From the retail CEO exodus to cringe-worthy layoff tactics, our team saw this month that treating stakeholders poorly guarantees backlash. Success now hinges on being human—whether it’s managing a crisis like the Starbucks’ Bearista Cup frenzy or sparking consumer joy like Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve coming to Chicago. The message is simple: only organizations that replace clinical strategy with transparent, human-centric action will win the public spotlight.
CRISIS COMMUNICATION
Why OpenAI Went Into Crisis PR Mode Thursday – Clare Duffy, CNN
“This is a great example of how quickly a stray comment can spark a reputational crisis. It’s a reminder that even with media training and prep, things can go sideways fast (even for a company as powerful and well-resourced as OpenAI). That’s why comms teams need to be ready to respond just as quickly as they prepare. Especially in industries like AI, where every word is scrutinized, fast and thoughtful crisis response is just as important as getting the message right the first time.” – Makenna Eldridge
Transportation chief offers advice to increasingly angry Americans: ‘Let’s maybe go back to an era where we didn’t wear our pajamas to the airport?’ – Jason Ma, Fortune
“As we enter one of the busiest travel periods of the year, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s recent call via Fox News interview for travelers to ‘dress up’ for flights sparked immediate backlash offering a masterclass in messaging gone wrong. The misstep wasn’t the message itself, but the delivery: lecturing frustrated passengers about civility while ignoring their legitimate concerns will always backfire. Effective communicators know to lead with aspiration over admonishment. Imagine if he’d reframed air travel as the new networking opportunity where ‘planes are the new court side seats and you might land your next job or even meet your soulmate,’ suddenly dressing well becomes an opportunity, not a burden.” – Kristin Monroe
Northern Michigan data center idea scrapped following community rejection – Sheri McWhirter
“Rocklocker LLC’s scrapped Kalkaska County data center joins a national pattern of community revolts killing AI infrastructure—part of $64 billion in blocked or delayed data center projects nationwide since 2024. What’s happening across Michigan mirrors fights from Virginia to the Pacific Northwest, as towns discover their veto power over projects promising tax revenue while threatening water supplies, energy grids, and community character. The AI industry’s strategy of announcing first and engaging later has inadvertently created a grassroots opposition playbook that’s now spreading faster than the data centers themselves, turning local zoning boards into the unexpected chokepoint for America’s AI ambitions.” – Michael Grimm
Companies rethink voluntary ESG reporting amid political pressures – Eleanor Hawkins, Axios
“While it’s understandable for organizations to pull back on ESG reporting in response to the current political climate, they should maintain the ability to track, analyze, and understand the overall impact of their operations. Political and social pressures can quickly shift, so maintaining an ESG mechanism will keep companies from having to scramble down the road. Additionally, with key stakeholders like employees and younger investors continuing to take ESG into consideration when looking at an organization, keeping the appropriate metrics and context readily available will be critical to ensuring long-term success.” – RJ Bruce
EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION
Layoff Tactics Keep Changing, and the Blunders Keep Coming. – Chip Cutter, The Wall Street Journal
“As anyone who knows me can attest, I love efficiency. But, it’s possible to be too efficient, as this article clearly shows. Always, but especially in an uncertain economy like we have today, employers simply must put in the extra time, effort and, yes, money to handle layoffs the right way. Clearly lay out the reasons for the layoff, and be sure to add the other cost-savings steps you’re taking. And, most of all, treat your departing employees like humans, with careers, fears, mortgages and credit bills they are now worried about.” – Nick Kalm
Retail CEO Exodus: Walmart’s Leadership Shake up Comes Amid a Surge in Industry Executive Departures – Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert, Business Insider
“Retail leader turnover is up 79% YOY, sitting at the intersection of high tariffs, rising labor costs and shifting consumer attitudes. From Kroger to Kohls to Walmart, that’s a lot of change for a lot of people to grapple with – employees especially. When the going gets this rough this fast, it starts to feel like a race to cut corners out of efficiency. However, those who prioritize engaging their people in hard truths about their industry with clarity, support, empathy, and a solid plan for growth will be among the first to rebound” – Kate O’Neil
Why AI may kill career advancement for many young workers – Greg Iacurci, CNBC
“The core challenge is not job elimination, but role evolution. AI is taking the repetitive tasks, forcing young workers to pivot from task mastery to leveraging uniquely human skills: strategy, creativity, and emotional intelligence. The secret to career growth now is treating AI as a co-pilot and committing to continuous learning. This isn’t a threat; it’s the fastest route to a more strategic, higher-value career.” – Grace DuFour
Boeing Tackles Quality With a ‘War on Defects’ – Niraj Chokshi, The New York Times
“This article is a great example of the type of effort an organization should undertake to begin reputation repair or recovery. Boeing clearly worked with the article’s author to provide evidence of its efforts, data that supports those efforts, contacts from external stakeholders who provided supportive quotes, and a clear plan for additional future actions. Importantly, it looks like Boeing provided not just data that made everything look positive, they provided details on employee sentiment that remains challenged, but again, they wrapped that in a broader story of the changes being made to better train employees and provide feedback channels.” – Andrew Moyer
PUBLIC RELATIONS
A tale of two CEO successions: Walmart’s clean break vs. Target’s inside-job – Phil Wahba, Fortune
“From a communications standpoint, the contrasting successions at Walmart and Target illustrate how leadership transitions are both reputational and strategic inflection points. Walmart’s more orderly hand-off signals stability and continuity, mitigating stakeholder anxiety, whereas Target’s internal choice amid a challenging business environment raises the stakes for both internal messaging and external confidence. For communications teams, it underscores the need to actively manage narrative around capability, culture, and change-readiness during CEO transitions.” – Jenny Cummings
‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ Hosting First-Ever Chicago Countdown This Year – Leen Yassine, Block Club Chicago
“By adding a Central Time zone countdown from Chicago, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve demonstrates the value of local storytelling in national broadcasts. For communications teams, this highlights how leveraging local assets, personalities and landmarks can amplify reach and reputation while staying aligned with broader narratives.” – Emma Smits
MARKETING & DIGITAL STRATEGY
Starbucks Bearista Cup Frenzy Leaves Big Lessons For Brands – Kian Bakhtiari, Forbes
“Admittedly, I’m a little removed from the Starbucks culture, but I was still shocked to see the frenzy turned ‘Bearista brawls’ over its bear-shaped glass cold cup. Starbucks has always generated holiday excitement from its followers, but this year it seemed to reach new heights. Perhaps it’s a lesson in brand loyalty, and the lengths fans will go to be a part of a cultural moment, especially when the supply is limited. That said, unless a marketing campaign backed by thoughtful planning and real-world capacity, the customer experience can fall short.” – Catherine Wycklendt
More Products, Less Press: How ‘Wicked: For Good’ Marketing Stayed Relevant While Scaling Back – Rebecca Rubin, Variety
“From television and billboard ads to hundreds of brand partnerships, the excitement for ‘Wicked’ was impossible to escape. While marketing for ‘Wicked: For Good’ isn’t nearly as extravagant as last year’s promotion for the original, the anticipation has never been higher. As one of Broadway’s longest-running musicals, the franchise doesn’t need an aggressive push to dominate the box office, making a quieter, more strategic approach the right call.” – Emily Schultz