Build-A-Bear Gets the Stuffing Knocked Out Them
Build-A-Bear Workshop’s “pay your age” campaign proved to be too good to be true. The limited-time-only promotion provided customers with the chance to purchase the stuffed toys, which usually range in price from $20-$35, for the amount of their age. Only hours after it began, the company cancelled the event due to safety concerns posed […]
3 PR Lessons From Starbucks’ Public Bathroom Crisis
After two African American men were arrested in a Philadelphia Starbucks for asking to use the restroom without purchasing something, the nation wondered how the giant conglomerate would handle such a polarizing crisis. Not long after the video of the confrontation with police and hashtags to boycott the coffeeshop went viral, Starbucks rolled out an […]
The Evolution of Facebook’s Messaging
The last few months Facebook has been the center of the media’s attention. In case you haven’t sifted through the articles, the gist of the story is this: Cambridge Analytica, a political data firm hired by President Trump’s 2016 election campaign, gained access to private information from millions of Facebook users. The backlash has been […]
Turning the Tide: P&G’s Response to the Tide Pod Challenge
Recently, it’s become apparent that people will do just about anything, no matter how dangerous, to become internet-famous. Who could have guessed that eating highly concentrated packets of laundry detergent – an activity that can possibly kill you – would become an internet sensation? For those who are not yet aware, the Tide Pod Challenge […]
Reflecting on United Airlines’ Disaster
As 2017 comes to a close, I thought it would be interesting to look back on one of the bigger crises of the year: the forcible removal of a passenger from United Airlines’ flight 3411. Many people remember the disturbing video that fellow passengers captured of the screaming and bloodied man being dragged by security […]
Social Media During Natural Disasters
With the flurry of recent hurricanes – Harvey, Irma and Maria – many people are still facing the harsh reality of their aftermath. It’s nearly impossible to prepare for weather of this magnitude, which is why these hurricanes were especially dangerous. Scientists and researchers feared that these storms would be some of the most powerful […]
Components of a Successful Crisis Plan
In the wake of the recent hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires devastating communities worldwide, many businesses, government agencies and nonprofits are reflecting on their crises plans. Any business, at some point, will face some sort of public relations crisis and the response can either benefit or significantly damage the brand. Aside from natural disasters, there is […]
Better Brainstorming
We recently had a brainstorming session here at CPR and, not only was it really fun, we generated some good ideas. Despite its popularity, however, when I started researching this blog I found that many people find brainstorming to be a frustrating and fruitless process that fails to get the team’s creative juices flowing. The […]
A New Era For Brands And Political Issues
It has been a long-standing tradition for major brands and companies to avoid commenting on major social and political issues to avoid alienating their customer base. But times are changing. In today’s volatile political climate, there has been a push for brands to take a stand. From LGBT rights to immigration, social justice issues are […]
Recent “PR Problems” Are Far Bigger Than PR Problems
Recently several notable brands – United Airlines, Pepsi, Wells Fargo and Uber, among them – have experienced significant backlash from consumers after major crises, followed by a wave of negative press coverage. As a PR professional, how these disparate situations have been handled thus far has, to say the least, been interesting to watch. With […]