March 12, 2025 • 21 mins
In this episode, Molly McPherson takes you behind the scenes of crisis management, starting at SXSW. She reveals how this one single word came up in a week of speaking engagements. A word that can strip away layers of trust, ignite public outrage, and transform everyday moments into high-stakes dramas.
Listen to real-world examples that reveal this word—from the controversial campaign to save a beloved local beaver to the corporate shakeup at Target over shifting DEI commitments. Tune in for an incisive look at how one word is fueling headlines and reshaping public perception in today’s backlash-centric media landscape.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Molly McPherson (00:05):
A few weeks ago on this podcast, I mentioned
one word that was the triggerbehind almost every single
crisis.
In this episode, I'm going togive you the word that is the
trigger behind every crisis, butthe distinction, it's the
external trigger.
Hey there, everyone, Welcome tothis episode of the PR
(00:29):
Breakdown.
I'm your host, Molly McPherson.
Before we get to that word, Ihave to tell you, boy, did I
have a week.
I was in Austin for South bySouthwest, or as the cool kids
call it, South by, and let metell you it was nothing short of
incredible.
I was so fortunate to be partof a panel sponsored by Muckrack
(00:51):
.
It was moderated by theco-founder and CEO, Greg Gallant
.
Joining me on the panel wasEleanor Hawkins.
She is the person behind thecommunicator newsletter by Axios
, and also Laura Barganier ofCiti.
The three of us spoke about thehigh stakes world of crisis
management.
(01:12):
This was on Saturday afternoon.
We spoke for an hour.
You know it's funny.
When we came out to speak atfirst, I remember looking out at
the crowd and it was a fairlybig room.
I thought there aren't a lot ofpeople here, and then Greg
started speaking and I wasimmediately to his left.
He asked a question, then Ianswered it, and then Eleanor
answered it, and then Lauraanswered and I came back to him
(01:33):
and then I looked out and theplace was packed.
That was exciting.
And after that panel session Ilaugh because I was so stressed
I was asked to do a SpeakerConnect session by the
organizers of South by Southwest.
It was a small group AMAsession.
Anyone at South by couldregister and sit in for this
(01:55):
session.
I was so nervous because Ispoke to someone working the
front desk there and I askedwhat do I do next for the
Speaker Connect?
And she looked at me like um,what do I do next for the
Speaker Connect?
And she looked at me like um,and just as she was saying, um,
the person who asked me to dothe Speaker Connect was right
behind her and he said hey,molly, how you doing.
It was Adam.
I thought perfect, you are theperson I want to speak to right
(02:16):
now.
He gave me the deal and I saidokay, adam, you've got to give
it to me straight.
Has any speaker showed up to aroom and no one's been there.
He's like, well, no.
He said no, we always getpeople here.
But he said, if it makes youfeel any better, he said yours
filled up immediately and thenone of the first ones to fill up
.
Now do I think Adam was lyingto me?
(02:36):
No, did I fully believe thatAdam was telling me that my
session filled up first, beforeanyone else, not necessarily
somewhere in the middle, but itdid fill.
I went into the room and everysingle person in that room
represented a section of mycareer.
It was incredible.
Some wanted to know crisismanagement, some wanted to talk
(02:59):
about TikTok, some want to talkabout the podcast.
I loved the hour and it wasincredibly interesting.
Then, after that, my last nightthere, I spoke to oh my gosh,
also another favorite audienceyoung people.
It was a fireside chat how tospot a crisis.
It was at St Edwards University.
I've never been on that campus,beautiful Catholic school in
(03:22):
Austin.
So it was hosted by PRSA Austinand Amelia Folks was the person
who invited me but also was themoderator.
She asked me questions.
It was a great Q&A, althoughthere was no fireplace.
So it really wasn't a firesidechat, but we had students there,
people from PRSA, people fromthe board and then just people
who saw it promoted.
It was fantastic.
(03:43):
I was in Phoenix first becauseI spoke for an association on
Tuesday, then I had to fly toAustin.
I was in the Delta loungesitting reading articles,
watching videos, and I cameacross one video posted by
Reuters In the headline.
I felt I was going to find thatword and sure enough, the word
itself jumped out right at meStrip the politics aside and
(04:08):
just focus on what this person,the voter, is saying, and you'll
hear the word.
Take a listen.
News (04:17):
Jennifer Piggott voted for Trump in the November election.
Then in February she was firedfrom her civil service job.
Absolutely, I feel a little bitbetrayed.
She was among more than 125people dismissed last month from
the Treasury Department'sBureau of Fiscal Service in
Parkersburg, west Virginia.
There's always that back andforth conversation.
(04:38):
Now it's like you knew this wascoming, but we didn't, like
nobody that I've talked tounderstood the devastation that
having this administration inoffice would do to our lives.
Molly McPherson (04:50):
Now.
We've all seen how quickly acrisis can erupt, but if this
word is ever in a soundbite orit's in a quote, then I know
precisely what type of crisis itis, because it's a word that
strips away all the layers oftrust and leaves people raw.
A few weeks ago on this podcast, I talked about that emotion
(05:12):
that drives a crisis internally,and that is fear.
That is the emotion that cancreate a crisis from within
Leadership, members of the board, someone is worried about
something.
In this case, it is theexternal feeling that creates an
operational crisis.
Betrayal is heavy.
(05:34):
It brings back memories ofpersonal letdowns, professional
missteps and those gutunchmoments when someone flips the
script on you.
In activism and crisiscommunication, betrayal is a
catalyst.
It's that spark that can ignitechaos if it's not addressed.
I want to provide two otherexamples of betrayal in this
(06:00):
external crisis.
I'll switch gears and includean article that I found
yesterday on my travels goingthrough the newspaper and
reading the headlines, and thisone headline jumped out at me,
and then another one that'shitting the press right now, and
this falls into the corporatecrisis communication space.
The first one is out of FairfaxCounty, virginia.
(06:23):
I live there on two differentswings and I remember this
development Kingstown.
It's a huge townhomedevelopment.
Think lots and lots of bricktownhomes.
The HOA, the Home OwnersAssociation, decide to remove a
beaver.
When I saw this first articleit was the headline that brought
(06:45):
me right in.
It ran in the Washington Poston Tuesday, march 11th.
Headline an HOA set lethaltraps for Wally the beaver.
Neighbors fought back.
How could you not be bold?
And let me read the first twoparagraphs of this article
written by Kyle Melnick.
First paragraph signs that abeaver is in residence are
(07:06):
evident all around the localpond.
There are its teeth marks inthe stumps of small trees it
cuts down, the slapping soundsof its flat tail striking the
water and its dam made ofhundreds of pieces of wood.
Near the southwest corner ofthe Fairfax County, virginia
pond, the semi-aquatic rodent iscalled Wally, a name its
neighbors bestowed in a nod to acharacter from the post-World
(07:30):
War II era sitcom Leave it toBeaver.
Post-world War II era sitcom.
Kyle, how old are you Now?
I know Leave it to Beaver wasblack and white and yeah,
technically it was post-WorldWar II programming.
But are we going to say thatabout Gilligan's Island and the
(07:52):
Brady Bunch?
Oh my gosh, maybe just give itthe decade.
We don't need to call itpost-World War II era sitcom,
but it is cute.
Wall-e get it and it's thebeaver.
Here's what happened.
The HOA planned lethal traps toremove WALL-E to protect a pond
.
The reaction over 2,000community members signed a
(08:13):
petition demanding a non-lethalsolution.
It's the petition that isbringing this story into this
podcast episode.
Because I work with clients whodeal with petitions.
They don't like them.
It makes them nervous, which isunderstandable.
But petitions are used often byactivists or activist-minded
people who feel a sense ofbetrayal.
(08:34):
They want to retaliate, theywant to strike back.
It is a public way to bringnotice to their issue, to this
sense of betrayal.
They typically go to changeorgand in this case this petition
is called Save Wally, the Soulof Kingstown Lake.
Now that's a little differentfrom a semi-aquatic rodent.
(08:57):
Listen to that language.
Here's what they wrote under itand you'll get a sense of why
petitions can be effective.
Urgent Kingstown HOA hiringtrappers to kill adolescent
beaver Take action now.
This isn't a semi-aquaticanimal that's destroying
wildlife around a, I'd say,upscale townhome development.
(09:20):
Here are the first two articlesin the petition Meet Wally, a
young single beaver that hasbeen seeking refuge in Kingstown
Lake behind Ross.
Since September of last year,wally has cut a few tree
saplings, mostly near thesouthwest corner of the lake, to
build a small dam and lodge tocall home.
(09:40):
The dam has not damaged anybuildings, landscaping or
infrastructure.
The management of KingtownResidential Owners Corporation,
kroc, which owns the lake, feelsthat Wally is a nuisance and
must be handled swiftly, withthe lowest effort and cost
possible.
In Virginia, it is illegal totransport or relocate a beaver.
Therefore, they intend to trapand kill Wally.
(10:02):
A trapper has been hired to seta trap in the coming days.
All right, do you hear theframing in that language?
It is not a rodent who isdestroying property around this
upscale enclave of townhomes.
It is a young, single beaver.
It's a character we don't liketo kill, characters that have
(10:24):
names.
This is a brilliant campaignthat was hatched by the
advocates in Kingstown who donot want to see Wally gnawed to
death within a trap, do not wantto see Wally nod to death
within a trap, within a lethaltrap.
That is activism in action.
Now, does this fall in thecorporate crisis communication
(10:47):
sense?
No, but it's a communicationtool that an activist group,
people part of the Kingstowncommunity, use to apply pressure
to the HOA.
Now the Washington Post triedto get quotes from the HOA.
They went no comment, so youcan see how effective this can
be.
Typically, I tell clients notto worry about these petitions,
(11:11):
because the petition is designedjust to create more negative
publicity.
They want to get the attentionof the press.
It worked in Wally's case andit often works in bigger cases
where there are numbers in theactivism.
When there's just a few people,it's not quite as effective,
but it can be a tool thatapplies just the right amount of
(11:32):
pressure.
And in this case, here'sanother example.
That's the corporate angle andthat's Target's crisis, and it's
not just about grassroots orlocal issues.
The Target Corporation recently.
Their stock plummeted about$27.27 per share on February
28th, wiping out roughly $12.4billion in market value.
(11:55):
This happened on an economicblackout day amid a growing
backlash over Target's decisionto drop its diversity, equity
and inclusion commitments.
Is Target the only company thatis dropping DEI?
No, is it the only big boxretailer to drop DEI initiatives
(12:17):
?
No, but Target is beingtargeted.
Shareholders are suing, arguingthat these DEI policies hurt
financial performance, whileconservative groups are claiming
the policies discriminate.
So the message out there isthat Target is unfairly
targeting certain consumers.
(12:38):
Now Target has been in thecrosshairs because in 2023, they
rolled back their Pride Monthmerchandise collection.
This case shines a light onwhat happens when leadership
flip-flops on values.
If you remember Bud Light,dylan Mulvaney, that's when
corporate was struggling withthe trans issue in Pride Month
(13:00):
and they stepped back.
But now here we are with anadministration that is
pressuring companies to drop DEIinitiatives.
So for Target, they were suedThursday by Florida and America
First Legal for allegedlyconcealing the financial risks
of its diversity, equity andinclusion programs stemming from
the 2023 Pride Monthmerchandise collection.
(13:22):
But on the other hand, targetis getting backlash because of
their DEI retreat.
On January, 24th days into theTrump presidency, target
announced it was eliminatinghiring goals for minority
employees and in an executivecommittee focused on racial
justice and making other changesto its diversity initiative.
(13:43):
Target was calling the newstrategy belonging at the
bullseye.
Now I highlighted all of thebig box retailers' decision to
step back on DEI for a webinarthat I did back in January.
The news was hitting just atthat time and in this webinar
about how to write a statementthis past week, when I was
(14:03):
speaking, dei came up.
As a matter of fact, it was thelast question asked on my last
day on the road.
It was asked by someone in thecrowd at St Edward's.
She was asking the questionabout DEI because it isn't easy.
It is not easy to navigate.
You could cede and follow whatthe administration is doing so
(14:25):
you can protect your businesswith this administration for
money or the public is going topay attention and they are going
to see what you're doing aswell, and that is what's
happening.
People are boycotting Target.
I saw an article publishedtoday in the Charlotte Post.
This is the voice of the Blackcommunity.
In this article by Stacey MBrown, the National Newspaper
(14:46):
Publishers Association has actedthrough its public education
and selective buying campaign.
Npa President Benjamin F ChavezJr said quote Black consumers
helped build Target into aretail giant and now they are
making their voices heard.
If corporations believe theycan roll back diversity
commitments without consequence,they are mistaken.
End quote.
(15:06):
They also brought research tothe table.
Black people spend $12 milliona day at Target.
If we withhold our dollars, wecan make a statement that cannot
be ignored.
This is backlash activism thatis making a real impact.
You can see whether it is abeaver or it is a big retailer
(15:28):
stepping back on an importantinitiative.
People are going to strike outthe impact.
This isn't just a policy misstep.
It's a betrayal of the trustthat helped build the brand to
people.
When stakeholders feel betrayed, they react, and that reaction
can be swift and severe.
Betrayal is the word of thispodcast.
(15:49):
It's a little like SesameStreet is the word of this
podcast.
It's a little like SesameStreet.
The letter of the day is B.
The word of the day is betrayal.
It's a word that carries aheavy weight.
When we hear it, our minds raceback to personal experiences.
Think about the time whensomeone betrayed you, not just
someone upset you or someone letyou down.
(16:09):
Someone betrayed you.
It's more than just a feeling.
It can lead to a full-blowntrigger for chaos.
There's a personal impact.
When someone you believe flipsthe script, it's like your whole
world shifts.
It's that gut punch that makesyou question everything, whether
it's a personal betrayal or abrand you believed in.
(16:31):
It's a crisis catalyst.
In operational terms, betrayalsparks a rapid fire chain
reaction.
It's the spark that can ignitea movement into a full crisis if
it's not managed carefully, andit can be a repeated cycle.
Once that betrayal is out inthe open, people start to see
themselves as victims.
And, let's be honest, whenanyone feels victimized, it's
(16:51):
hard to break free from thatcycle.
If you're a communicator,listening, ask yourself how does
your company deal with betrayalwhen it comes to your leaders,
when it comes to your board,your communities?
When your stakeholder feelsbetrayed, do you think you can
rebuild that trust once it'sbeen shattered?
How do you break the cyclebetrayal?
(17:13):
What do you do when it startsto spread?
Here are some steps.
First, is that self-reflection,the mirror test?
Look within.
It's not just about whatsomeone says or the attack
against you.
It's about the core belief.
What does your company standfor?
What are your values?
Do they go against the?
What are your values?
Do they go against the valuesof your stakeholders?
(17:35):
You need to determine if theanswer is yes or no.
If it goes against, then beprepared for the backlash.
Ways to work around it Opendialogue.
Create safe spaces forconversation.
Allow people to express theirhurt, even if it stings.
Also, revisit leadership.
Ask tough questions.
(17:55):
Communicators, ask the toughquestions of your leadership.
Do we have transparency?
Is there accountability?
Are our stakeholders, ourcustomers, are they right?
And, as communicators, if yousee something that is
encroaching on the reputation ofyour company.
Act early, catch the momentthat betrayal starts to creep in
(18:17):
.
You can be the shining star ofyour organization if you can
spot that.
And sitting in a room with abunch of young people, a bunch
of PRSSA members, they're askingquestions about jobs and
working in comms and how can youget hired?
What I told them is find a wayto not only be relevant but to
bring a media and social medialiteracy to the table.
(18:41):
You can break through and seethese emotions.
I think younger people have amuch better handle on how to do
that.
If you're a young personlooking for a job, this is a way
that you can get your foot inthe door.
If you're an establishedcommunicator in your job, this
is a way to make a difference.
Self-reflection, open dialoguethat rebuilds the trust.
(19:06):
Betrayal may seem like a smallword, but its impact is enormous
.
It can transform internaldynamics overnight, whether in
an activist movement, acorporate boardroom or your
everyday relationships.
For those of us who work incommunication, the challenge is
clear you have to be vigilant,you have to be empathetic and,
(19:27):
above all, you have to beprepared to address this
betrayal head on.
That's all for this week on thePR Breakdown.
I hope this episode resonatedwith you, especially if you're
in the communication field,where trust and accountability
they're everything.
Remember, sometimes thesmallest word can make a big
impact.
If you're a communicator who'shungry for more of this
no-nonsense, take on the latestin crisis communication.
(19:49):
Join me on Substack.
On the latest in crisiscommunication.
Join me on Substack becausethis week it's all about
betrayal.
This is a community that I'vebeen building over on Patreon
and now I'm bringing it toSubstack.
Get exclusive stories and notesbehind the scenes, reflections
and direct, candid advicedelivered straight to your inbox
.
You can find me there by nameor by my publication, dot media.
(20:12):
That is the URL that goesstraight to your inbox.
You can find me there by nameor by my publication, dot media.
That is the URL that goesstraight to the publication.
I love Substack.
I put my podcast on there.
I have weekly articles on there.
I do audio articles on there.
I do live video.
I have a couple coming up.
I'm going to do monthlytrainings as well.
You can find me there.
But you can also find the bestwriters, journalists, educators
(20:34):
on the platform A lot ofjournalists who are leaving jobs
by choice and not by theirchoice.
They're ending up over onSubstack and I'm telling you it
is a fabulous place to go interms of an app.
Stop doom scrolling on othersocial media apps and head over
to Substack.
It's great for your mind, sojoin my community there Again,
(21:01):
prbreakdownmedia.
Until next time, everyone, staytrue to your values, stay
vigilant and keep thoseconversations with your
stakeholders honest.
Catch you on the next episodeof the PR Breakdown.
News (21:10):
Bye for now.
A few weeks ago on this podcast, I mentioned
one word that was the triggerbehind almost every single
crisis.
In this episode, I'm going togive you the word that is the
trigger behind every crisis, butthe distinction, it's the
external trigger.
Hey there, everyone, Welcome tothis episode of the PR
(00:29):
Breakdown.
I'm your host, Molly McPherson.
Before we get to that word, Ihave to tell you, boy, did I
have a week.
I was in Austin for South bySouthwest, or as the cool kids
call it, South by, and let metell you it was nothing short of
incredible.
I was so fortunate to be partof a panel sponsored by Muckrack
(00:51):
.
It was moderated by theco-founder and CEO, Greg Gallant
.
Joining me on the panel wasEleanor Hawkins.
She is the person behind thecommunicator newsletter by Axios
, and also Laura Barganier ofCiti.
The three of us spoke about thehigh stakes world of crisis
management.
(01:12):
This was on Saturday afternoon.
We spoke for an hour.
You know it's funny.
When we came out to speak atfirst, I remember looking out at
the crowd and it was a fairlybig room.
I thought there aren't a lot ofpeople here, and then Greg
started speaking and I wasimmediately to his left.
He asked a question, then Ianswered it, and then Eleanor
answered it, and then Lauraanswered and I came back to him
(01:33):
and then I looked out and theplace was packed.
That was exciting.
And after that panel session Ilaugh because I was so stressed
I was asked to do a SpeakerConnect session by the
organizers of South by Southwest.
It was a small group AMAsession.
Anyone at South by couldregister and sit in for this
(01:55):
session.
I was so nervous because Ispoke to someone working the
front desk there and I askedwhat do I do next for the
Speaker Connect?
And she looked at me like um,what do I do next for the
Speaker Connect?
And she looked at me like um,and just as she was saying, um,
the person who asked me to dothe Speaker Connect was right
behind her and he said hey,molly, how you doing.
It was Adam.
I thought perfect, you are theperson I want to speak to right
(02:16):
now.
He gave me the deal and I saidokay, adam, you've got to give
it to me straight.
Has any speaker showed up to aroom and no one's been there.
He's like, well, no.
He said no, we always getpeople here.
But he said, if it makes youfeel any better, he said yours
filled up immediately and thenone of the first ones to fill up
.
Now do I think Adam was lyingto me?
(02:36):
No, did I fully believe thatAdam was telling me that my
session filled up first, beforeanyone else, not necessarily
somewhere in the middle, but itdid fill.
I went into the room and everysingle person in that room
represented a section of mycareer.
It was incredible.
Some wanted to know crisismanagement, some wanted to talk
(02:59):
about TikTok, some want to talkabout the podcast.
I loved the hour and it wasincredibly interesting.
Then, after that, my last nightthere, I spoke to oh my gosh,
also another favorite audienceyoung people.
It was a fireside chat how tospot a crisis.
It was at St Edwards University.
I've never been on that campus,beautiful Catholic school in
(03:22):
Austin.
So it was hosted by PRSA Austinand Amelia Folks was the person
who invited me but also was themoderator.
She asked me questions.
It was a great Q&A, althoughthere was no fireplace.
So it really wasn't a firesidechat, but we had students there,
people from PRSA, people fromthe board and then just people
who saw it promoted.
It was fantastic.
(03:43):
I was in Phoenix first becauseI spoke for an association on
Tuesday, then I had to fly toAustin.
I was in the Delta loungesitting reading articles,
watching videos, and I cameacross one video posted by
Reuters In the headline.
I felt I was going to find thatword and sure enough, the word
itself jumped out right at meStrip the politics aside and
(04:08):
just focus on what this person,the voter, is saying, and you'll
hear the word.
Take a listen.
News (04:17):
Jennifer Piggott voted for Trump in the November election.
Then in February she was firedfrom her civil service job.
Absolutely, I feel a little bitbetrayed.
She was among more than 125people dismissed last month from
the Treasury Department'sBureau of Fiscal Service in
Parkersburg, west Virginia.
There's always that back andforth conversation.
(04:38):
Now it's like you knew this wascoming, but we didn't, like
nobody that I've talked tounderstood the devastation that
having this administration inoffice would do to our lives.
Molly McPherson (04:50):
Now.
We've all seen how quickly acrisis can erupt, but if this
word is ever in a soundbite orit's in a quote, then I know
precisely what type of crisis itis, because it's a word that
strips away all the layers oftrust and leaves people raw.
A few weeks ago on this podcast, I talked about that emotion
(05:12):
that drives a crisis internally,and that is fear.
That is the emotion that cancreate a crisis from within
Leadership, members of the board, someone is worried about
something.
In this case, it is theexternal feeling that creates an
operational crisis.
Betrayal is heavy.
(05:34):
It brings back memories ofpersonal letdowns, professional
missteps and those gutunchmoments when someone flips the
script on you.
In activism and crisiscommunication, betrayal is a
catalyst.
It's that spark that can ignitechaos if it's not addressed.
I want to provide two otherexamples of betrayal in this
(06:00):
external crisis.
I'll switch gears and includean article that I found
yesterday on my travels goingthrough the newspaper and
reading the headlines, and thisone headline jumped out at me,
and then another one that'shitting the press right now, and
this falls into the corporatecrisis communication space.
The first one is out of FairfaxCounty, virginia.
(06:23):
I live there on two differentswings and I remember this
development Kingstown.
It's a huge townhomedevelopment.
Think lots and lots of bricktownhomes.
The HOA, the Home OwnersAssociation, decide to remove a
beaver.
When I saw this first articleit was the headline that brought
(06:45):
me right in.
It ran in the Washington Poston Tuesday, march 11th.
Headline an HOA set lethaltraps for Wally the beaver.
Neighbors fought back.
How could you not be bold?
And let me read the first twoparagraphs of this article
written by Kyle Melnick.
First paragraph signs that abeaver is in residence are
(07:06):
evident all around the localpond.
There are its teeth marks inthe stumps of small trees it
cuts down, the slapping soundsof its flat tail striking the
water and its dam made ofhundreds of pieces of wood.
Near the southwest corner ofthe Fairfax County, virginia
pond, the semi-aquatic rodent iscalled Wally, a name its
neighbors bestowed in a nod to acharacter from the post-World
(07:30):
War II era sitcom Leave it toBeaver.
Post-world War II era sitcom.
Kyle, how old are you Now?
I know Leave it to Beaver wasblack and white and yeah,
technically it was post-WorldWar II programming.
But are we going to say thatabout Gilligan's Island and the
(07:52):
Brady Bunch?
Oh my gosh, maybe just give itthe decade.
We don't need to call itpost-World War II era sitcom,
but it is cute.
Wall-e get it and it's thebeaver.
Here's what happened.
The HOA planned lethal traps toremove WALL-E to protect a pond
.
The reaction over 2,000community members signed a
(08:13):
petition demanding a non-lethalsolution.
It's the petition that isbringing this story into this
podcast episode.
Because I work with clients whodeal with petitions.
They don't like them.
It makes them nervous, which isunderstandable.
But petitions are used often byactivists or activist-minded
people who feel a sense ofbetrayal.
(08:34):
They want to retaliate, theywant to strike back.
It is a public way to bringnotice to their issue, to this
sense of betrayal.
They typically go to changeorgand in this case this petition
is called Save Wally, the Soulof Kingstown Lake.
Now that's a little differentfrom a semi-aquatic rodent.
(08:57):
Listen to that language.
Here's what they wrote under itand you'll get a sense of why
petitions can be effective.
Urgent Kingstown HOA hiringtrappers to kill adolescent
beaver Take action now.
This isn't a semi-aquaticanimal that's destroying
wildlife around a, I'd say,upscale townhome development.
(09:20):
Here are the first two articlesin the petition Meet Wally, a
young single beaver that hasbeen seeking refuge in Kingstown
Lake behind Ross.
Since September of last year,wally has cut a few tree
saplings, mostly near thesouthwest corner of the lake, to
build a small dam and lodge tocall home.
(09:40):
The dam has not damaged anybuildings, landscaping or
infrastructure.
The management of KingtownResidential Owners Corporation,
kroc, which owns the lake, feelsthat Wally is a nuisance and
must be handled swiftly, withthe lowest effort and cost
possible.
In Virginia, it is illegal totransport or relocate a beaver.
Therefore, they intend to trapand kill Wally.
(10:02):
A trapper has been hired to seta trap in the coming days.
All right, do you hear theframing in that language?
It is not a rodent who isdestroying property around this
upscale enclave of townhomes.
It is a young, single beaver.
It's a character we don't liketo kill, characters that have
(10:24):
names.
This is a brilliant campaignthat was hatched by the
advocates in Kingstown who donot want to see Wally gnawed to
death within a trap, do not wantto see Wally nod to death
within a trap, within a lethaltrap.
That is activism in action.
Now, does this fall in thecorporate crisis communication
(10:47):
sense?
No, but it's a communicationtool that an activist group,
people part of the Kingstowncommunity, use to apply pressure
to the HOA.
Now the Washington Post triedto get quotes from the HOA.
They went no comment, so youcan see how effective this can
be.
Typically, I tell clients notto worry about these petitions,
(11:11):
because the petition is designedjust to create more negative
publicity.
They want to get the attentionof the press.
It worked in Wally's case andit often works in bigger cases
where there are numbers in theactivism.
When there's just a few people,it's not quite as effective,
but it can be a tool thatapplies just the right amount of
(11:32):
pressure.
And in this case, here'sanother example.
That's the corporate angle andthat's Target's crisis, and it's
not just about grassroots orlocal issues.
The Target Corporation recently.
Their stock plummeted about$27.27 per share on February
28th, wiping out roughly $12.4billion in market value.
(11:55):
This happened on an economicblackout day amid a growing
backlash over Target's decisionto drop its diversity, equity
and inclusion commitments.
Is Target the only company thatis dropping DEI?
No, is it the only big boxretailer to drop DEI initiatives
(12:17):
?
No, but Target is beingtargeted.
Shareholders are suing, arguingthat these DEI policies hurt
financial performance, whileconservative groups are claiming
the policies discriminate.
So the message out there isthat Target is unfairly
targeting certain consumers.
(12:38):
Now Target has been in thecrosshairs because in 2023, they
rolled back their Pride Monthmerchandise collection.
This case shines a light onwhat happens when leadership
flip-flops on values.
If you remember Bud Light,dylan Mulvaney, that's when
corporate was struggling withthe trans issue in Pride Month
(13:00):
and they stepped back.
But now here we are with anadministration that is
pressuring companies to drop DEIinitiatives.
So for Target, they were suedThursday by Florida and America
First Legal for allegedlyconcealing the financial risks
of its diversity, equity andinclusion programs stemming from
the 2023 Pride Monthmerchandise collection.
(13:22):
But on the other hand, targetis getting backlash because of
their DEI retreat.
On January, 24th days into theTrump presidency, target
announced it was eliminatinghiring goals for minority
employees and in an executivecommittee focused on racial
justice and making other changesto its diversity initiative.
(13:43):
Target was calling the newstrategy belonging at the
bullseye.
Now I highlighted all of thebig box retailers' decision to
step back on DEI for a webinarthat I did back in January.
The news was hitting just atthat time and in this webinar
about how to write a statementthis past week, when I was
(14:03):
speaking, dei came up.
As a matter of fact, it was thelast question asked on my last
day on the road.
It was asked by someone in thecrowd at St Edward's.
She was asking the questionabout DEI because it isn't easy.
It is not easy to navigate.
You could cede and follow whatthe administration is doing so
(14:25):
you can protect your businesswith this administration for
money or the public is going topay attention and they are going
to see what you're doing aswell, and that is what's
happening.
People are boycotting Target.
I saw an article publishedtoday in the Charlotte Post.
This is the voice of the Blackcommunity.
In this article by Stacey MBrown, the National Newspaper
(14:46):
Publishers Association has actedthrough its public education
and selective buying campaign.
Npa President Benjamin F ChavezJr said quote Black consumers
helped build Target into aretail giant and now they are
making their voices heard.
If corporations believe theycan roll back diversity
commitments without consequence,they are mistaken.
End quote.
(15:06):
They also brought research tothe table.
Black people spend $12 milliona day at Target.
If we withhold our dollars, wecan make a statement that cannot
be ignored.
This is backlash activism thatis making a real impact.
You can see whether it is abeaver or it is a big retailer
(15:28):
stepping back on an importantinitiative.
People are going to strike outthe impact.
This isn't just a policy misstep.
It's a betrayal of the trustthat helped build the brand to
people.
When stakeholders feel betrayed, they react, and that reaction
can be swift and severe.
Betrayal is the word of thispodcast.
(15:49):
It's a little like SesameStreet is the word of this
podcast.
It's a little like SesameStreet.
The letter of the day is B.
The word of the day is betrayal.
It's a word that carries aheavy weight.
When we hear it, our minds raceback to personal experiences.
Think about the time whensomeone betrayed you, not just
someone upset you or someone letyou down.
(16:09):
Someone betrayed you.
It's more than just a feeling.
It can lead to a full-blowntrigger for chaos.
There's a personal impact.
When someone you believe flipsthe script, it's like your whole
world shifts.
It's that gut punch that makesyou question everything, whether
it's a personal betrayal or abrand you believed in.
(16:31):
It's a crisis catalyst.
In operational terms, betrayalsparks a rapid fire chain
reaction.
It's the spark that can ignitea movement into a full crisis if
it's not managed carefully, andit can be a repeated cycle.
Once that betrayal is out inthe open, people start to see
themselves as victims.
And, let's be honest, whenanyone feels victimized, it's
(16:51):
hard to break free from thatcycle.
If you're a communicator,listening, ask yourself how does
your company deal with betrayalwhen it comes to your leaders,
when it comes to your board,your communities?
When your stakeholder feelsbetrayed, do you think you can
rebuild that trust once it'sbeen shattered?
How do you break the cyclebetrayal?
(17:13):
What do you do when it startsto spread?
Here are some steps.
First, is that self-reflection,the mirror test?
Look within.
It's not just about whatsomeone says or the attack
against you.
It's about the core belief.
What does your company standfor?
What are your values?
Do they go against the?
What are your values?
Do they go against the valuesof your stakeholders?
(17:35):
You need to determine if theanswer is yes or no.
If it goes against, then beprepared for the backlash.
Ways to work around it Opendialogue.
Create safe spaces forconversation.
Allow people to express theirhurt, even if it stings.
Also, revisit leadership.
Ask tough questions.
(17:55):
Communicators, ask the toughquestions of your leadership.
Do we have transparency?
Is there accountability?
Are our stakeholders, ourcustomers, are they right?
And, as communicators, if yousee something that is
encroaching on the reputation ofyour company.
Act early, catch the momentthat betrayal starts to creep in
(18:17):
.
You can be the shining star ofyour organization if you can
spot that.
And sitting in a room with abunch of young people, a bunch
of PRSSA members, they're askingquestions about jobs and
working in comms and how can youget hired?
What I told them is find a wayto not only be relevant but to
bring a media and social medialiteracy to the table.
(18:41):
You can break through and seethese emotions.
I think younger people have amuch better handle on how to do
that.
If you're a young personlooking for a job, this is a way
that you can get your foot inthe door.
If you're an establishedcommunicator in your job, this
is a way to make a difference.
Self-reflection, open dialoguethat rebuilds the trust.
(19:06):
Betrayal may seem like a smallword, but its impact is enormous
.
It can transform internaldynamics overnight, whether in
an activist movement, acorporate boardroom or your
everyday relationships.
For those of us who work incommunication, the challenge is
clear you have to be vigilant,you have to be empathetic and,
(19:27):
above all, you have to beprepared to address this
betrayal head on.
That's all for this week on thePR Breakdown.
I hope this episode resonatedwith you, especially if you're
in the communication field,where trust and accountability
they're everything.
Remember, sometimes thesmallest word can make a big
impact.
If you're a communicator who'shungry for more of this
no-nonsense, take on the latestin crisis communication.
(19:49):
Join me on Substack.
On the latest in crisiscommunication.
Join me on Substack becausethis week it's all about
betrayal.
This is a community that I'vebeen building over on Patreon
and now I'm bringing it toSubstack.
Get exclusive stories and notesbehind the scenes, reflections
and direct, candid advicedelivered straight to your inbox
.
You can find me there by nameor by my publication, dot media.
(20:12):
That is the URL that goesstraight to your inbox.
You can find me there by nameor by my publication, dot media.
That is the URL that goesstraight to the publication.
I love Substack.
I put my podcast on there.
I have weekly articles on there.
I do audio articles on there.
I do live video.
I have a couple coming up.
I'm going to do monthlytrainings as well.
You can find me there.
But you can also find the bestwriters, journalists, educators
(20:34):
on the platform A lot ofjournalists who are leaving jobs
by choice and not by theirchoice.
They're ending up over onSubstack and I'm telling you it
is a fabulous place to go interms of an app.
Stop doom scrolling on othersocial media apps and head over
to Substack.
It's great for your mind, sojoin my community there Again,
(21:01):
prbreakdownmedia.
Until next time, everyone, staytrue to your values, stay
vigilant and keep thoseconversations with your
stakeholders honest.
Catch you on the next episodeof the PR Breakdown.
News (21:10):
Bye for now.
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