What We’re Reading is a monthly roundup of current news, commentary, challenges, and trends that impact our industry as well as those of our clients. From McDonald’s rapidly unfolding E. coli crisis to The White House embracing Reddit as a method of mass communication, here’s a look at what stood out to our team in October.
McDonald’s Quarter Pounders linked to E. coli outbreak, CDC says – Kelly Tyko, Axios
“Food safety is not a new concern for restaurant chains, though anytime an issue arises it creates a unique challenge to mitigate impact and maintain customer trust. With McDonald’s E. coli outbreak impacting restaurants across 10 different states, it is imperative that leadership communicates effectively to reinforce that serving customers safely is a top priority and that McDonald’s is willing to take whatever actions necessary to keep the public safe, even if it impacts business revenue.” – Catherine McCoy
The Secretive Dynasty That Controls the Boar’s Head Brand – Maureen Farrell, The New York Times
“Outside of the Succession-like drama that is the focus of this article, there are two important reputation management/crisis communications lessons here – one to emulate, and one to avoid. Starting with the positive, which only appears at the very end of the piece, is the company’s proactive effort to announce external advisors. It is best practice to begin the process of reputation repair by identifying third parties who are recognized experts in the issue that is causing reputational harm (food safety in this case). Not only is Boar’s Head appointing this ‘advisory board,’ but they also include their full bios to demonstrate the depth and breadth of their expertise – their credentials – to help demonstrate the serious approach the company is taking. On the flip side, the article starts with an unnecessary challenge of the company’s own creation – not having a named spokesperson during a crisis. The article is perfectly framed by the quote of not knowing who the CEO is. It just adds to the narrative that the crisis was due to lax oversight and unclear commitment to safety. Even with a very private company, the lack of a named spokesperson, of any level, adds to the air of a nameless/faceless company that doesn’t care.” – Andrew Moyer
McDonald’s says E. coli outbreak looks different than Chipotle’s 2015 cases – Dominick Reuter, Business Insider
“From a crisis communications perspective, McDonald’s initial response was spot on. On October 22 (the same day the CDC announced the outbreak) McDonald’s released a statement sharing initial findings from the investigation and the immediate steps they took to address the issue. The next day, senior leaders from the company participated in a media briefing call and McDonald’s USA President went on NBC’s “TODAY” show to address the situation in greater detail. By quickly releasing an initial statement and making its executives available to respond to questions from the media the next day, McDonald’s was able to shape the overall narrative and ensure many of its key messages (including highlighting its safety standards and the differences between this situation and the Chipotle outbreak) were included in the coverage. – RJ Bruce
Reputation Management
What Went So Wrong With Boeing? – Andrew Tangel and Jon Sindreu, The Wall Street Journal
“It’s hard to find a company that has faced more recent setbacks than Boeing, so it’s instructive to try to understand why. This article gives a glimpse into the cultural and operating challenges that have contributed to this storied company’s struggles – and perhaps offers a few flight paths out of them.” – Nick Kalm
Employee Communications
Reinventing the To-Do- List – Carl Godfrey, Harvard Business Review
“This article – derived from Malissa Clark’s HBR Big Idea article on overcoming workaholism – discusses transforming the daily to-do list from an addictive feeling of checking off an item to a method for mapping and prioritizing. Using the Eisenhower Matrix, a productive to-do list can help you identify what tasks have high urgency and/or importance and low urgency and/or importance, ultimately providing clarity to an otherwise chaotic day. Time management skills are extremely important in any communications role as we’re constantly navigating multiple projects, deadlines, meetings, and shifting priorities within a given workday or workweek.” – Grace DuFour
Digital & Social Media Strategy
What Going on Call Her Daddy Did for Kamala Harris – Helen Lewis, The Atlantic
“This article underscores the importance of understanding and meeting your target audience where they are, particularly when reaching diverse or younger demographics. By leveraging ‘unconventional’ platforms like podcasts, leaders can engage audiences on their terms, tapping into informal, authentic conversations that resonate more deeply than traditional mediums might. This showcases how thinking outside the box and embracing new communication channels can foster connection and amplify messages in ways that align with your target audience – something we should be keeping top of mind as we’re developing omnichannel communication plans for our clients.” – Natalie Wanner
The White House joins Reddit and shares hurricane information – Sarah Perez, TechCrunch
“This month, we saw the White House post official statements on Reddit to discuss the administration’s response to Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, as well as to monitor and address misinformation. Despite any preconceived notions associated with the platform, Reddit – just like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or X – was used as yet another communications vehicle to quickly reach the most people and share timely and important updates during a critical situation.” – Haley Hartmann
Can the Media Survive? Big tech, feckless owners, cord-cutters, restive staff, smaller audiences … and the return of print? – Charlotte Klein, New York Magazine
“In just about every deck I’ve developed in my public relations career I’ve had a slide dissecting the fragmented and shrinking media ecosystem. The news business model – once underpinned by advertising dollars and healthy print circulations – has undergone profound shifts, upending the entire profession of journalism. In this in-depth New York Magazine article, those who have devoted their lives to the industry (and reinventing it) confront the hard question of what lies ahead. For public relations professionals, we too must confront how our strategies must transcend traditional earned media to shape and influence public discourse and reach audiences where they are.” – Kristin Monroe
Marketing & Creative Services
How Starbucks Became a Sugary Teen Emporium – Deena Shanker and Daniela Sirtori, Bloomberg
“Starbucks is getting headlines about sales slumps globally, understaffing, and union troubles, but a bright spot is teen obsession with the brand and how that obsession is being sponsored and funded by both schools and parents. This article on how the product and marketing strategy has been intertwined for years with social media (recall the 2017 Unicorn Frappuccino) is both a fascinating read and a cautionary tale of the risks and rewards of moving away from your roots as a brand. I’m eager to see where new CEO Brian Niccol takes it from here.” – Anne Marie Mitchell
How — and why — this brand created an ad campaign entirely with AI – Chris Kelly, Marketing Dive
“As the age of AI continues to progress, the discussion of how much to use it at work is ongoing. One IT platform, however, decided to go all in on AI-generated videos for a brand campaign. While the footage used doesn’t look completely real, the technology will only get better with time. It will be interesting to see how AI will continue to shape video content in the future.” – Fred Walls
A Haunted House, Psychedelic Cats and Shrimp: Inside Nutter Butter’s Fever Dream – Hank Sanders, The New York Times
“Nutter Butter’s recent TikTok campaign has become a viral sensation, with content that feels like a blend of surreal art, ‘90s MTV vibes, and psychedelic dreams. Videos of cookie crimes and shrimp-topped peanut butter sandwiches have racked up over 87 million views in a single month. The brand’s success lies in its commitment to absurdity—embracing bizarre, nonsensical content that sparks curiosity and conversation online. Do you not “get” it? Well, it’s likely because it is not for you. It’s for Gen Z, even Gen Alpha, audiences whose taste for absurd humor and chaotic storytelling drives engagement on platforms like TikTok. By defying traditional marketing norms and prioritizing fun over clarity, Nutter Butter has managed to stay relevant and connect with an extremely online audience.” – Makenna Eldridge
What’s your take on Goldfish’s temporary name change? – Diana Bradley, PRWeek
“Creativity in marketing is something that feels like a given, but it seems like the industry has been running out of ideas. That’s how I saw it until this week. The popular snack Goldfish is now temporarily changing its name to Chilean Sea bass. The temporary name change is supported by integrated marketing efforts, including earned media and a strategic creator partnership with popular creator Dude With Sign. To me, this is a perfect example of being as creative as possible in this space. Goldfish saw an opportunity, a popular creator posting a funny joke about Goldfish that was in line with his humor and brand and ran with it. Now, they have an entire website with limited edition ‘Chilean Sea bass” packaging available for the remainder of the month. To me, this is genius.” Sophie Murray
Bridesmaid Speech – SNL
“In the “Bridesmaid Speech” skit by SNL, a bridal party with Marcello Hernandez delivers a heartfelt yet hilariously awkward speech at a wedding, creatively riffing on “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter. While “Espresso” was already a viral hit because of its catchy tune and clever lyrics, SNL played into the fame with its own twist. The phrase “Direct from Domingo” quickly became a social media sensation, showing how timely pop culture references can enhance engagement and drive shareability.” – Emma Smits