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 communicating through tragedy to Duolingo’s viral campaign involving its beloved owl mascot, here’s a look at what stood out to our team in February.
Crisis Communications
How American Airlines communicated through tragedy – Eleanor Hawkins, Axios
“Following the tragic collision between its aircraft and an Army helicopter, American Airlines demonstrated the critical role of timely, transparent and empathetic communication in crisis management. Prioritizing victim support and maintaining clear messaging – even acknowledging there were unanswered questions – helped mitigate reputational risks while reinforcing public trust.” – Emma Smits
What’s the deal with all these airplane crashes? – Darryl Campbell, The Verge
“From the air ambulance crash in Philadelphia just before the Super Bowl to the Delta Connection crash at the Toronto airport, plane crashes seem to be dominating news cycles. In spite of this, fatal crashes are down by 97% since the 1960s and continue to trend downward year over year. So how do airlines mitigate the public’s concerns? While it is critical that airlines re-instill trust through investing in modern infrastructure, enhancing training programs and effectively communicating with air travelers, it is also up to us to maintain perspective and effectively communicate the overall safety of air travel and refrain from drawing conclusions from tragic, albeit disconnected, occurrences.” – Catherine Wycklendt
Why Surveyed Business-To-Business Marketers Are Not Ready For Deepfakes – Edward Segal, Forbes
“Using the results of Forrester’s 2024 B2B Brand And Communications Survey, this article rightly raises an alarm for all leaders and communicators on the widening gap between risks from deepfakes and an organization’s preparation to prevent or respond to them. What is particularly telling is the finding that most of those surveyed felt they wouldn’t be a target – ‘it can’t happen to us’ – because they weren’t big enough or prominent enough. That is the exact reason it should be taken more seriously.” – Andrew Moyer
Reputation Management
Elizabeth Holmes’ Bizarre PR Campaign Continues – Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge
“Reputation rehabilitation is a delicate process, and Elizabeth Holmes’ latest media appearances serves as a case study in what not to do. Holmes — infamous for defrauding investors with her company, Theranos — has embarked on a PR campaign from prison, attempting to shift the narrative around her fraud conviction by pushing her role as a mother and minimizing her crimes. While high-profile figures often seek to reshape their public images, effective crisis communications require authenticity, strategic timing, and a clear acknowledgment of past actions. Holmes’ reluctance to take full responsibility may prove that this effort may do more harm than good. It’s a reminder that in crisis PR, transparency and credibility are key.” – Makenna Eldridge
How Poppi’s Super Bowl vending machine campaign spiraled out of control – Katie Hicks, Marketing Brew
“Prebiotic soda brand Poppi got a lot of heat during Super Bowl LIX for sending personal vending machines filled with Poppi product to 32 creators, making users speculate about the total cost of the vending machines, why they chose those specific influencers and the thought process behind the campaign. This campaign signals the end of extravagant PR packages, highlighting consumers’ preferences for genuine results. They want to see their favorite brands and creators giving back to local communities and organizations and maintaining authenticity while they’re at it. Instead, Poppi’s pricey stunt proved one thing: in today’s landscape, impact trumps PR packages, and authenticity is the new ROI.” – Grace DuFour
Coca-Cola Warns of Potential Negative Impact From DEI Changes – Brett Pulley, Bloomberg
“As many companies make changes to their DEI programs, Coca-Cola is keeping its policies in place and warned of the potential risks to businesses of abandoning DEI programs going forward. During its annual financial filings, Coca-Cola announced that its DEI program will remain and took their stance a step further by saying that diversity is a part of the company’s heart, value and growth strategy. The company is making its communications on the issue very clear, with statements on its website and reiterating that a lack of diversity could negatively affect the company.” – Jenny Cummings
Apple joins slew of companies touting more U.S. jobs. How much is new? – Aaron Tilley, Theo Francis, Amrith Ramkumar, The Wall Street Journal
“Apple’s announcement of new jobs and manufacturing facility investments strengthens its reputation as an economic driver while potentially offsetting recent negative press about overseas manufacturing practices. The timing of this announcement is strategic, positioning Apple as committed to domestic growth during a period of economic uncertainty and also appealing to President Trump’s administration that is seeking opportunities to highlight American companies investing in U.S. advanced manufacturing. From a communications perspective, this move creates opportunities for Apple to highlight its long-term business stability while generating positive coverage in both business and mainstream media channels, while also bolstering internal morale and the recruitment of new team members.” – Michael Grimm
Media Relations & Public Relations
Smaller Menus, Better Vibes: How Starbucks’s CEO Is Shaking Up the Brand – Heather Haddon, The Wall Street Journal
“Many CEOs are reluctant to engage the media about their turnaround plans at the beginning, thinking reporters will be satisfied with a look back. They generally won’t. While there’s certainly some risk for a CEO to say “watch what I’m going to do” if it doesn’t all go according to plan, whether your company is as prominent (and challenged) as Starbucks or not, this is how it should be done – lay it all out in an aspirational but realistic way.” – Nick Kalm
2025 Comms Report – Cision
“Cision just released its 2025 Comms Report, highlighting the key trends shaping the future of PR and corporate communications. From the rapid adoption of generative AI to the evolving role of employees as brand influencers and the growing demand for data-driven strategies, the report offers a deep dive into how industry leaders are adapting to today’s challenges. It also underscores the vital role communicators play in shaping strategy and driving critical business success.” – Haley Hartmann
Duo Is Dead: The Data on Duolingo’s Viral Campaign – Ann-Derrick Gaillot and Elena Tarasova, Meltwater
“In case you missed it, Duo is dead. Duolingo’s endearing owl mascot rose to social media fame over the last five years, catapulting the brand into the cultural zeitgeist and frequently generating earned media alongside its compelling social stunts. So, why did the brand choose to kill off the beloved Duo? Brand visibility and engagement! According to monitoring and analytics platform Meltwater, Duolingo’s campaign generated more mentions than notable big game campaigns like Doritos. From the campaign’s timing, its shock factor and the all-in content plan stemming from the initiative, this campaign demonstrates the power of knowing your fans and executing brilliantly.” – Kristin Monroe
Employee Communications
Rachel Maddow and other anchors lambast MSNBC’s decision to cancel Joy Reid and Alex Wagner’s shows – Brian Stelter and Liam Reilly, CNN
“While many companies navigate criticism from internal stakeholders for decisions that lead to layoffs, it’s rare for those stakeholders to have a public platform to air their grievances. Even though these decisions are a result of Comcast’s decision to spin off MSNBC, they could have done a much better job of communicating what is happening, when, and how. If they had a stronger plan for communicating these decisions, impacted employees wouldn’t feel like they’re in limbo and high-profile anchors wouldn’t feel a need to air the network’s dirty laundry in prime time.” – RJ Bruce
JP Morgan employee who questioned Jamie Dimon’s RTO mandate says he was fired — then told he could stay — after testy town hall – Luisa Beltran, Fortune
“It was interesting (and a little sad) to read about how emotionally and angrily the manager who initially fired Nicholas Welch behaved. Emotions are running high in workplaces across the U.S. There are many reasons for that and RTO changes and the confusion surrounding it is certainly one. The need to train managers to take a beat and develop reasonable responses to employees who express themselves and their concerns has never been greater.” – Anne Marie Mitchell