What We’re Reading is a monthly roundup of current news, commentary, challenges and trends that impact our industry and clients. This month’s coverage looks at how organizations communicate through moments of change, uncertainty and heightened public attention—from Disney’s latest layoffs and Taylor Farms’ recall response to Coca-Cola’s packaging shift, the 2026 World Cup and the evolving conversation around AI’s impact on hiring and employee trust. One clear theme stands out: clear and consistent communication remains essential to earning trust and protecting reputation.
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Reputation Management
The hidden consequences of permanent daylight saving time – Herb Scribner, Axios
“If I’m being totally honest, I’ve never been one to argue for eliminating the time change…shifting the clock doesn’t change how much daylight we get, only when it falls relative to sunrise. As the U.S. moves towards making daylight saving time permanent, I can acknowledge the proposed benefits, though I believe it is important to recognize how this kind of decision would impact different audiences and communities, be it elementary students, Jewish, and Muslim communities observing prayer times, early morning commuters, among others. Acknowledging that impact, and communicating it clearly, is what maintains trust when a change like this affects people so differently.” – Catherine Wycklendt
Disney Cutting Hundreds More Jobs in New Round of Corporate Streamlining – Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
“Disney’s third round of layoffs this year is a reminder that how cuts are communicated can shape perception as much as the cuts themselves. ESPN framed its reductions around the NFL Network integration and paired the news with a message about supporting affected employees, giving the story context rather than leaving it open to interpretation. It’s a reminder that repeated rounds of restructuring, clear, and consistent messaging helps a company stay in control of its own narrative.” – Emma Smits
Buc-ee’s Sued Over a Smiling Moose. The Customer Response Says Everything About Why Reputation Still Matters – Peter Economy, Inc.
“Peter Economy aptly captures the nuance in brand reputation management: ‘You are what you do — not what you say you’ll do.’ The recent Buc-ee’s lawsuit over a smaller competitor’s mascot illustrates this principle clearly. While the legal reasons may be sound, the reputational fallout from the public’s perception of this move may be more than Buc-ee’s stands to gain from the action.” – Kristin Monroe
Inside the White House push to get Folarin Balogun back on the field – Politico, Sophia Cai
“Transparency and consistency—so much of what causes issues to become full blown reputational crises comes back to having a clear point of view on how your organization will address both of these principles. In the case of FIFA, they lacked both. After the initial red card was given communications indicated there was no available process to review or reevaluate the decision, there was no consistency (the story and options available changed daily) and there was no transparency on what was be evaluated, by whom and against what standard(s). Without transparency or consistency, the life of the story extended exponentially, shifted to one built around process (more specifically, lack thereof) not the underlying decision that led to the red card, and changed to be a full-blown reputational crisis for FIFA.” – Andrew Moyer
Taylor Farms highlighted an FDA mistake. PR veterans say it muddied the message. – Sarah Needleman and Tim Paradis, Business Insider
“When the FDA retracted a positive test tied to Taylor Farms’ lettuce, the company opened its public statement with ‘Today, FDA apologized to us,’ a framing that many are saying was a misstep. Leading with the alleged apology shifted attention away from consumer safety and invited a direct rebuttal, the FDA clarified the next day that the false positive changed nothing about the basis for the recall. Taylor Farms has done several things right in its communications like early empathy, a voluntary recall and cooperation with investigators, but one poorly sequenced sentence reordered those priorities in the public’s mind. When a crisis is still unfolding, grabbing an exculpatory fact and leading with it looks like spin—and regulators, reporters, and consumers will treat it that way.” – Jenny Cummings
Public Relations
Coca-Cola Just Made Its Cans Harder to Tell Apart. That’s the Strategy – Herb Scribner, Axios
“This article emphasizes how branding decisions aren’t always about making things easier in the moment—they’re often about where a company wants to go in the future. Coca-Cola’s updated packaging may create some confusion today, but the bigger goal seems to be making Zero Sugar feel like the default Coca-Cola experience rather than a separate product. It’s a good reminder that some of the most strategic brand moves aren’t designed to drive immediate attention but slowly shift perception and consumer behavior over time.” – Grace DuFour
How Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Took Over The Box Office – Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes
“This Forbes article highlights Universal’s unconventional marketing strategy for The Odyssey, which relied far less on social media teasers and sneak peeks than most major film releases. By leaning into exclusivity and carefully controlling access to footage, the studio turned anticipation and mystery into a competitive advantage. For brands and marketers, it’s a reminder that a focused strategy and a sense of intrigue can often generate more engagement than a constant stream of content” – Abby Ruth
Why The Cultural Impacts Of The 2026 World Cup Will Linger – Howard Homonoff, Forbes
“The 2026 World Cup not only gave brands a high-visibility platform, but an opportunity to become part of a global cultural moment. The brands that stood out weren’t necessarily the loudest—they were the ones that told stories that reflected the passion, identity, and sense of community the tournament inspired. As communicators, it’s a reminder that audiences connect with brands that contribute meaningfully to the conversation rather than simply placing themselves in it.” – Emily Schultz
Taco Bell dropped the price on one of its menu items to $1 for a day. And yes, it was lettuce-free. – Kashmira Gander, Business Insider
“Taco Bell’s $1 Enchirito promotion is a good reminder that recovery communications do not stop once the initial crisis response is over. Rather than ignoring the foodborne illness outbreak, the brand acknowledged the situation while redirecting attention to a relevant, lettuce-free menu item. By reassuring customers, expressing appreciation for their loyalty, and giving them confidence to return, Taco Bell demonstrated that rebuilding trust requires more than transparency.” – Haley Hartmann
AI & Emerging Technologies
How AI may drive union-resistant tech workers to the bargaining table – The Guardian, Arielle Pardes
“The number of industries that feel immune to union organizing is ever-shrinking, and AI is only accelerating that timeline. Smart employers should be leaning in to having frank conversations with their employees about AI’s impact on their roles and career tracks, and being careful about assuming AI can do it all.” – Nick Kalm
Big Companies Are Starting to Hire Again, Defying Predictions of AI Wipeout – The Wall Street Journal, Chip Cutter
“Amidst the AI era, it felt like everyone was talking about job security and the uncertainty AI would bring to the workforce. This WSJ article points to a shift: companies are hiring again, entry-level roles included, after months of framing AI as the reason headcount could shrink. Some of the same companies that pulled back their hiring or led the layoffs are now hiring, and they’re being careful about how they frame the reversal. Nobody is conceding that AI fell short of expectations; instead, the language stays hedged and forward-looking, like Booz Allen calling it ‘a little behind’ or Alphabet framing new hires as investment in growth areas rather than a course correction. The lesson for us: a reminder to always be wary of emerging trends, how long they’ll last, and how we speak about them.” – Ava Rosenberg
“CEOs Keep Botching AI Layoffs, And It’s Destroying Trust” – Kevin Kruse, Forbes
“Microsoft’s Xbox unit cut 3,200 jobs the same week leadership touted AI-driven wins. GM ran layoffs through scripted, 15-minute HR meetings, with no room for questions. The lack of empathy and leadership in communications is jarring and the cracks are starting to show. HR professionals now rate CEO empathy at 68%, down 16 points since 2022. I’m willing to bet these decisions were made without a communications leader in the room—a huge mistake. Besides being the wrong thing to do, stitching the apology and the justification into the same breath zaps empathy and authenticity.” – Kate O’Neil