Promoting Fun!!

Keywords: FUN, PR Promotion, Taylor Swift, Spotify, Spotify Wrapped

Promotion

One entertainment campaign that successfully promoted “fun” was the Spotify “Spotify Wrapped” campaign. Unlike the tourism campaigns or sports promotions we discussed in class, Spotify Wrapped turned users themselves into part of the marketing strategy by celebrating their listening habits in a playful and highly shareable way. Every December, users receive personalized summaries of their music trends, favorite artists, listening minutes and genres like the few above. (Mine from the past few years. Can you tell who I love the most??) The campaign became a cultural event because it transformed music statistics into entertainment and social interaction.

Communication

Spotify’s communication tactics focused heavily on interactivity and social media engagement. First, the campaign was personalized, meaning every user received unique content. Second, Spotify made sharing extremely easy by creating story-format slides optimized for Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. Third, Spotify encouraged community participation through hashtags, celebrity artist reactions, playlists and public conversations about favorite songs and artists. The campaign generated free publicity because users voluntarily promoted Spotify while sharing their own identities online. Reddit marketing discussions specifically highlighted how the campaign succeeded because it encouraged people to share content about themselves rather than simply advertising a product. 

References

Chandonnet, Henry. “Spotify’s “Party of the Year(S)” Reveals Your Top Songs of All Time.” Business Insider, 12 May 2026, www.businessinsider.com/spotify-party-of-the-years-top-songs-all-time-playlist-2026-5. Accessed 13 May 2026.

Flores, Montalico Guina. “Experiential Marketing Strategy and Tourism Demand in the Contribution of the Positioning of the Floating Islands Los Uros, Puno.” ArXiv.org, 2025, arxiv.org/abs/2506.18937.

Leslie, Paul. “Episode #18 – Mike Veeck – the PAUL LESLIE HOUR.” Thepaulleslie.com, 2017, www.thepaulleslie.com/the-paul-leslie-hour-episode-18-mike-veeck/.

Nwafor, Kenechukwu. “Why Is Spotify Wrapped so Popular?” Medium, 30 Mar. 2024, uxdesign.cc/why-is-spotify-wrapped-so-popular-5c503e79a3ee.

Onar, Mina. “14 Travel Marketing Case Studies to Inspire Your next Campaign.” Digital Agency Network, 19 Apr. 2024, digitalagencynetwork.com/travel-marketing-case-studies/.

Spotify. “Spotify’s Interactive Experiences Create the Magic of Wrapped Year-Round.” Spotify, 18 Oct. 2023, newsroom.spotify.com/2023-10-18/spotifys-interactive-experiences-create-the-magic-of-wrapped-year-round/.

Crisis Communication & Management

Keywords: Golden Rules, Public Relations, Tylenol, Crisis Management

Forbes Golden Rules of PR

One of the most important communication rules tips from the Forbes "golden rules" article is #2, "be proactive, be transparent, be accountable." (Council, 2017) This strategy emphasizes that organizations should acknowledge the crisis quickly, accept responsibility when appropriate, and communicate openly with stakeholders. In today's fast-paced media environment, silence or deflection can escalate and cause backlash, damage trust, and harm customer loyalty. 

Transparency

Transparency matters for media teams because:

• It builds credibility - audiences are more likely to forgive honest organizations. (Papadopoulou, VARDARSUYU, & Oghazi, 2023)

• It controls the narrative - clear communication prevents misinformation from spreading. 

• It demonstrates accountability - essential for long-term reputation repair. 

Research on crisis communication supports successful responses. These usually involve early communication, accepting responsibility, and issuing apologies, while failures often involve blame-shifting. 

How Johnson & Johnson Handled the Crisis

This response used by Johnson & Johnson is often referred to as a gold standard because the company prioritized safety over profit, their transparency helped maintain credibility during uncertainty, and their corrective actions also showed real change, not just words. To their benefit, Tylenol quickly regained its market share and reputation after the crisis. (Carter, 2025)

Why it Matters

The Tylenol case demonstrates that taking responsibility and being transparent can actually strengthen an organization's reputation after a crisis. Rather than damaging the brand permanently, honest communication can turn a crisis into an opportunity for organizational improvement, show stakeholders that the brand is ethical and accountable, and rebuild trust faster than defensiveness. Johnson & Johnson proved during the crisis that honesty, swift action, and accountability are not just ethical choices; they are also strategic ones that can determine whether or not an organization will survive a crisis. 

References

32. Crisis Communications with Molly McPherson, Author of “Indestructible” by The PR Podcast. (2015). Retrieved from Spotify for Creators website: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/theprpodcast/episodes/32--Crisis-Communications-with-Molly-McPherson--Author-of-Indestructible-e10g938/a-a5gi1f9

Carter, A. (2025, October 5). Welcome To Zscaler Directory Authentication. Retrieved from Prdaily.com website: https://www.prdaily.com/tylenol-faces-a-new-crisis-and-echoes-of-1982-loom-large/

Council, F. A. (2017, June 20). 13 Golden Rules Of PR Crisis Management. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/06/20/13-golden-rules-of-pr-crisis-management/#791714d21bcf

Department of Defense. (2019). Case study: The Johnson & Johnson Tylenol crisis. Retrieved from The University of Oklahoma website: https://www.ou.edu/deptcomm/dodjcc/groups/02C2/Johnson%20&%20Johnson.htm

Papadopoulou, C., VARDARSUYU, M., & Oghazi, P. (2023). Examining the relationships between brand authenticity, perceived value, and brand forgiveness: The role of cross-cultural happiness. Journal of Business Research, 167(1), 114154–114154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114154

Earned Media

Keywords: PESO, Earned Media, Barbie

PESO Elements

In modern public relations, all four PESO elements, paid, earned, shared, and owned, work together, but earned media is the most important for PR professionals because it drives credibility, trust, and organic influence, which are core goals of PR.

What is Earned Media?

Earned media is public exposure through word of mouth, news coverage, reviews, social media mentions, or other media coverage resulting from your content's relevancy. (Han, 2024) What makes earned media more credible than paid or owned media is that the organization is not in control. Earned media is solely about customers and how the public sees that brand. 

While paid, owned, and shared media are all valuable, earned media is the most important for PR professionals because it:

• Builds credibility and trust

• Shapes public opinion

• Provides long-term value

• Aligns directly with PR’s goal of reputation management

The success of campaigns like Barbie shows that when earned media is strong, it can elevate a campaign from simple marketing to a widespread cultural conversation.

References

Cision PR Newswire. (2025, March 5). Earned Media Strategy in 2025: Tips, Trends & Tactics. Retrieved from Prnewswire.com website: https://www.prnewswire.com/resources/articles/earned-media-strategy-2025/

Dietrich, G. (2021, January 6). Spin Sucks 130: A PESO Model Primer for 2021. Retrieved from FIR Podcast Network website: https://www.firpodcastnetwork.com/spin-sucks-130-a-peso-model-primer-for-2021/

Han, E. (2024, February 15). Paid vs. Owned vs. Earned Media: What’s the Difference? Retrieved from Harvard Business School Online website: https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/earned-vs-paid-media

MarcomCentral. (2024, July 11). Hi Barbie! Inside the Barbie Movie Marketing Strategy - MarcomCentral. Retrieved from MarcomCentral website: https://marcom.com/the-year-of-barbie-a-marketing-case-study/

Identity Diversity

Identity diversity refers to who YOU are. Visible and invisible characteristics that are often tied to race, gender, age, etc. Identity diversity is important to PR because it directly shapes how people see the world. When different identities are included and respected, groups become stronger, fairer, and more effective. 

A Major FAIL in the PR World

Pepsi is a well-known example of a brand that tried to promote identity diversity but missed the mark. In 2017, the company released a commercial featuring Kendall Jenner, where a tense protest scene is suddenly resolved when she hands a police officer a Pepsi. It was meant to send a message about unity, but instead it came across as unrealistic and out of touch. Many people felt like the ad made light of serious real-world protests and struggles, which led to major backlash and the ad being taken down.

Why didn’t it work?

• Oversimplified serious issues: Made complex movements seem easy to fix.

• Didn’t feel genuine: Came off more like a marketing stunt than real support.

• Tone-deaf message: Didn’t respect the reality of what people were going through.

• Missing real perspectives: Could have benefited from more diverse voices behind the scenes.

Overall, it shows that if brands want to support identity diversity, they have to do it in a way that feels real, thoughtful, and respectful, not forced or superficial.

They pulled the commercial entirely, meaning it was taken off TV and the internet so it wouldn’t keep spreading. Then, Pepsi released a public apology. In their statement, they admitted they had “missed the mark” and said they never intended to make light of serious issues like protests or social justice movements. They also specifically apologized to Kendall Jenner for putting her in that situation.

References

Boyles, M. (2023, October 3). DEI: What It Is & How to Champion It in the Workplace. Retrieved from Business Insights Blog website: https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/what-is-dei

Kendall Jenner Pepsi Ad. (2017, April 6). Retrieved March 27, 2026, from Youtu.be website: https://youtu.be/uwvAgDCOdU4?si=lFIVSvj0hkkfnc0C

Perez, M. (2022, March 15). DEI in PR: Its Importance and How to Create a More Inclusive Workspace | PRLab: Student-Staffed Public Relations Agency. Retrieved from www.bu.edu website: https://www.bu.edu/prlab/2022/03/15/dei-in-pr-its-importance-and-how-to-create-a-more-inclusive-workspace/

PR, O. T. of. (2021, June 15). Courageous conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion with Tru Pettigrew | On Top of PR podcast. Retrieved from www.axiapr.com website: https://www.axiapr.com/blog/podcast-episode-courageous-conversations-about-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-with-tru-pettigrew

Fenty Beauty. https://fentybeauty.com/pages/fenty-beauty?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=17285158482&utm_adgroup=137375380712&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17285158482&gbraid=0AAAAADHOsck_HfvG_uRhNNcwxU3KC1xE8&gclid=CjwKCAjwspPOBhB9EiwATFbi5EovDgt0y_nrhNRl-nTk86EOjd_1XozCYuAYCwGDSAXk20l17zuYUxoCJQYQAvD_BwE

 Corporate Social Responsibility

What is Corporate Social Responsibility? Why is it important? IS it important? Let's deep dive into that!

According to the book SAGE Brief Guide to Corporate Social Responsibility (Publications, 2012), CSR refers to the general belief that modern businesses hold a sense of responsibility to society that extends beyond stockholders and investors. CSR is not just "good deeds" that companies have involvement in; it's about not causing harm in the first place. CSR applies to all companies and organizations, but we often tend to look at those that hold a "higher' standing. With power comes responsibility, of course.

What does the podcast series, Drilled, say about CSR?

Drilled Season 3: The Mad Men of Big Oil talks a lot about social responsibility and how it's been altered. Dating back to the early 20th century, Standard Oil and other companies practiced and pioneered modern advertising and public relations tactics to shape the modern climate denial movement and keep meaningful action on climate change from happening. What does this mean? They were dilly-dallying with charities while ruining the climate. YAY! (“S3, Ep6 | Manipulating the Masses and Predicting the Future—Edward Bernays and W. Howard Chase,” n.d.)

Good Deeds Then and Now

When I think of a good deed, I think of offering a child free ice cream, which might receive some strange looks from parents. Although I am doing a good deed, I might have three grown men tied in my basement. Does this mean I am a good person? This is very similar to a corporate point of view. A company works closely with climate change protests and heavily donates funds, but their products are made of new plastic over and over. So is a good deed REALLY just a good deed, or is it a cover-up? 

Then

Oil companies highlighted community involvement. Whether that was working with schools, funding housing, or donating to parks, these practices became heavily apparent in the midst of scandals or criticism. This framed them as responsible and 'necessary.' They gained trust and legitimacy. By emphasizing their good deeds, they steered people's attention away from pollution or labor abuses. During this time, the "We can't be bad because we help people" mindset became a narrative shield.

Now

Instead of charity work as a main source of CSR, companies are now emphasizing future promises. (ex. L'Oréal aims to halve its CO2 emissions per product sold by 2030.) (“BECAUSE OUR PLANET IS WORTH IT - Our Progress and Commitments for 2030,” 2024) This is similar to "old" deeds relating to 'highlight the future and good points while dismissing what is actively happening.' Social media also plays a huge role today. A single post can reach a global audience, creating an outsized impression of responsibility. Good deeds today are more formed around popular and moral values - climate action, diversity, innovation - to align with brands and what audiences ALREADY believe.

 How L'Oréal Paris Promotes Good Deeds

L'Oréal is a very famous and sustainable makeup brand. They are widely known for being the world's largest makeup company, and their tagline "Because You're Worth It." Some ways L'Oréal promotes CSR are through its L'Oréal for the Future program. The program, launched in 2020, is centered on four principles: steward the climate transition, safeguard nature, drive circularity and support communities. (L'Oreal Group, 2025) Not only do they strive for climate change results, but they also recognize mental health relations within the beauty industry. With their educational program Head Up Keys, L'Oréal offers mental help to hairdressers in 18 countries. (L'Oréal, 2023) L'Oréal's strategies reflect modern CSR practices where sustainability and social responsibility are integrated into strategic planning and long-term investment, not just occasional goodwill gestures.

References

BECAUSE OUR PLANET IS WORTH IT - Our Progress and Commitments for 2030. (2024). Retrieved from L’Oréal Paris website: https://www.lorealparisusa.com/our-commitments-and-progresses-for-the-planet

L'Oréal. (2023, May 30). Brandstorm 2023 Project IRIS. Retrieved from L’Oréal website: https://www.loreal.com/en/articles/commitments/head-up/

L'Oreal Group. (2025). L’Oréal Group : for the Planet. Retrieved from L’Oréal website: https://www.loreal.com/en/commitments-and-responsibilities/for-the-planet/

L'Oréal Groupe. (2020, August 3). Discover L’Oréal for the Future - L’Oréal. Retrieved February 25, 2026, from Youtu.be website: https://youtu.be/Dq_fFzUqwSY?si=i3DXjidYdNn067Dc

Publications, S. (2012). Sage brief guide to corporate social responsibility. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

S3, Ep6 | Manipulating the Masses and Predicting the Future—Edward Bernays and W. Howard Chase. (n.d.). Retrieved from drillednews.com website: https://drilled.media/podcasts/drilled/3/drilleds03-e06