Does Uber Have Another Communications Crisis on its Hands?
Earlier this month, Uber was forced to confront some grim —and very public — news: the ride-hailing giant had lost $5.24 billion in the last three months, Uber’s largest-ever quarterly loss. Uber shares plunged by 10% in response. Uber’s underwhelming financial performance has long disappointed investors, and last month the company was forced to announce cuts of 400 jobs from its marketing team in a bid to get costs under control. This latest loss was largely due to stock-based compensation off the back of a huge charge related to Uber’s Wall Street listing in May and was just more piece of bad press for the car service firm amid years of recurring PR crises. News this week, then, that a…
Read MoreStarbucks Just Released (a Version of) Its Design Playbook: Here’s What We Learned
Marketing and branding take immense skill, there is no doubt about it. Creating timeless branding is challenging because there are countless trends that can be used at any given moment. How then does a brand select a branding style that won’t leave when trends go away? How does a brand stand the test of time? One of the clear leaders in the branding field, from a longevity standpoint, is in fact Starbucks. Since the coffee giant’s founding in 1971, the iconic green symbol with a long-haired siren is recognizable regardless of whether or not you get down with a pumpkin spice latte. So what is it about the Starbucks brand that has withstood the test of time brought about by…
Read MoreCapital One Directly Addresses Data Breach
Chances are, you’ve heard about the Capital One data breach. What you may not have seen, heard, or read is Capital One’s specific “what’s next” statement related to the breach. Let’s walk through it. First, the company discloses the facts of the situation: they determined there was a potential data breach on July 19. 2019. In the disclosure, Capital One states: “an outside individual gained unauthorized access and obtained personal information about customers and applicants…” Leading with the bad news in a clear, concise way. Difficult, but strong. They followed that up with explaining what the company has done in response: “Capital One immediately fixed this issue and promptly began working with federal law enforcement. The person responsible was arrested.…
Read MoreAtlanta United Coach Addresses Controversial Comments
Gender pay equity is a growing and important topic in professional sports, especially in women’s soccer. So, it’s not that surprising to hear Atlanta United coach Frank de Boer offering an apology for his choice of words during an interview with a British news publication. Speaking to The Guardian, De Boer said it was “ridiculous” that female World Cup players are demanding equal pay to men. The blowback was almost instantaneous. It began, as most do these days, on social media with people roundly condemning the coach for his comments. Initially, De Boer’s apology came with a caveat that he didn’t want to be a distraction to his team going into a big game against Club America. He blamed what…
Read MoreMattel Tries to Get Out Ahead of Whistleblower
When major toy company Mattel received a letter from an anonymous whistleblower, the decision was made to get out ahead of the story. The company announced it had received a letter with the explanation that the company was canceling a debt sale in order to “investigate the matters set forth in the letter…” That announcement caused the company shares to drop more than 15%. Part of this downturn may have been the lack of specificity in the letter, leading to uncertainty. Mattel did not describe the allegations or disclose what potential wrongdoing may have been included in the letter. This is unwelcome news considering how well Mattel stock had been doing so far in 2019. After a few years of…
Read MoreVirgin Galactic Raises the Bar
From the earth to the moon! What was once science fiction is fast becoming a big business opportunity, and some of the most visionary billionaires on the planet are racing to see who can corner the market on commercial space flight. As SpaceX manages to invent entirely unprecedented technology, rival Virgin Galactic is taking an entirely different approach. Virgin Galactic’s ships and plans are as distinct as their signature CEO, Richard Branson. The company is focusing on luxury, rather than cool science. In a widely-reported unveiling, Branson’s space tourism outfit revealed a series of high-end amenities awaiting deep-pocketed clients at Spaceport America, the company’s New Mexico facilities. According to current plans, guests secured seats on the 90-minute supersonic flights for…
Read MoreChrisley Defiant in the Face of Tax Charges
The world is about to find out if TV celebrity Todd Chrisley “knows best” about crisis communication. The reality TV star, patriarch of the family portrayed on “Chrisley Knows Best,” has been indicted on tax evasion charges along with his real-life and TV wife, Julie. Among the charges are allegations that the spouses attempted to hide income from the IRS, including income generated by their TV program. The specific charges include ‘conspiracy, bank fraud, and wire fraud,” according to multiple media accounts. Also indicted was the Chrisleys’ accountant, Peter Tarantino, who was charged with ‘conspiracy to defraud the United States’ and ‘aiding the filing of a false tax return.’ The media company owns the network that airs the program, NBCUniversal,…
Read MoreDomingo Responds to Allegations
If there is anyone who can lay claim to the title “ultimate male opera singer” apart from Luciano Pavarotti, that may well be Placido Domingo. One of the most powerful brands in international opera for decades, Domingo has been a household name across the world, even among people who don’t care for opera. Now, though, that name is being barraged with accusations dating back though much of his celebrated professional career. Women are claiming that Domingo “pressured them into sexual relationships” by offering jobs and promotions in exchange for these acts. Some of these accusers claim that, when they refused, Domingo punished them by damaging their careers.
Read MoreThe Politics of Preseason Communication
The NFL preseason is one of the most grueling stretches in all of athletics. Teams bring nearly twice as many players to camp as they will keep on the active roster, so competition is fierce and emotions are high. That means there are also a ton of compelling stories, so reporters and broadcasters are on high alert for any nugget of breaking news. Combine that intensity with a bunch of keyed-up players and coaches, many of whom have limited experience with the press, and you have a recipe for communication chaos. To avoid this, teams need to have clearly articulated plans about who talks to the press (and when), as well as what is or is not said to the…
Read MoreWhat’s New, Pussy Cat?
Remember this 1965 movie? It received mixed reviews when it debuted, in part because it focused on male sex addiction and was considered tasteless by some critics. Yet, the movie received an Academy Award nomination for best song and still another nomination for best-written screen comedy from the Writers Guild of America. Business and marketing have been accused by some critics as being unethical in exaggerating claims to encourage people to buy products they don’t need. Instances like this are what led to the formation of organizations like the Ethical Corporation, a group formed to promote discussion about purpose-driven business. What Does All This Have To Do With My Company? Today’s businesses and marketing environment are going through tremendous changes…
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