Resource Hub for Strategic Communication Professionals
Looking for guidance? Explore our strategic communications topics in the categories dropdown below and use the search bar to quickly find relevant articles.
Meet the Messenger: Emily Poeschl
In honor of our 100th edition, we’re launching a new segment at The EO Report: Meet the Messenger. It’s a chance to tap into the minds of some of the most thoughtful and experienced communications professionals in the field. Each installment will share hard-earned advice, lessons from the moments that didn’t go as planned, and insights on how our craft is evolving.
We’re kicking things off with our good friend Emily Poeschl, brand communications manager at Mutual of Omaha.
Short Takes: The Turkey Talk-Line
Butterball, brilliantly, doesn’t just sell you a turkey: they give you all the tools to succeed from “how big of a bird should I get?” to “Why is it doing that!?”
Every year from Nov. 1 through Christmas Eve, 50 trained Turkey Talk-Line experts help more than 100,000 anxious cooks get dinner across the finish line. Phone, text, email, live chat – whatever has you panicking, they’ve got a channel for helping.
Lessons from Cub Scouts Pack #365
The Cub Scouts behind this story had more than candy on their minds this Halloween.
As some of the pack members headed out in their costumes through the Dundee neighborhood in Omaha, NE, one of the boys happened to mention his troop’s upcoming food drive while trick-or-treating at one of the homes.
That single moment could have ended there, but it didn’t.
The Anatomy of an Apology: GoFundMe
Last week, GoFundMe made headlines when news broke that it had been automatically creating donation pages for nonprofit organizations without their knowledge or consent.
Eventually, the organization realized an apology was necessary and rolled one out. Here’s a breakdown.
Short Takes: Rock On, Anthropologie
If you are an Anthropologie shopper, you’re probably in on the joke that sometimes the brand sells seemingly simple products for laughably high prices. Here’s a short take on a prank that started circulating on social media — and how Anthropologie responded.
Lessons in Apologizing From a Beauty Guru
At just 25 years old, James Charles is one of the titans of the beauty influencer sphere. With his personal Instagram account amassing 20 million followers and his YouTube channel boasting 24 million followers, he’s one of biggest names in the beauty industry.
He’s also, we acknowledge, a controversial character. But despite the scandals, admissions, and allegations, he knows how to deliver one heck of a corporate apology.
Oura’s Crisis Response: From Conspiracy to Clarity
When you offer a complicated product or service, you get the joy of doing double the work to ensure your message is understood. Often, this means taking off our marketing and PR hats for a moment and putting on our translator hats. We need to cut out the industry jargon that no one outside our ecosystem understands (what PR consultant Scott Merritt recently called “jargon monoxide”) and simplify processes until they’re clear at the most basic level.
What happens when you don’t? Oura, a company that makes wearable fitness tracking rings, learned the hard way.
A Tennis Match, a Hat, and a Crisis Response Gone Awry
The US Open is underway, and this year’s tournament is also serving up some great lessons in communications and marketing strategy. One match provided an important case study in crisis response.
Rebrand Regrets: What Cracker Barrel and Jaguar Teach Us About Change
You know the phrase, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?” That old adage could have saved restaurant chain Cracker Barrel a world of trouble when it revealed plans to modernize its brand with a new logo and remodeled locations.
Cracker Barrel is known for its folksy feel and nostalgic décor. A little cheesy, yes, but intentionally so. But the new CEO, Julie Felss Masino, told investors that Cracker Barrel’s customer traffic had fallen 16% from pre-pandemic levels and admitted the brand was losing relevance, saying, “we are not leading in any area. We will change that.”
And change they did.
Jet2’s Viral Moment Gone to Waste
A 2022 Jet2 commercial is providing the soundtrack for one of social media’s biggest trends this summer. The brand, though, hasn’t done much with the opportunity. Why?
Surprise and Delight: How to Create Unforgettable Moments
Whether it’s a free coffee, a handwritten note, a spontaneous discount, or a fast-tracked request, unexpected moments create buzz, build loyalty, and shape a reputation for standout service. And here’s the thing: you don’t have to have a big budget to surprise and delight your audience.
Using Caution with Quotes
We love a good quote. When used well, they can carry the weight or set the tone of a whole campaign or message in just a handful of words.
But here’s the thing: use the wrong quote, and you can tank the message—and your reputation—quickly. Here are some tips for quoting responsibly.
Short Takes: A Boat and a Brand Collab
If you’ve spent any length of time on the internet in the past few weeks, it’s likely you heard about the mega-viral video series about the 29-year-old man who quit his job, liquidated his 401k, bought a sailboat, and planned to sail from Oregon to Hawaii with his rescue cat and minimal experience sailing.
One savvy marketer from E.L.F., the cosmetics company, saw a brilliant opportunity to make a splash (pun totally intended).
Diaper Drama: Costco’s Response to Consumer Backlash
Costco’s Kirkland Signature diapers are a staple in many households. They’re affordable, high-quality, and often the reason families justify the membership fee. They’ve built a bit of a cult following in the mom community.
But in January 2025, Costco announced they’d be switching diaper manufacturers—from Kimberly-Clark Corporation (maker of Huggies) to First Quality, the maker of Cuties diapers.
Moms panicked. Social media flooded with reviews criticizing the new diapers for being noticeably thinner. So how did Costco respond?
Broadway Backlash: Lessons from the Dolly Drama
Back in December, Dolly Parton fans got a surprise: an open casting call for a new musical based on the country music legend’s life. The show’s team encouraged anyone to submit and post a video of themselves singing a Dolly hit. The best submissions, they said, would have a chance to participate in the show’s formal auditions. What went wrong?
The Streisand Effect in Action: How Belichick’s Interview Dodge Became the Whole Story
There’s nothing like a bad interview to get public relations pros buzzing, and last week, the industry was aflutter after former Patriots Head Coach Bill Belicheck granted an interview to CBS Sunday Morning to promote his new book.
While there were several moments that would spike your average PR person’s blood pressure, one question stole the spotlight from the entire interview. When asked how he and his 24 year-old girlfriend Jordan Hudson met, the camera pans to her shutting down the question with a terse, “We’re not talking about that.
The coverage on the moment exploded. Memes were created. That single moment, paired with a little bit of commentary about Belichek’s tattered sweatshirt, dominated stories and public discourse.
Public relations professionals call this spinout the Streisand effect.
What Is Newsjacking—And How Can Your Brand Do It Right?
Coined by marketer and author David Meerman Scott in 2011, newsjacking is the art of inserting your brand or message into a trending news story or cultural moment. Done right, it can win you attention, relevance, and a wave of earned media and social media engagement.
Short Takes: The Ordinary’s Un-Ordinary Marketing
The Ordinary-branded cartons of eggs started popping up in two New York City locations, selling for $3.97 in a city where eggs currently are selling for over $5 a dozen. Was the PR stunt a good move or a flop?
The High Cost of Low Empathy: What Brands Can Learn from the Happiest Baby Controversy
A single social media post can make or break a brand, and how companies handle customer interactions matters more than ever —especially in moments of grief.
How Poppi is Fizzing Back Up After Influencer Campaign Falls Flat
Poppi, a soda alternative, launched its first Super Bowl ad campaign this year. To generate buzz in advance of the game, they sent Poppi-filled vending machines to the homes of TikTok influencers.
Consumers hated it and were immediately fired up about the campaign’s direction, criticizing Poppi’s spending on an expensive brand activation that benefitted already wealthy influencers.