Conners Debut Sends Mixed Signals to ABC
Ever since it was announced that “The Conners” would replace long-running and recently revived sitcom, “Roseanne,” with the forced departure of the show’s creator and star, opinions have been lining up on both sides of the “Roseanne” divide to see what would happen when the first episode aired. Now, that question has been answered, and it seems to have given narrative ammunition to both sides of the argument. On the side of ABC, which fired Roseanne and banished her from her own show after the comedian published a tweet many found racist, you have people touting 10.5 million viewers tuning in to see the show. Those ratings are more than “pretty good.” In fact, those numbers made “The Conners” the…
Read MoreNCAA and Big 12 Address with Ongoing Scandal
Another pre-season for NCAA basketball begins with yet another scandal in the headlines. A corruption scandal rocked the league last year, costing iconic coaches their jobs and muddying the reputations of some of the NCAA’s top hoops programs. 2018 is off to a similar start. Recently, it was announced that star Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa will ride the pine “indefinitely” while the top-ranked Jayhawks wait to see what the consequences for his actions will be. De Sousa has been “connected” to the longstanding scandal in a way that may damage his eligibility. Some are already saying he may miss most or all of the season. It is considered certain he will miss the big season opener against Michigan State…
Read MoreCoffee Competition is Heating Up
Move over Cola Wars, this is the decade of the Coffee Wars. Starbucks is the clear leader, with brand saturation coast to coast, but the former “Dunkin Donuts” brand is retooled and ready for battle. Slowly, over the past few years, Dunkin’ has been increasing its breakfast menu of quick to-go items and expanding its coffee and beverage offerings, both in the stores and on grocery shelves. There were rumors that the brand might be setting itself up to go toe-to-toe with Starbucks, but, until now, that was mostly speculation.
Read MoreAnother Ace for Serena Williams’ PR team
Serena Williams is used to controversy, but this past summer was emotionally charged even by her standards. The tennis world was rocked during the 2018 US Open when Williams, inarguably the world’s greatest female athlete, accused a male umpire of making a harsh call- on account of, according to Williams, her being a woman.
Read MoreTime to Address the Elephant in the City
Stopping just short of launching a stampede through London streets, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) this week released an elephant out the front of St Paul’s Cathedral- a life-sized hologram elephant,that is. The hologram, reaching more than 16 feet in length, is part of the organisation’s Stop Wildlife Trafficking Campaign, aiming to collect more than 100,000 signatures as part of a call on the British government to end illegal wildlife trafficking. According to the WWF, 90 percent of African elephants have been lost in the last century, amounting to 20,000 of the animals killed for their ivory each year. The figure outpaces the species’ birth rate by a country mile.
Read MoreNo More Dunkin’ Your Donuts
While you might still be inclined to dip your donuts in your coffee, you will no longer be enticed to do so by the sign on the door. The rumors that have persisted for these past many months have come to pass. Dunkin’ Donuts is now, officially, only “Dunkin’.” Customers will not see the complete changeover until this coming January, when the new logo will appear on signs, boxes, cups, and napkins, but Dunkin’ is focused on getting the message out. While donuts will still be on the menu, the brand hopes that consumers will get a different, broader message from the new moniker. Dunkin’s message is that “we serve more than just pastries,” and they hope to focus more…
Read MoreSingapore court rules against Uber in a blow to the firm’s re-branding
Uber’s road to a branding overhaul got even rockier this week, with a Singapore court slapping fines and finalised restrictions on the firm- catching recent merger partner Grab in the same net. The merger of the two firms in March this year, the court ruled, has served to drive up prices throughout the city. Uber Technologies Inc. sold its Southeast Asian branch to regional rival Grab in March earlier this year, in exchange for a 27.5 percent stake in the firm. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore found fares on Grab to have risen 10 to 15 percent in the wake of the deal, with the ride-hailing firm securing a Singaporean market share upwards of 80 percent.
Read MoreMunn Speaks Up About Predator Revelation
It was an allegation that almost derailed the premier of the latest installment of the Predator action/horror franchise. One of the actors in the film was a registered sex offender, guilty of trying to seduce a young teen girl. That might be scandalous enough, but it was soon revealed that the movie’s director actually knew this, but hired the actor in question anyway, not just for this movie, but for a few others. The intrepid investigator who blew the lid off this story? One of the stars of the latest Predator movie, Olivia Munn. In the days leading up to the Toronto International Film Festival, Munn went public with information she learned about the actor’s criminal past. This revelation put…
Read MoreBritish Airways Apologizing After Massive Data Breach
Another major company is apologizing for a data breach. This time, the company in the crosshairs is British Airways, which recently admitted 380,000 customers had been exposed in a data breach that happened between August 21 and September 5. The breach is being called “the worst in British Airways history” and specifically affected consumers who booked through the company’s website or mobile app, which, these days, could be pretty much anyone.BA said no passport information was leaked, the company did admit that “personal and financial” details had been compromised. So, very bad news, all the way around. But, looking at the situation from a PR perspective, there are some things that British Airways did very well.
Read MorePapa John’s Treading Water in Crisis
When Papa John Schnatter was ousted by the successful pizza company he founded, it may not have been an existential PR crisis, but it was certainly a walk through a proverbial minefield for the board deciding the company’s immediate future. First, Schnatter was on everything. He was, literally, the face of Papa John’s and at the center of nearly all marketing and advertising. And, then, he was not. Schnatter was gone, persona non-grata at the office and in the commercials. As he continued to proclaim his innocence, Schnatter, by default, kept the company in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
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