In September, we saw firsthand what happens when brands lose their way: Ben & Jerry’s grappled with an identity crisis, while Arc’teryx discovered that a flashy stunt can backfire if it clashes with core values. From a viral albino alligator turning into an AI company’s unofficial mascot to a “Bachelorette” casting shake-up dominating headlines, our team found that staying authentic, collaborative, and delightfully unexpected often pays off in the long run.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
How an Albino Alligator Became an Obsession Inside an AI Giant – Isabelle Bousquette, The Wall Street Journal
“This story reveals how a powerful brand narrative can emerge from unexpected coincidences. AI company Anthropic turned a shared name between its AI chatbot and a famous San Francisco alligator into a storytelling opportunity to generate earned media that helped humanize its brand. The lesson for PR pros: embrace the weird, let employee enthusiasm help inform storytelling and remember that genuine quirkiness and authenticity often resonate more than polished messaging. While not every company can land a Wall Street Journal feature on its unofficial mascot, this story had all the right elements for success — and the comms team clearly put in the work to help it glide.” – Kristin Monroe
Why Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Star Taylor Frankie Paul as Bachelorette Is a Franchise-Saving Move – Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair
“In a crowded field of ‘love shows,’ The Bachelorette is breaking from its usual practice of recycling former contestants by casting Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul as lead, attracting both new viewers and returning fans. By tapping into TSLOMW’s audience and making this announcement on the Call Her Daddy podcast, ABC is leveraging cast and platforms within the same reality dating and lifestyle genre, showing that collaboration can grow audiences and create shared wins rather than competition.” – Emma Smits
‘Friends’-Inspired Coffee Shop Central Perk to Open Permanent New York City Location – Ethan Shanfeld, Variety
“Friends fans can now imagine themselves as the six beloved characters in a re-imagined Central Perk café in the heart of NYC. Friends is an intergenerational and timeless sitcom, and this unique experience is a brilliant strategy to drive nostalgia, community connection and a sense of belonging.” – Emily Schultz
This is how Gen Z is ‘AI-proofing’ their careers – Jeff LaBlanc, Fast Company
“The conversation around AI continues to permeate workplaces, but Gen Z staff and jobseekers have remained relatively quiet — acknowledging the potential for job disruption, while capitalizing on the opportunity to enhance their current workstreams. Workplace disruptors have impacted every generation, whether it’s COVID-19 or the 2008 financial crisis. Gen Z’s response to AI shows the impact of responding to disruptors with action instead of discussion by ‘pivoting early, diversifying career paths, and building resilience without waiting for clarity.’ Evolution in the workforce is inevitable, and it is our job to roll with the punches.” – Catherine Wycklendt
CRISIS COMMUNICATION
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigns over dispute with owner Unilever – Joe Hernandez, NPR
“This piece highlights the reputational risks that can emerge when corporate ownership clashes with a brand’s identity. Jerry Greenfield’s resignation, claiming Unilever ‘silenced’ the company’s social voice, shows how hard it can be to maintain brand values. For us PR pros, it’s a good reminder that brand identity isn’t just marketing fluff but something that is integral to trust, storytelling, and customer loyalty. When values and messaging fall out of sync, public fallout isn’t far behind.” – Makenna Eldridge
Outdoor brand Arc’teryx’s Himalayan fireworks stunt sparks environmental probe – Leo Sands & Lyric Li, The Washington Post
“For a brand so closely associated with a reputation for environmental stewardship, and more specifically even a direct association with mountains, it’s hard to see how this wasn’t stopped before it ever occurred. It appears to be a case of trying too hard to create a viral moment at the expense of really understanding the reputational risks and stakeholder expectations that have made Arc’teryx a premium brand. Unfortunately, it wasn’t just the pre-risk assessment that missed the mark, the company broke a cardinal rule in crisis management and made an additional post-crisis unforced error after the initial mistake. As this article points out, they put out different statements, with different levels of regret and blame shifting, in different languages. This served to create its own separate cycle of crisis coverage and calls into question the trust stakeholders should have in what they are hearing from the company.” – Andrew Moyer
Jimmy Kimmel’s Show to Return to ABC on Tuesday Night – John Koblin, Brooks Barnes, Michael M. Grynbaum and Benjamin Mullin, The New York Times
“Jimmy Kimmel’s return to ABC after a brief suspension underscores the complex intersection of media, politics, and corporate accountability in today’s polarized climate. The swift reinstatement of the show came after widespread criticism from over 400 celebrities, civil liberties organizations, and media unions, highlighting the tensions between corporate interests and the protection of free speech. This recent news serves as a case study in how media companies need to continue navigating political pressures, public sentiment, and the responsibilities of free speech in a highly charged media environment.” –Jenny Cummings
Bot Networks Are Helping Drag Consumer Brands Into the Culture Wars — Jeff Horwitz & Keach Hagey, The Wall Street Journal
“This article highlights how brands can suddenly find themselves at the center of culture-war battles fueled by bot networks. In Cracker Barrel’s case, bots or likely bots drove 44.5% of all posts and nearly half of boycott calls in just 24 hours, manufacturing a level of outrage far greater than organic conversation. For companies, the lesson is that reputational equity and message consistency are the strongest defenses. When backlash is engineered, brands that have already built trust and reinforced who they are can withstand distortion far better than those scrambling to improvise under pressure. In short: it’s no longer just about crisis response. It’s about building reputational resilience before you need it.”– Paige Borgman
EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION
Has Your Starbucks Barista Been Acting Especially Friendly Lately? Here’s Why – Heather Haddon, The Wall Street Journal
“I’m fascinated by this move from Starbucks management to require even more from their baristas, even as the company is still working to address the drink and order complexity and equipment limitations that were significant contributing factors in employees at hundreds of locations unionizing, something this long placement by the company’s PR team only mentions in passing. Having never been a Starbucks devotee (I’m a Dunkin’ fan), I don’t have an appreciation for the relationship many of their customers have with their baristas. But, in my opinion, an employer should only ask an employee to be friendlier to its customers after they’ve fully resolved the employees’ main pain points. Otherwise, it only adds to any disgruntlement that exists.”– Nick Kalm
People-centered supply chains for the win – Michelle Armstrong, Fast Company
“It’s easy to forget in today’s automated, tech-enabled economy that the first dollar you should spend in business is always on people. Upskilling, reskilling, and effectively engaging employees is the unifying key to success across the largest and smallest companies in the world. Companies who keep this top of mind can manage through any disruption.” – Kate O’Neil
It’s Time to Streamline How We Communicate at Work – Todd Rogers and Charles Dorison, Harvard Business Review
“The authors identify five critical conversations leaders must have with teams to establish communication norms—from response time expectations to channel selection. Their research reveals that organizations without these explicit protocols waste 21% more time on communication and face higher burnout rates, directly impacting crisis response effectiveness and stakeholder trust.” – Michael Grimm
MARKETING & DIGITAL STRATEGY
Vegas gave ‘The Wizard of Oz’ an AI makeover. Is the future of filmmaking doomed? – Margaret Darby, Desert News
“AI was used to stretch the classic film to fit the Sphere’s massive screen—giving characters AI-generated legs and cutting nearly 30 minutes from the runtime. Audiences were split: some loved it, others hated it. As AI reshapes filmmaking and other industries, it raises questions not just about creativity, but also about ethics and responsibility. Google, which helped reimagine the film, emphasized that “when used responsibly, [AI] is a vehicle for new creative possibilities and deeper collaboration.” How companies communicate about AI—and respond to criticism—will increasingly shape public perception and trust in the technology.” – Haley Hartmann
Spotify finally launches lossless audio – and owns the delay with humor – Eleanor Hawkins, Axios
“Organizations take a very calculated risk when they ‘lean into the joke’ about a product delay or other shortcoming. There are countless examples of brands being flippant on social media or trying to make fun of themselves that have crashed spectacularly. Spotify was successful because it put in the time to think through its approach: it had a deep understanding of key audience groups, knowledge of the channels those audiences prefer, a message that went just far enough, and a leadership team willing to play along. These factors helped Spotify own the narrative, mollify criticism, and expand the reach of the announcement.”– RJ Bruce
Netflix Strikes Global Marketing Deal With Beverage Giant AB Inbev (Exclusive) – Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
“This marketing partnership between Netflix and AB InBev is a strategic move to integrate both brands into the entertainment experience on a global scale. The approach allows AB InBev to authentically connect with consumers’ passion points—from sports to comedy—while providing Netflix with a creative way to monetize its platform. This partnership is setting a new standard for brand synergy and demonstrating how companies can co-create cultural moments rather than just advertising within them.”– Grace DuFour