared first on PR Daily.

With less than a month until the presidential election, both candidates are picking up their interview schedules. But Vice President Kamala Harris’ end-of-election blitz is most notable. She’s kept a relatively low media profile, eschewing major interviews or press conferences – something which has become an attack point for her Republican rivals.

But Harris has now scheduled a flurry of interviews. And the selected outlets run the media gamut.

There’s the stalwart “60 Minutes” sit down (Donald Trump was offered the same interview, but refused over the show’s insistence on fact checking.) Harris will have a chat with the women of “The View.” There’s a talk with raunchy shock jock Howard Stern. A late-night appearance with Stephen Colbert. To varying degrees, these are all fairly standard (and liberal leaning) hallmarks of a presidential campaign. Think back, after all, to Bill Clinton’s brand-defining moment playing saxophone on “The Arsenio Hall Show.”

But perhaps her most interesting media appearance is on “Call Her Daddy,” the most popular podcast among women. In her 40-minute interview, she touched on issues she hopes will resonate with that audience, including abortion and J.D. Vance’s comments about “childless cat ladies.”

Trump, too, has been making the podcast circuit, albeit focusing more strongly on male-focused podcasts such as “This Past Weekend w/Theo Von” (the No. 5 podcast in the U.S.) and the “Lex Fridman Podcast.”

Both candidates are also planning townhalls with Spanish-language broadcast Univision.

Why it matters: Looking at this slate of interviews, it’s clear that legacy media still has a great deal of cache. “60 Minutes,” with its iconic ticking clock, conveys gravitas and a willingness to answer hard-hitting questions and reach an older audience. Howard Stern and Stephen Colbert will convey a sense of playfulness and an ability to sometimes go along with the absurd. “The View” will, the Harris campaign must hope, show an ability to be down-to-earth and relatable.

But it’s the appearance on “Call Her Daddy” that’s the most emblematic of the media landscape in 2024. The podcast ranked as the No. 4 podcast in the U.S. in the second quarter, with a listenership that’s 90% female, highlighting “topics like mental health, trauma, and relationships and sex, but overall the focus relates to women and the day-to-day issues that they face,” according to Newsweek.

Reaching such a concentrated audience of young women would be almost impossible through traditional news media. And, indeed, the show isn’t traditional news media. Some are questioning whether the campaign is too soft by going to a major podcast instead of more “substantive” interviews. As Politico writes, “Most of these are not the types of interviews that are going to press her on issues she may not want to talk about, even as voters want more specifics from Harris. Instead, expect most of these sit-downs to be a continuation of the ‘vibes’ campaign Harris has perfected.”

But this is a criticism often levied toward female-dominated media and a criticism not given to Trump for his male-centric podcast appearances. And just as Harris is sticking to friendly media, so is Trump, with frequent call-ins to Fox News.

The ultimate arbiter of Harris’ media campaign will, of course, be voters. But this year’s presidential election is proving that the old ways are changing – and all PR practitioners must look for new paths forward.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• Nutter Butter, the old-school cookie brand, has amassed tens of millions of social media views with frankly unsettling short videos, like one featuring a shrimp being placed atop a peanut-shaped cookie, or a response to a question about whether the brand is “OK” that features sinister, wide-eyed cookies. The New York Times sat down with the creative team behind this bizarrely successful campaign and found that the key to success is “commit to the bit.” “If a piece of content makes too much sense, it doesn’t perform as well,” said Zach Poczekaj, a social media manager for Dentsu Creative, which handles the Nutter Butter account. “So, it should even be a little confusing to us at times, too.” The overall strategy involves going with the gut and leaning into the weird. Is this a strategy that will work for all, or even most brands? Obviously not. But coloring outside the lines has proven successful – if unsettling.
• Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg scored a PR victory with a few tweets and a simple phone call. Elon Musk, who has been voraciously spreading misinformation about the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on his social network, complained that the feds were blocking airspace over the stricken city of Asheville. “No one is shutting down the airspace and FAA doesn’t block legitimate rescue and recovery flights. If you’re encountering a problem give me a call,” Buttigieg replied. Numbers were exchanged, a call was placed and soon Musk was singing a different tune. “Thanks for expediting approval for support flights. Just wanted to note that Sec Buttigieg is on the ball,” Musk said shortly after. Buttigieg replied with a brief thanks. In a world of misinformation, just having a conversation – both in public and in private – can work wonders. Showing good-faith willingness to talk helped both sides and knocked down one piece of misinformation.
• As some companies begin to shy away from DE&I programs and accountability measures like the Human Rights Campaign, the new Representation Index aims to report just how diverse ad campaigns are, using AI to assist. Perhaps most helpfully, the Representation Index will allow advertisers to compare their own scores to industry averages. The creators acknowledge this comes even as some companies are dialing back DE&I but continue to press for its importance: “Over 85% of purchase decisions are made by women,” CEO Shelley Zalis of the Female Quotient, which started the index, said, adding that that purchasing power also extends to other groups suh as people of color and the LGBTQ+ community.

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

The post The Scoop: Harris, Trump interview choices showcase new media landscape appeared first on PR Daily.

The catastrophic effects of Hurricane Helene have residents throughout the southeastern United States looking for information about support services and operational updates only to find posts filled with misleading information about the response from the federal government and support agencies.

In recent days, top results related to Helene have generated millions of views, but many are spreading potentially dangerous misinformation.

The comments range from wild conspiracy theories about “weather modification” targeting areas that support Donald Trump to posting President Joe Biden’s remarks out of context to make it seem like he wouldn’t provide money to states to assist with storm relief.

“The kind of difference here that we’re experiencing is just the amount of kind of maybe un-useful tweets that you have to dig through to be able to find the useful, actionable ones,” Samantha Montano, an assistant professor of emergency management at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, told NPR about Helene compared to other natural disasters. “And that’s a real challenge because in a disaster, you don’t necessarily have time to be digging through all of that.”

Why it matters: Disinformation is especially damaging when it has the potential to undermine the ability of agencies to provide vital  services.

The temptation may be to disregard those comments and hope they eventually go away. This “don’t feed the fire” approach can be dangerous, though, as it lets the problem grow unchecked, spreading rapidly like wildfire. If this happens, those rumors can cause lasting harm to an organization’s reputation. In a case like Helene relief, they can also hinder organizations’ ability to do their job.

Many major disaster response organizations, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross, have decided to address the misinformation head-on.

FEMA, for instance, has launched a social media counter-campaign to debunk conspiracy theories one by one. It has also set up a website to verify facts and counter conspiracy theories as they emerge.

The Red Cross is taking a similar approach by addressing specific conspiracy theories while also emphasizing the dangers of spreading unverified information.

Misinformation can spread quickly after a disaster, causing confusion and distrust within communities struggling to recover. Unfortunately, we’re seeing this during our response to Hurricane Helene.

Sharing rumors online without first vetting the source and verifying facts… pic.twitter.com/nSfvE12JBc

— American Red Cross (@RedCross) October 3, 2024

But it’s difficult to fact-check yourself when faced with criticism. Even if the information is valid, simply saying someone else is wrong isn’t always persuasive.

Both FEMA and the Red Cross seem to have recognized this and are emphasizing the value of trusted third-party messengers. They’re sharing photos, videos, and comments from volunteers, elected officials and those they’re serving, using that credibility to bolster the organization.

FEMA and the Red Cross are also enlisting regular social media users to help combat online conspiracy theories by sharing their information on their feeds and with those posting false information.

Combating misinformation is something no one post or organization can address all on their own. Finding ways to deliver consistent, accurate information across as many channels as possible can help offset at least some of the bad information.

Editor’s Top Reads

• The International Longshoremen’s Association has reportedly agreed to a substantial new labor contract, ending a brief strike that threatened to disrupt the U.S. economy. Under the deal, port operators will give dockworkers a 62% wage increase over six years, according to the Wall Street Journal. The strike, the union’s first in nearly 50 years, made international headlines and sparked social media buzz about its potential to drive up prices on everything from bananas to cars if it lasted more than a week. It ended after three days. Although the impact of the new labor contract on consumer prices is unclear, someone will have to pay for the increased costs to cargo owners and shipping lines. Amidst everything else going on in the world, price hikes might seem inevitable. In such situations, PR pros would be wise to anticipate these potential price increases and develop a messaging strategy accordingly. Many retailers spent the summer highlighting price reductions, including Target, which lowered prices on 5,000 items. If prices do rise as a result of these changes, brands should avoid dwelling on the reasons behind the price hike, as financially strained consumers are unlikely to sympathize. Instead, they should focus on the product’s quality, the value customers receive and why it’s worth paying a little more.
• The Savannah Bananas are set to bring their unique brand of baseball to larger audiences and bigger venues next year. Owner Jesse Cole, the mastermind behind the Harlem Globetrotters-esque “Banana Ball” brand, announced on Thursday that he’s taking his passion project to 18 Major League Baseball stadiums and three football arenas, all of which are expected to sell out. Cole’s transformation of the Bananas from a mediocre minor league team into a must-see ticket, rivaling Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in third-party resale value, serves as a reminder to storytellers: don’t be afraid to try new things. For example, Cole unveiled the 2025 schedule through a two-hour live “world tour city draft” special on YouTube, followed by a ticket lottery on the team’s website. This move created hype and excitement, encouraging fans to act quickly. While PR professionals can’t always take risks, if an opportunity arises, don’t be afraid to take a chance. Even if you strike out, you can get ’em in your next trip to the plate.
• Google is threatening to stop linking to stories from New Zealand media outlets if the government passes a law requiring tech companies to pay for news articles to appear in search browsers or other platforms. The Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill proposes a “link tax” that would force companies to pay for simply linking to news articles, Google posted to its blog Friday morning. “While Google supports efforts to foster a sustainable future for New Zealand news, this Bill is not the right approach,” the post reads, adding that  Google’s licensing program in New Zealand contributes money to almost 50 local publications.  Google has employed and followed through on similar threats in the past. It used a similar strategy to help block these types of laws in Australia and Canada in recent years.  Although people can still go directly to their favorite news outlet for information, most of us don’t do that anymore. Instead, we cherry-pick our one or two favorite sites, which could hurt competition overall.

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

The post The Scoop: Misinformation hurts Helene response efforts appeared first on PR Daily.

With only five weeks to go until Election Day, Democrat Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance stuck to their talking points during Tuesday night’s vice-presidential debate.

The head-to-head debate in New York was a policy-focused discussion, with the candidates sparring on issues like immigration, the economy, gun rights and abortion. When asked about the growing turmoil in the Middle East, Walz promised “steady leadership” with Kamala Harris as his running mate. In response, Vance vowed to bring “peace through strength” if voters chose Donald Trump.

The most noticeable difference between the two was how comfortable they were on stage.

CNN contributor Van Jones summed up the debate as the “kitchen table versus the Ivy League.”

Most accounts gave kudos to Ohio U.S. Senator Vance for his poise and command of policy. USA Today noted he appeared to do what his running mate, Donald Trump, was unable to do in his debate three weeks ago with Kamala Harris: avoid “verbal missteps” and “outrageous outbursts.”

By comparison, Walz, the governor of Minnesota, appeared nervous at times.

“I thought the biggest mismatch was on the first question where Walz appeared a bit confused and almost like a deer in headlights,” Dr. Ben Voth, director of debate at Southern Methodist University, told Newsweek. “He seemed to miss or be unwilling to specifically answer whether Israel should be allowed to do a preemptive strike.” 

Why it matters: Sometimes it’s as much about how a message is being delivered as it is who’s delivering. Confidence and presentation matter.

On Tuesday night, we saw a tale of two very different presenters. As Jones said, Vance brought the “Slick. Slick. Slick.” debate approach he developed at Yale Law School to the stage in New York on Tuesday.

By comparison, Walz had reportedly voiced nervousness about his appearing in the debate, noting that he expressed concerns to Harris in August that he’s a “bad debater” and might let her down. It’s important to note that some viewed the tactic as a way to manage expectations about his performance.

These fears seemed to come true at times during, especially early on. Jen Psaki, a former press secretary for President Joe Biden, felt that Walz’s performance lacked “the magic and the organic spontaneity” he usually offers.

By comparison, Vance aimed to provide a more tempered version of the brash, name-calling version of Trump the world saw in his debate with Harris three weeks ago. CNN described Vance’s debate performance as providing a “younger face and more polite voice” to the Republican ticket. 

“Unlike Trump, he pronounced Harris’ first name correctly. He referred to his opponent by his title. He didn’t often whine about the moderators – though Trump did so during the debate on his Truth Social platform. The Ohio senator also largely passed on opportunities to litigate the details of Walz’s own biography.”

Of course, as with any debate, both candidates had their moments – both good and bad. For all his positives, Vance drew criticism for dodging questions from Walz about false narratives by Trump by the 2020 election and the January 6 insurrection.

“Did he lose the 2020 election?” Walz asked Vance.

“Tim, I’m focused on the future,” Vance began his response before Walz responded by calling it a “damning nonanswer.”

But that early lack of confidence and timid approach ultimately hurt Walz in the eyes of some prospective voters.

Ahead of Tuesday, a poll of CNN viewers revealed that 54% believed Walz would outperform Vance. Following the debate, however, 51% of the same prospective voters said that Vance did the better job, with 49% picking Walz.

It’s not clear how much sway a vice presidential debate can have on an election. As of Wednesday morning, the New York Times had the Harris-Walz ticket ahead by 3 points, slightly outpacing its polling on Sept. 17.

Both tickets have to keep it up 

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Editor’s Top Reads

• CNN is introducing a paywall for high-volume readers in the United States. The news organization noted that the “average visitor” to CNN.com, who may only read a few articles a month, won’t have to pay at this time. After users consume an unspecified number of free articles, however, they’ll be prompted to subscribe for $3.99 a month. The introduction of paywalls certainly isn’t new to the news industry, but they can have an effect on the value of earned media. Alex MacCallum, CNN’s executive vice president of digital products and services, noted that the paywall will help foot the bill for CNN’s journalism around the world. But it can also restrict the reach of certain types of content, meaning PR pros may need to adjust their media approach to account for the restricted reach. MacCallum explained that CNN plans to provide certain subscriber exclusives, such as curated daily selection and fewer digital ads, which may also create new opportunities for collaboration between the media relations and paid media teams.
• The International Longshoremen’s Association went on strike Tuesday, shutting down cargo ports from Maine to Texas. The strike will block a range of movement of imports and exports, from bananas to alcohol  to household items. The dockworkers’ strike, their first since 1977, could have a major impact on supply chains and cause higher prices if it stretches on for more than a few weeks, according to the Associated Press. Many companies will likely end up getting drawn into the situation through no fault of their own – but it will be their responsibility to manage. As a result, businesses should be proactive and deploy a messaging strategy that anticipates potential delays in product delivery or shortages, especially as we near the busy holiday shopping period. Messaging should clearly and transparently communicate the situation to their customers without taking sides or getting drawn further into the issue. The message should be understanding and sympathetic considering shipping delays or cost hikes can have a real impact on consumers. 
• Reporter Taylor Lorenz is leaving The Washington Post after  the newspaper’s internal review of a social media post she made about President Joe Biden, which involved her calling Joe Biden a “war criminal.” She said she was referencing a meme. Lorenz, a well-regarded technology reporter, plans to launch a newsletter on Substack and pursue the type of reporting that has become “increasingly difficult to do in corporate media,” she wrote. The move highlights the ever-changing news landscape and the continued emergence of nontraditional media platforms. Today’s media environment makes distinctions such as journalist, content creator and influencer “meaningless,” Lorenz said. “We are all part of the same media ecosystem; we can all have a voice online.” This change is a reminder that legacy and traditional news outlets should remain a key part of your media strategy, but there are many nontraditional platforms, with large audiences and reputable backings, available for consideration as well.

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

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Hurricane Helene has devastated a huge swath of the American southeast from Florida to Tennessee, with the mountainous Western North Carolina region facing particular destruction. Tiny towns were swept away in raging floodwaters and the city of Asheville remains largely cut off from the outside world. The Associated Press reported Monday morning that 91 people have died in the storm nationwide, with 30 reported dead in Asheville’s Buncombe County alone, with those numbers certain to rise.

The storm has led to a number of complex communications challenges, including simply that: the ability to communicate. Power lines and cell towers were destroyed throughout the storm’s path, leaving communities isolated and families unable to learn the fate of loved ones. Verizon posted a detailed update of cell service restoration efforts on its website, including region-by-region information and a promise to waive certain charges for affected areas for the next few days.

Politicians from the hyper local level to the president of the United States also worked to share messages of sorrow, comfort and resilience, as well as basic, tactical information on where to find much-needed supplies and information.

Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder had to share the news that they had not yet established food and water supplies to the area, which saw major road damage that left the area largely isolated from the outside world.

“We hear you. We need food and we need water,” Pinder said on in a call with reporters, according to the AP. “My staff has been making every request possible to the state for support and we’ve been working with every single organization that has reached out. What I promise you is that we are very close.”

President Joe Biden pledged his administration “will continue providing support to impacted communities — for as long as it takes” and will deliver remarks on the hurricane relief efforts Monday. Vice President Kamala Harris cut short a campaign swing in Las Vegas to return to Washington for briefings and will visit the region as soon as her presence will not distract from relief efforts. Former President Donald Trump intends to visit Valdosta, Georgia Monday and has already hit Biden and Harris for their response to the disaster.

Why it matters: This is a deep tragedy that will reshape entire regions of the United States for years to come. The actions and words undertaken now, whether by politicians or companies, will reverberate. And while it may feel too soon to make this a political issue, the fact remains that the presidential election is just over a month away and both North Carolina and Georgia are considered swing states, which both presidential candidates are all too aware of. Yet there is a risk of moving too far into blame and politics when relief efforts are still underway, and names of the deceased are not yet known.

The most important issue right now is getting these people food, water, shelter and safety and beginning the rebuilding process. The ongoing challenge of keeping these regions in the public eye to get the help they need even when the ravenous news cycle has moved on to the next disaster will test the skills of communicators.

In the meantime, please support recovery efforts if you’re able.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• After weeks of deliberation, California Gavin Newsom has vetoed what would have been a major landmark in AI regulation. SB 1047 would have mandated a number of guardrails to protect against rogue AI, including plans for kill switches and holding companies liable for damage caused by the models. Major AI companies, many of which are headquartered in California, opposed the bill and said it could stifle innovation and drive them from the state. “While well-intentioned, SB 1047 does not take into account whether an AI system is deployed in high-risk environments, involves critical decision-making or the use of sensitive data,” Newsom said in a statement about vetoing the bill. “Instead, the bill applies stringent standards to even the most basic functions — so long as a large system deploys it. I do not believe this is the best approach to protecting the public from real threats posed by the technology.” The governor also announced a partnership with a number of leading AI experts and academics to develop guardrails to protect California while fostering innovation. While California has implemented a number of new AI regulations, including against deepfake nudes and election fraud, this sweeping regulation seemed a step too far for the cradle of AI in the United States. The question still remains: Will the federal government take the issue more seriously before a patchwork of regulations is created across the country?
• Streaming networks are eyeing a getting into the news business, potentially starting with the 2024 presidential election. While not yet a done deal, Amazon Prime Video is reportedly looking into an election night livestream hosted by network TV stalwart and NBC Nightly News veteran Brian Williams. Streamers have moved into more traditionally live TV-dominated spaces recently, including sports and live comedy special. News is perhaps the natural evolution, though other attempts at streaming news have failed, such as the ill-fated CNN+. Still, if this works and expands beyond election coverage, it could be a unique opportunity for landing coverage for PR pros at a time when traditional news is struggling.

The Wall Street Journal offered a behind-the-curtains glimpse of how Domino’s built its wildly successful Emergency Pizza promotion. The deal, which entitled loyalty program members to a free pizza within 30 days of making a purchase, took two years to research and implement, including internal financial research, focus groups and pondering how consumers might manipulate the system. The end result was a smashing success, with 2 million new loyalty program members and increased same-store sales 2.8%. What can you learn from this meticulous case study?

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

The post The Scoop: Hurricane Helene stresses communications in every way imaginable appeared first on PR Daily.

OpenAI CTO Mira Murati is the latest in a string of top researchers and executives to step down from the nonprofit tech lab.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the leadership shakeup is the result of internal rift about the future of the lab behind ChatGPT, including the possibility of becoming a for-profit company. The report noted that tensions have been growing since the return of CEO Sam Altman and the pressure to develop new products, such as SearchGPT.

Murati resigned Wednesday along with two other top research executives at the organization. In total, 20 researchers and executives have quit this year, including several co-founders.

OpenAI has been vocal about its desire to secure up to $6.5 billion in backer funding.

Why it matters: OpenAI’s turbulent growth over the past two years highlights the challenge of balancing an organizational mission with long-term growth and financial sustainability.

While this type of transition was likely inevitable given the lab’s rapid expansion, the way it unfolded may send a message to board members, future investors and employees that there’s uncertainty surrounding the direction OpenAI plans to travel next.

Facing this type of situation, it’s important to send a message to stakeholders – internal and external – that there’s a plan in place and a clear path to get there together.

On Thursday, Altman went to X to share a lengthy note about the leadership changes. He highlighted that the timing of the moves was actually good for OpenAI as it enabled the organization to work together for a “smooth handover to the next generation of leadership.”

Here’s an excerpt from his post:

“Leadership changes are a natural part of companies, especially companies that grow so quickly and are so demanding. I obviously won’t pretend it’s natural for this one to be so abrupt, but we are not a normal company, and I think the reasons Mira explained to me (there is never a good time, anything not abrupt would have leaked, and she wanted to do this while OpenAI was in an upswing) make sense.”

Similarly, official comments from the OpenAI have strived to emphasize that although the company has required “growth and adaptation,” it remains committed to its “original mission.”

Change is difficult for any business or organization given all the variables it can create. Being clear about next steps is important for alleviating concerns surrounding those unknowns. 

Editor’s Top Reads:

• The National Weather Service spent Thursday using Facebook and other platforms to educate the public on what it’s called the “extremely dangerous” nature of Hurricane Helene. NWS posted at least once every hour about the Category 4 weather event, which made landfall Thursday night along the Florida Gulf Coast. “The eye wall of #Helene is moving onshore now. TAKE COVER NOW!,” a post at 9:35 p.m. Thursday reads. Content includes weather charts, video updates and even real-time interviews with experts, such as Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center. One of Brennan’s live midday streams received more than 288,000 same-day views as well as 2,200 likes, more than 700 shares and nearly 350 comments. He used Facebook Live to stress the importance of evacuating, if advised to do so, due to potentially dangerous conditions. While the NWS also works closely with media partners to share important messages about storms, they’ve also built their own robust channel for directly reaching the public in their own words, on their own terms, using their own well-produced media. The storm appears to have drastically weakened after making landfall. Still as of early Friday morning at least three people were dead and 2 million people were without power. Stay safe everyone.
• Smartmatic has settled its defamation lawsuit against Newsmax, a right-wing cable news channel. The election technology company claimed Newsmax tried to boost its ratings by airing false stories that Smartmatic had rigged the 2020 election to favor President Joe Biden. It’s one of several legal challenges that stemmed from misinformation shared by news outlets about that election. Settlement terms in the Smartmatic-Newsmax case weren’t disclosed. However, regardless of the dollar figure awarded, the result underscores an important victory for Smartmatic as a brand. Smartmatic only worked in one California county during the last presidential election, and by all legitimate accounts, did nothing wrong. it did a good job. Yet, conspiracy theorists targeted the company as they tried to discredit the election results, which hurt Smartmatic’s reputation. Beyond covering any potential financial losses, the moral victory like this one court will also go a long way toward helping Smartmatic reclaim any of the credibility it lost. No one wants to take legal action, but sometimes there’s no other option.
• Wendy’s is taking aim at McDonald’s in a new Frosty campaign that highlights the infamous broken ice cream machines operated by the Golden Arches. The promotion is a collaboration with McBroken, an independent website that reports which McDonald’s restaurants have non-working ice cream machines at a given moment. Through the partnership, Wendy’s added its locations to the McBroken map to show fans where to get a “reliable and delicious” frozen treat when “the other guys are offline.” The site also features an ad promoting Wendy’s $1 Frosty special. While Wendy’s doesn’t mention McDonald’s by name in any of its promotional materials, it’s clear the campaign is an effort to make a mark in a tightening market. CNN recently reported that consumers are “eating out less often and spending less when they do.” Wendy’s playful yet competitive ad represents a creative way to generate attention at a time when the industry needs it. So far, the ad has been a hit on social media and landed headlines on websites ranging from the New York Post and local news outlets around the country to Food & Wine.

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

The post The Scoop: OpenAI addresses path forward after major shakeups appeared first on PR Daily.

Two huge corporations are facing questions about the truth behind their statements about recycling ad the environmental impact of their materials.

Petroleum giant ExxonMobil faces a lawsuit from the state of California claiming it knowingly misled the public for decades about plastics recycling. Communications is squarely in the crosshairs with the lawsuit, which CNN describes as “using slick marketing and misleading public statements for half a century to claim recycling was an effective way to deal with plastic pollution.”

The suit claims that Exxon knew that recycling would not address the vast majority of its plastic waste, yet continued to tout it as an effective solution, even as garbage piled up from the depths of the ocean to the tops of mountains. The lawsuit claims that today, Exxon continues to mislead the public about “chemical recycling,” a new technique for breaking down plastics. Exxon fired back at the suit: “(The state of California) failed to act, and now they seek to blame others. Instead of suing us, they could have worked with us to fix the problem and keep plastic out of landfills.”

Meanwhile, the Italian government is eyeing fast fashion icon Shein. Specifically, the government says that their website and social media accounts made misleading claims about sustainability, including about the recyclability of its clothes and the use of “green fibers.” The Italians also say that Shein has contradictory statements about greenhouse gas emissions in its latest sustainability report, says The Wall Street Journal. The startup company experienced explosive growth and a communications team put in place on the fly, which may have complicated its efforts at accurately describing its environmental work.

Why it matters: Often, the communications department is left cleaning up over other business function’s failures. The computers went down and stranded passengers. Bad customer service caused a social media crisis. The product just isn’t very good. But in this situation, various communications initiatives have landed these companies in hot water.

Dating back decades, the public and governments have cared deeply about protecting the environment. Companies, naturally, have wanted the good press of doing the right thing, cleaning up their act, being sustainable. But simply saying the words isn’t enough. Everything communicators release must be backed by real science, real action, real attempts to fix the problems our companies sometimes unwittingly solve.

This can put communicators in a difficult position. It’s hard to evaluate the science behind recycling, for instance. The communicators who crafted these messages may have been just as in the dark about the truth of the matter as the general public. But it proves the necessity of communicators having a seat at the table and the power – and bravery – to ask tough questions, to question the orders they’ve been given, and to ensure the company is communicating accurately and responsibly.

It’s a tall ask and one that requires true organizational change. But the alternative is a betrayed public and what is sure to be years of litigation that could ensnare may of the communicators behind these campaigns.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• ChatGPT has at last released its human-sounding voice AI assistants, though without the model that sounded uncannily like Scarlett Johansson. The advanced voice mode is available only to premium subscribers (which starts at $20 per month) and promises to offer an experience that feels akin to talking to a human. The robots can be interrupted, display emotions and alter their accent or speaking pace. ChatGPT’s long-awaited release comes as other AI models also get into the voice space: Google Gemini has begun to roll out a similar voice feature on Android devices, while Meta will offer up a celebrity voice option in the coming weeks. It’s a fascinating option that could revolutionize customer service, therapy and other aspects of modern life – but comes with some perils that communicators will need to help carefully manage, such as the emotional repercussions of talking to a robot that seems so very humanlike.
• Social media and search algorithms have seen massive changes in the last few years, in many cases diverting traffic away from news sites. Now, some of those outlets are turning to a new platform for reaching audiences: WhatsApp. The Meta-owned platform is especially popular outside the United States (or with immigrants within the country) and offers news platforms a Channel option, which allows opted-in recipients to receive a notification about content. Think of it as a social media version of the push alert. The New York Times reports that many outlets are using this feature successfully. It now drives more traffic for Telemundo than X, the network said. This feature is both worth watching as a way of better understanding the news ecosystem, and potentially developing to better communicate directly with your own audiences.
• YouTuber MKBHD (also known as Marques Brownlee) is facing pushback to a new app over its price and expansive data permissions. The Verge says that audiences have expressed frustration with the YouTube star’s Panels app, which offers phone wallpapers for $49.99 a year or $11.99 per month. If that cost for a picture to go on your smartphone makes your eyebrows raise, you’re not alone. But perhaps the bigger issue is the amount of data the app requests, including location and internet history. Users are becoming more savvy about data privacy, and the idea that this type of app requires your location doesn’t make much sense. Brownlee has already taken to X to issue a sort-of apology, claiming they went with the expansive data requests were “largely driven by what the ad networks suggest.” New product launches are always tricky and will bring up unforeseen issues. But data privacy and pricing are two that most organizations should be able to foresee. Add these to your lists of questions to ask – and prepare response statements for – if you’re ever involved in an app or software launch.

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

The post The Scoop: Exxon, Shein face government scrutiny over environmental claims appeared first on PR Daily.

Three weeks after a Brazilian judge declared that X would be forbidden for failing to ban certain accounts and appoint a legal representative in the country, the social media platform is walking back some of its stances in order to reestablish operations in the nation of 215 million.

The Washington Post reports that X has taken the first step of naming a legal representative in Brazil – an act which is required by Brazilian law but which the company had refused to do after shutting down its local offices. It has also begun blocking accounts that Brazil says have spread misinformation and paying off some of its millions of dollars worth of fines.

It’s still unclear when – or if – X will be legally permitted in Brazil again. In response to the filings, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes simply asked for more documents.

Unusually, X owner Elon Musk has not posted about the about-face on his social network, though in the last few days he’s posted an onslaught of political memes, information about SpaceX and jokes about Mark Zuckerberg’s eyebrows. In the initial aftermath of the ban, he posted a flurry of content about the Brazil ban, included repeated attacks and accusations against Moraes, insisting that the Supreme Court justice did not understand the law of his country  and insisting that he was standing up for free speech. However, since Sept. 5, Musk has fallen silent, failing to tweet about “Brazil,” “judge” or Moraes since, save a single post about his Starlink satellites being used in the country to help during natural disasters.

X had an estimated 22 million users in Brazil. Given that the app has about 600 million average monthly users, that’s a significant number of customers to simply disappear overnight – and the advertising revenue associated with them too.

Why it matters:

Normally, we avoid covering Musk’s PR moves in the Scoop. Much of the conventional wisdom of the industry simply doesn’t apply. But there are two important lessons communicators and businesses can learn here.

The first is that consistency is key.

Musk has claimed that not following the court’s direction is a principled stand in line with his beliefs in free speech. Perhaps it was. However, in the past Musk’s X has blocked some posts critical of Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, blocked the accounts of journalists who covered Musk and taken other steps that don’t seem to be in line with his free speech stances. However, in this case, most of the accounts the Brazilian court demanded X block were supporters of right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro, who Musk has vocally supported in the past. It’s not hard to question the consistency of this stance based on Musk’s own stated political opinions.

For many businesses, taking principled stands is a fine thing and something consumers, especially young consumers, increasingly demand. However, in Musk’s case, it seems clear the company is pivoting based on the owner’s whims rather than a methodical survey of free speech issues. X refused to follow the law … until it started hurting the struggling company. Now they’re apparently complying and Musk has fallen silent.

It also shows just how important a strong public affairs game is to organizations, as well as the importance of on-the-ground support in countries around the world. Laws about business governance and free speech vary drastically, and having attorneys, lobbyists and communicators who can navigate these tangled, sometimes contradictory webs, can stop issues before they go nuclear.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• Janet Jackson says she did not authorize an apology for her comments about Vice President Kamala Harris’ race. Jackson made the news with controversial – and false – statements that Harris is the daughter of an Indian mother and a white father. Harris’ father was a Black Jamaican man and she carries both Black and Indian heritage. Buzzfeed received a statement walking back those comments, claiming they were “based on misinformation” from Mo Elmasri, who said he was Jackson’s manager and who is listed as a producer on an upcoming documentary. However, Jackson said that apology was not approved and that Elmasri was not her manager. It’s a confusing mess of a situation, and unclear who’s to blame: did Buzzfeed reach out to Elmasri, who they said had issued statements on her behalf in the past? Was Elmasri trying to get a bit of attention and smooth over a controversial statement? Whatever the case, it’s only drawn more attention to an interview that was already attracting attention for the wrong reasons, and a bizarre twist in the misinformation saga that is currently engulfing the planet. Ensure you have a clear media contact in place and be proactive with statements – lest someone else make the statements for you.
• AI is disrupting all parts of the media – including food bloggers. This important niche area of the internet, often targeted for influencer marketing and affiliate ad campaigns, is now facing competition from AI-generated recipes. Often, these turn out fine recipes, though perhaps not as good as those honed by real chefs. But occasionally, AI is offering deadly suggestions, such as an “aromatic water mix” that actually produces chlorine gas. NPR reports that food bloggers are striking back through methodically, humanly produced recipes that just taste better. There will likely be opportunities to combine AI and food blogging – a custom GPT that searches a blogger’s archive and allows you to find recipes based on what’s in your fridge, for instance – but for now, the tension between the new technology and the older media is something PR pros should keep an eye on.
• Finally, eight new emojis are coming to smartphones, including “a root vegetable, a harp, a leafless tree, a fingerprint, a shovel, a purple splatter, and a flag for the remote island in the English Channel called Sark,” CNN reports. However, the most hotly anticipated option might be an exhausted, fed-up looking face with bags under its eyes. While some of these emojis may be of limited use unless you just love radishes, it’s still eight new communications tools in the arsenal for those who incorporate the images into social media posts, subject lines and more.

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

The post The Scoop: X backs down over Brazil ban appeared first on PR Daily.