Checking Out More Than Books
Newsletter #134
This Week
Learning From the Library’s Social Media
Cracker Barrel’s Disastrous Rebrand is Back in the Headlines
Spotted
Before We Go…
1. You Might Be Assuming Too Much
A little personal confession.
I have just enough social anxiety that if you ask me to walk into a new place full of people I don't know, in a building I've never been to, with processes I’m not familiar with, there's a decent chance I'm going to decide it can wait (until it can’t).
When I moved to Omaha, it took me almost two years to get a library card. Not because I didn't want one. Today, I'm probably what you'd call an Omaha Public Library power user.
But ten years ago, getting a library card meant figuring out how to drive to a new part of town, where to park, where to go once I got inside, who to ask for help, what documents I needed, what the process looked like, and fear that they were going to think I was an idiot for not knowing how to do all of this to begin with.
None of those things were difficult. But together? They created just enough mental friction that, compared to everything else I was juggling at the time, it wasn't worth tackling. I already knew how Barnes and Noble worked. Why add something new into the mix?
The other day, I came across a social media post from the Omaha Public Library that I absolutely loved.
2. A Cracker Barrel Update
Do you remember the controversial logo redesign Cracker Barrel rolled out in 2025, sparking waves of national headlines and backlash? The CEO behind these decisions, Julie Masino, has announced she is stepping down from her role.
We wrote about the incident as it was unfolding.
3. Spotted
Here’s your friendly reminder to double, triple, and quadruple check work generated through AI. The State Department used a map of Africa generated by OpenAI at a recent conference; every country was mislabeled.
For those who want to refresh your African geography, here is a map of the continent.
4. Before We Go…
From Axios: X’s enduring gravitational pull.
In a time when many brands are eschewing the platform, CEOs are still using X to communicate major announcements. Why? It’s influence on headlines, markets, and policy.
It’s no secret that bus travel doesn’t have the most shining reputation as a form of transportation. In 2024, Greyhound hired Karina Frayter as their new head of corporate communications and marketing. She got to work, trying to proactively tell the company’s story rather than letting the narrative be shaped for them.
From Marketing Brew: Why Pantone sees color reflecting pushback on tech.
Every year, your EO Report editors love hearing what Pantone selects as its Color of the Year, which almost invariably starts a swarm of comments calling it the wrong choice. Here’s what it’s like to communicate and market the selection.