Publix Responds to Public Outcry
Publix Supermarkets, an employee-owned grocery chain based in central Florida, has supported the political aspirations of “local boy” Adam Putnam for more than a decade. But recent outsized donations to Putnam’s campaign had customers seeing red and threatening to take their green elsewhere. Publix reportedly donated $670,000 to Putnam’s campaign for governor. The current Florida agriculture commissioner, Putnam is in a heated battle with Rep. Ron DeSantis, a member of the so-called “Freedom Caucus” who enjoys the support of President Donald Trump.
Read MorePress Blackout Leads to Backlash
It’s no secret that some press agencies have a contentious relationship with the current U.S. presidential administration. Generally, disputes or dustups between the two sides are supported along roughly partisan political lines. It’s rare that voters and consumers react in one voice to an action taken by the administration… But that was the case when it was announced that certain press agencies would not be permitted to attend a recent Environmental Protection Agency meeting. The “summit” was supposed to focus on water contaminants, but the headlines shifted when representatives from CNN, the Associated Press, Politico, and others were told by security they were not welcome to attend.
Read MoreEllison Has the Opportunity to Cement His Reputation
A few years back, Marvin Ellison was a candidate for the top spot at Home Depot. While he did very well running U.S. operations for Home Depot, Ellison didn’t get that gig, but he was tapped to lead struggling department store JCPenney. Now, four years later, Ellison will get another shot to build a legacy in the home improvement retail industry as he takes over at CEO of Lowe’s. Taking over his former employer’s chief rival is a bit of a bittersweet move for Ellison, who spent about 12 years working at various executive positions at Home Depot. But he’s certainly pleased not to be tied to JC Penney at this juncture.
Read MoreNBA Legend David Robinson Hammers UNC Over Scandal
The NCAA may not be punishing the University of North Carolina over the academic fraud scandal, but that doesn’t mean the school is completely out off the hook. Since the FBI investigation, the NCAA has created the “Commission on College Basketball,” a committee to investigate what happened at UNC and to take steps to keep it from happening ever again.
Read More
Twitter Trying to Cut Down on Trolls
Even as Facebook is still trying to dig itself out of a deep well of consumer distrust, competitive social media platform Twitter is taking an aggressive approach to cleaning up one aggravating aspect of its user experience: trolls. According to recent reports in Reuters, Twitter unveiled a new strategy for denouncing internet “trolls.” The company plans to employ behavioral analysis signals to “identify harassers” and “limit their visibility.” This is an interesting move for a platform that has been known as pretty much an ‘anything goes’ environment for speech since it was founded in 2006. Twitter trolling is so common that late night talk shows have bits lampooning how outrageously mean people often are on the platform. But, because Twitter…
Read More
Fox and NYT Team up to Report the News?
If the media consumer marketplace, blogosphere, and social media can be believed, the viewers of Fox and readers of the New York Times practically live in different universes. While millions consume content from both media sources, and many others, diehard fans of either source will insist theirs is the “real” news, and the other source is a major purveyor of “fake” news. Given those cultural assumptions, it was a bit of a surprise for many, recently, when it was announced that The New York Times and 21st Century Fox will be working together to air a weekly news program. The show, aptly called, “The Weekly,” will be produced by The Times and aired by FX and Hulu. According to promotional…
Read More
Can Walmart Cash in on India
Anytime a company or brand wants to open a new market somewhere they have not previously been, there will some cultural hurdles to get over. This is especially true when that new market is in a foreign country or a developing economy … or both. The nature of these markets creates a challenging communications scenario for all involved.
Read More
Girls Scouts Promote Their Brand as “First Choice”
The Girl Scouts of the USA has a big problem on their hands. Sure, everyone still loves their cookies, and many, many girls still appreciate the program… But these are still troubling times for the GSA.
Read More
CSR Done Well: Brands Who Have Taken a Stand Effectively
The idea of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not new, though it has seen a bit of a resurgence in recent years, thanks, in large part, to the direct connection between brands and consumers on social media. CSR is undoubtedly a powerful opportunity to promote one’s brand while also making a difference in the local community and the world. It’s a chance for a corporation to draw a line in the sand and take on a difficult issue that really matters. In some cases, CSR can even be a vehicle to increase brand value, strengthen market share and solve nagging business challenges. But, of course, there’s another side to this powerful sword. The birth of CSR in the United States…
Read More
Avengers Is More Than a Movie for Disney
For ten years, Disney has been producing and promoting superhero movies, a massive, interlaced project that connected multiple brands and storylines across an ever-expanding universe. Now, that decade-long project is coming to fruition as “Avengers: Infinity War” has been released. For the first time ever, Marvel fans will get to see all their movie favorites on screen, in the same movie, at the same time. And the anticipation for this film could not be higher.
Read More