What We’re Reading is a monthly roundup of current news, commentary, challenges, and trends that impact our industry and clients. This month, our team explored how reputation is shaped in real time, and the quieter trust builders that sustain it, like outcome-first product design and face-to-face communication. Highlights included United shifting to more upfront delay messaging, Nike’s backlash in Boston, Coachella’s livestream-driven “parallel events,” and the Unwell founder drama putting internal leadership on display.
Public Relations
Costco Is Making a Change to Its $1.50 Hot Dog Combo, But Not the One You Think – Leila Sheridan, Inc.
“Costco’s decision to keep its $1.50 hot dog combo price unchanged while adding bottled water as an alternative to soda is a savvy reputational move. It reinforces a long‑standing promise around value at a moment when consumers are especially sensitive to price increases, while quietly acknowledging shifting health preferences without trying to reframe the product itself. And as smart customers have noted, the option may even save Costco money over time, showing that brand trust and sound economics can reinforce each other.” – Kristin Monroe
Inside Coachella’s fractured world: Weekend 1, Weekend 2 and the livestream that changed everything – Andrea Domanick, Los Angeles Times
“This article captures how Coachella has split into multiple parallel events: an on‑site experience, a second‑weekend ‘reputation reset’, and livestreams, which Andrea argues rapidly drives global narratives of events. She argued that Coachella’s cultural moments were shaped less by what happened on stage and more by how these moments were captured and debated online. What the article makes clear is that culture is no longer experienced in one place. Meaning is formed across stages, screens, and comment sections all at once. For brands and organizations working in public, this piece is a reminder that you’re no longer communicating to a single audience and through a single medium, you’re navigating several all at once.” – Abby Ruth
Data Centers Are Expensive, Unpopular — and Could Be a Tipping Point in the Midterms – Anusha Mathur, NPR
“At least 188 local opposition groups now operate across 40 states (Construction Dive), and the issue cuts across party lines heading into the midterms—which means data center developers are facing a stakeholder environment that no longer responds to economic development talking points alone. For any company with a data center in its growth strategy, community communications have become a precondition for breaking ground, not an afterthought, and the developers who engage residents, local officials, and environmental stakeholders before a shovel hits the dirt will fare far better than those who show up to a zoning meeting expecting applause.” – Michael Grimm
‘Lipstick effect’ boosts L’oreal sales as crisis-weary Consumers turn to Beauty – Dominique Patton, Reuters
“Communications without context rarely resonates, and the economic context shaping consumer behavior is entering new territory. While people are pulling back on big-ticket purchases, they are protecting, and in some cases increasing, small indulgences. This moment is a reset: consumers are cutting back on large, visible luxuries that once signaled status, while holding onto the small moments that help them feel normal. The opportunity for brands isn’t to chase bigger—it’s to become part of those everyday emotional touchpoints.” – Kate O’Neil
Employee Communications
We’re All Talking to Each Other Less Than We Did a Decade Ago – Julie Jargon, The Wall Street Journal
“This article makes it clear that we are losing a lot by relying on electronic communication over face-to-face or voice-to-voice. As professional communicators, this is an important reminder to build in what some consider to be old-fashioned communications in every program we recommend. And it certainly holds true for how we interact with one another in our individual workplaces.” – Nick Kalm
Crisis Communications
United’s Card-Counting CEO Made a Huge Bet—and It’s Paying Off – Alison Sider and Ben Cohen, The Wall Street Journal
“United’s approach highlights how managing expectations plays a meaningful role in customer trust. By moving away from rolling delays and opting for more upfront, realistic communication, the airline is addressing a familiar frustration for travelers. It’s a reminder that in disruption-prone environments, clear and honest messaging can help reduce dissatisfaction, even when the news itself isn’t ideal.” – Emma Smits
The Scoop: Nike admits misstep, replaces running ad after Boston Marathon backlash – Courtney Blackann, PR Daily
“Nike drew backlash after pulling a Boston Marathon storefront ad that read, ‘Runners welcome. Walkers tolerated,’ which many runners and adaptive athletes criticized as exclusionary; the brand quickly removed the sign, acknowledged it ‘missed the mark,’ and replaced it with more inclusive messaging emphasizing that movement, not pace, is what matters. The is an important reminder that tone and context matter deeply, especially during highly emotional moments like marathon week, and that even localized brand messaging should be pressure-tested for inclusivity and potential social amplification before it goes public.” – Jenny Cummings
Inside Alex Cooper’s Unwell: Tears, Screaming and Employees Looking for the Exit – Ashley Carman, Bloomberg
“While much of the attention centers on tension between Alex Cooper and Alix Earle, this article points to a larger issue: how internal relationships and leadership decisions can shape public perception when a company is closely tied to one high-profile founder. Moments like this can shift focus away from a brand’s original mission and toward questions about structure, talent management, and long-term vision. As creator-founded networks grow, they’re increasingly viewed through the same lens as traditional media companies, where clarity, consistency, and leadership matter just as much as reach. Brands built on creator influence need strong foundations to ensure short-term conflicts don’t define the larger story.” – Grace DuFour
CEO of Epic Games apologizes after laying off employee with terminal brain cancer – Maya Yang, The Guardian
“We are in a moment of large scale, mass layoffs—many at least partially blamed on current or anticipated impacts of AI. The explanation here is not AI-driven, but what stood out to me was the direct and personal response by the CEO. This stands as a great example of how to mitigate a bubbling reputational crisis: be sure you have a system in place to see issues as they turn viral and don’t wait to address them, respond where the conversation is taking place, be empathetic, and express a genuine apology. It doesn’t remove the initial reputational hits to the company, but it does stop further damage and begins to shift the narrative.” – Andrew Moyer
Tariff refunds are coming. Explaining them to consumers may be difficult. – Courtney Blackann, PR Daily
“This article gets at a challenge communicators face all the time: translating complex topics into clear explanations for any audience to understand. On the surface, tariff refunds sound like good news—but once you get into who qualifies and how much they’ll receive, it quickly gets confusing for consumers. This is a reminder that clarity isn’t just about simplifying language—it’s about getting ahead of the questions you know people will have. With policy-driven issues like this, reactive updates aren’t enough. There’s a real opportunity for companies to step in, connect the dots, and clearly explain what it means for their customers.” – Haley Hartmann
Taylor Swift moves to trademark her voice amid growing AI deepfake concerns – Maria Sherman, Fortune
“Taylor Swift’s move to trademark her voice and likeness highlights how fast deepfakes are becoming a real reputational risk, not just a theoretical one. As AI makes it easier to convincingly fabricate audio, images and endorsements, brands and public figures can get pulled into crises they didn’t create. For PR teams, this reinforces the need for crisis plans that anticipate AI‑driven misinformation and prioritize speed, clarity, and credibility. In a world where seeing and hearing are no longer proof of truth, protecting brand identity requires a far more proactive approach.” – Lindsay Erickson
Digital & Social Media Strategy
Why Bumble and Tinder are suddenly scrambling to keep up with Hinge – Yasmin Gagne, Fast Company
“Apps like Tinder and Bumble chased scale with frictionless swiping, but that ease has led to lower-quality matches and user fatigue. Hinge is growing by doing the opposite, adding intentional friction that pushes users to engage more thoughtfully with profiles. Those extra ‘hoops’ result in fewer, higher-quality matches and more meaningful connections. The takeaway: optimizing for outcomes, not just ease, is what builds trust and drives sustained growth.” – Catherine Wycklendt
Starbucks Joins In On ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Fun Promotions – Laura Sirikul, Forbes
“Starbucks is one of the many brands capitalizing on the excitement for The Devil Wears Prada 2 by introducing limited edition drinks characters like Miranda and Nigel would order at Starbucks. While Starbucks has done a similar promotion for Wicked, this is a fun and engaging tactic to join in on fan excitement for the sequelwhileattracting existing and new customers and allowing them to immerse themselves in The Devil Wears Prada universe.” – Emily Schultz