Flipping the Script with Crisis Communications

Twitter app icon on a smartphone screen. As we close out 2022, we look back on the battlefield that has been PR and corporate communications for the past year. Lessons learned from the likes of Twitter, Expedia, and Del Taco showcase how savvy teams are leveraging old dogs and a few new tricks to keep their brands front and center in consumers’ minds.

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Top Holiday Marketing Trends to Carry You into 2023
The Genius Behind Twitter's PR Nightmare
60-Second Close: From One Crisis to Another, Communication is Key

1. Top Holiday Marketing Trends to Carry You into 2023

Watch for the following trends to continue through the holiday season and well into 2023: the rise of inflation-driven promotions, greater utilization of “social selling” from more companies, and a continued shift to first-party data reliance (think customer addresses, purchase history, etc.).
Brands trying to establish emotional connections with their audience are meeting them where they are, i.e. the “cost of living crisis of 2022.” Rather than argue the technical definition of the word recession, companies like Expedia and Del Taco are using the opportunity to showcase inflation-driven promotions. Del Taco’s 20 under $2 inflation menu offers a lighthearted approach to a very real issue consumers face.
Connecting with your audience emotionally takes emotional intelligence. We’ve touched on how McDonald's is using nostalgia marketing to invoke the “warm fuzzies” and reconnect with past consumers. Looking forward, the move to a digital landscape doesn’t negate these emotional connections. Instead, watch for more opportunities to speak to your audience in a way that resonates emotionally.

2. The Genius Behind Twitter's PR Nightmare

Before Twitter was sold to eccentric billionaire Elon Musk in late October, controversy was already rampant. With Musk at the helm, Twitter is setting daily use records left and right.
Even as top companies like Chevrolet, Chipotle, and Ford are issuing statements about pausing their Twitter ads and massive layoffs have gutted entire Twitter divisions, users don’t seem to care as site usage is skyrocketing. The old adage in PR from the great P.T. Barnum, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity,” may actually ring true in Twitter’s case.
Utilizing his $44 billion platform, Musk tweeted a glimpse of the outcome behind creating such a firestorm of controversy by “incentivizing a lot more interactions on Twitter!”

3. 60-Second Close: From One Crisis to Another, Communication is Key

A crisis never means it’s time to bury your head in the sand. Rather, use it as an opportunity to remain on point with authoritative messaging that builds on your expertise and establishes trust. Expedia and Del Taco are just two examples of companies thinking outside of the box to reach their audience right where they are.
Even as we see a greater reliance on social media platforms like Twitter, the need for data-driven insights will never get old. Data creates actionable intelligence that can help you engineer powerful brand moments your audience never forgets. From crisis to doldrums, trust the data and leverage it at the perfect moment for maximum impact.

At Axia, we’re wildly-creative PR professionals who understand just how crucial the data is in the overall mix. Not sure how to utilize present circumstances to create those unforgettable brand moments your audience never forgets? Just ask me how we can help get you there.

Clients love Jason’s passion, candor, and commitment as well as the team he has formed at Axia Public Relations. He's advised some of America’s most admired brands, including American Airlines, Dave & Buster’s, Hilton, HP, Pizza Hut, and Verizon. He is an Emmy Award-winning, accredited public relations practitioner, speaker, author, and entrepreneur and earned his certification in inbound marketing. He founded the PR firm in July 2002. Learn more about Jason.