The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

For all of social media’s ills, there’s an equal amount of things to love.When I think of Emily Rose, I think of a light, fun, intellectual, critically thinking millennial who has deservedly exploded on TikTok. Not only that, she also has a wildly popular podcast called It’s Become a Whole Thing, and a book deal with Simon and Schuster!As a social media influencer speaking on behalf of the hoi polloi, Emily is as much a crisis communicator as I am, and today she and I are diving into the world of Bennifer, Taylor Swift’s private jet story, what you need to know about Vanderpump Rules, and our differing opinions on Will Smith’s future. If pop culture is your “Superbowl,” trust me when I say you don’t want to miss this one!Key Points From This Episode:• What led Emily to the world of social media as a career path.• Emily shares the evolution of her journey as a social media influencer.• The (very exciting) book Emily will release next year. • How to use Patreon.• No Reddit?•  Bennifer’s public relationship; the focus of one of Emily’s first viral videos. • The Taylor Swift private jet story (and why Emily is currently not speaking to her).• Details coming out now about the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard case. • The Vanderpump Rules symposium Emily created.• What you need to know about Vanderpump Rules. • Our differing opinions on Will Smith’s future. • Indestructible PR tip.  Tweetables: “TikTok is a response to the glossy perfection that we’ve all gotten pretty disenchanted with.” — Emily Rose [0:07:55] “You don’t have to feel ashamed that you’re not always grateful and wanting to do sun salutations. You really can just let it all hang out and be your messy, petty self.” — Emily Rose [0:10:45] “Everything in pop culture right now is geared towards early 2000s nostalgia.” — Emily Rose [0:18:12] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Emily Rose on TikTokIt’s Become a Whole Thing PodcastEmily Rose on InstagramWant More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

Instagram has changed, and not everyone is happy about it. This week on the Indestructible PR Podcast, we look at the video created by Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri in response to this crisis, and analyze the value of using video responses to deal with PR crises. Tuning in, you’ll hear how Instagram has changed, why so many content creators have objected to this change, and how this has led to a crisis. We then break down Adam Mosseri’s video. We talk about the visual components and how they contribute to the message, before listening to the audio to hear how Adam includes each of the three steps of an effective PR response. To find out why making a video is such an effective way to create a PR response, and some of the things you should factor in as you do, listen in today!Key Points From This Episode:How Instagram has changed to be more like TikTok and many users are unhappy with this.Some influencers who have complained about the platform and the crisis that has resulted. The petition created by Tati Bruening to change Instagram back to how it was before.How Adam Mosseri’s video is a PR response to a strategic choice. The three steps of an effective PR response, and how Adam Mosseri includes each of them.What you need to consider when you make a promise. The audio of Adam Mosseri’s video. Why making a video is such a good way to create a PR response and some things you should pay attention to as you do.The indestructible PR tip for today: the quickest way to regain trust when you’ve lost it is by using video. Tweetables:“You’ve heard me talk about the effective PR response; step one: owing it, step two: explaining it, step three is promising it. Mosseri does this in his post.” — @MollyMcPherson [0:10:55]“If you need to come up with a response for an issue, and it’s an issue that’s one of these sticky issues because it still sticks to you, you can’t let it go, it’s not an easy fix; do something like this. Give it a try. Produce a video.” — @MollyMcPherson [0:15:10]“The quickest way to regain trust when you’ve lost it, in my opinion, is by using video.” — @Want More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

Examining the recent incident at Sesame Place in Philadelphia. In a video that went viral, a performer dressed as the beloved Sesame Street character Rosita appears to snub two Black children after high-fiving other visitors to the park.In this episode, we discuss what happened, how the park responded, why the initial response didn't work, and why they needed a second response to clean it up. We break down Sesame Place’s first official response and explain exactly what was wrong with it and what was missing from it, before learning about the Indestructible PR framework for writing an ideal response. Key Points From This Episode:• What happens in the video and why it went viral.• Speculation as to who wrote this statement and what it tells us about their thinking.• What was wrong with the statement, starting with strike one: they only responded onInstagram.• Why you should always consider what reasonable people will think.• How the element of care was missing from this response.• Why it’s so important to show care to the victims in the first 45 minutes.• Why owning it is always step number one.• Why you want to use the word “apologize” in a formal statement.• The Indestructible PR tip for the day: If you have a victim that is activist-minded, neverdismiss them.• How you can find more tips in Molly’s new book Indestructible: Reclaim Control and Respond with Confidence in a Media Crisis. Tweetables: “The first statement that was written was not a great statement. I don’t want to be the grammar police on this one but if there’s ever a time to get your writing right, this is the time.” — @MollyMcPherson[0:08:27] “If you don’t show, in the first 45 minutes, some commitment to care — that you care about the victim, what happened to them, and other people like them — you’re going to lose the crisis. And then in six hours, you’ve lost control of the crisis, you’ve lost the narrative of your own crisis, and people are going to take it from you.” — @MollyMcPherson[0:22:24] “You have to show an awareness to the event or to the issue and it has to be the rigWant More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

Today, on the Indestructible PR podcast, we respond to a listener question about crisis leadership among incumbents and successors. A listener wants to know if there are any key distinctions in the guidance for crisis communication by leaders who swept in after an incident (where no individuals associated with the crisis are still involved) versus crisis communication that comes from the leadership responsible at the time of the crisis. Tuning in, you’ll hear a bit more information about how this question came about, why the specific details of the incident in question are not important, and why it makes for such a challenging situation. To find out what happens when the mess of prior leadership is left to be handled by the successor and how to salvage the trust of key stakeholders, tune in today!  Key Points From This Episode:  The listener email that inspired today’s topic. Research that Molly did into the incident that the listener is referring to.The clear demarcation between leadership in this situation and how this was the mess of prior leadership.Why what you do with a crisis from incumbent leadership essentially doesn’t matter. The importance of leadership showing care in a crisis in order to maintain trust.Why trust is the single biggest predictor of how a crisis will resolve.How you can leverage the new leader for their new ideas.Why you should factor in the reasonable expectations of the stakeholders that matter to you.Our Indestructible PR tip for the day.  Tweetables: “If you do not show care from leadership, you’re going to lose something valuable, something [that is] indispensable in a crisis, and that is trust .” — @MollyMcPherson [0:04:45] “[Trust] will remain if you meet [the] expectation of your stakeholders, but the trust will plummet if stakeholders feel betrayed, if the press senses that you are shaking in your conviction and shaking in your values.” — @MollyMcPherson [0:04:58] “When it comes to crisis leadership among incumbents and successors, remember: do not pass the buck. Do not blame the predecessor. Use the change in regime to make changes and leverage those cWant More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

We are going back to the 90s to look at a presidential apology to help us learn a PR lesson for today.Learn the importance of apologizing for mistakes, why the right use of words is imperative, and why you need to action an apology rather than just hinting at one. We also dissect other public apologies to see who was successful in the their aapology and who botched it. Key Points From This Episode: Bill Clinton’s apology for the inappropriate relationship he had during his time of office.Why mistakes require an apology nowadays and why not doing so or not doing so. effectively can damage the reputation of companies.The importance of the right use of words in an apology.We look at an example of a successful apology and an unsuccessful one.The importance of actioning an apology rather than using words that merely imply one.We dissect Bill Clinton’s regrettable public ‘apologies.'Why your approach to an apology cannot be about you and what you feel.We go through some words that should be avoided in apologies.The dangers of the phrase “thoughts and prayers.” We leave you with today’s Indestructible PR tip. Tweetables: “Apologies aren’t easy.” — @MollyMcPherson [0:03:06] “[Good apologies] all comes down to words.” — @MollyMcPherson [0:03:14] “‘I deeply regret the fact that…’ is not apologizing!” — @MollyMcPherson [0:08:54] “In the event of the incident or the moment where you need to apologize, make sure that you do! And use the word ‘apologize.’” — @MollyMcPherson [0:14:14] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Bill Clinton Bill Clinton on TwitterMolly McPherson on TikTok Molly McPherson on Want More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

An inside look at how a PR crisis manager helps a client with disenfranchised customers.In this episode, we explore the triggers that make an unsatisfied customer seek retribution. We discuss the journey from victim to activist, and why campaigns are being branded as calls to action for other victims. Also discussed are the different stages of the victim-to-activist cycle and how companies can restore trust while maintaining their credibility. Key Points From This Episode: Today we will be discussing the change that is happening in the activism playbook. Molly’s experience joining TikTok. Why activism emerges from the victim to activism cycle. Discussing the victim to activism cycle. Why activism campaigns are branding their successes using a call to action to engage as a victim.The different stages of the Lukaszewski victim cycle.Why activists and victims love the idea of a forum.How companies can handle victims' need for an apology. Call to action: identify who the victim is, determine where they are in the victim cycle, and determine what you can do.Today’s Indestructible PR tip: do what you need to do immediately to keep your credibility.  Tweetables: “Every business has a victim. Every organization has a victim.” — @MollyMcPherson [0:05:49] “What [victims] are looking for is the guilty party.” — @MollyMcPherson [0:11:51] “That’s my call to you for this podcast: define who your victim might be, identify who your victim is, and determine what you’re going to do to fix it.” — @MollyMcPherson [0:18:00] “A crisis waits for no one.” — @MollyMcPherson [0:19:07] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Molly McPherson on TikTokMolly McPherson on Twitter Listen and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Want More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

When music artist Lizzo released her new single ‘Grrls’ she was faced with backlash from the disabled community about a specific lyric used. Lizzo was labeled as an ableist, and fans of her work quickly pointed out why the word was so offensive and that it needed to change. The steps that Lizzo took to rectify her mistake and how she turned the controversy around should become the new standard for all PR professionals to use in such situations. In this episide we discuss the Lizzo lyric that got people upset and how she made it right. We explain the context of the word, why the word was so offensive, how she framed her response, why Lizzo's response should be the new standard, why older generations did not find it offensive, and much more.  Key Points From This Episode:  We start the show with context about the Lizzo lyric controversy. Why people were so upset with the word that she used.How Lizzo has set a new standard for dealing with offending people.We hear what Lizzo’s response was to the criticism.What you should never do when dealing with criticism: an off-the-cuff response.A walkthrough of Lizzo’s reply and why it was appropriate.The framework she based her response on and why it is so powerful.An outline of the replies and support that Lizzo received.The differences between older and younger generations finding the word offensive. Reasons why this is not a cancel-culture moment.We close the show with a takeaway indestructible tip for listeners.  Tweetables: “That is how you do it. You write the statement and then you make the change.” — @MollyMcPherson [0:08:32] “What she is doing is she’s showing that it is possible to re-examine words, phrases, and actions.” — @MollyMcPherson [0:09:04] “When it offends some, you need to make that change.” — @MollyMcPherson [0:11:23] “Drop victimhood and embrace the idea of change.” — @MollyMcPherson [0:11:53] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Want More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

When there are victims involved in a crisis, they need to be shown compassion and assured that there will be no more victims. In this episode of the Indestructible PR Podcast we discuss the good, the bad, and the ‘even worse’ of how Daily Harvest handled their food poisoning crisis.Influencers took to TikTok to post about the gastrointestinal issues she experienced after consuming one of Daily Harvest’s products, the world of social media went up in arms and more victims came out of the woodwork. We look into how Daily Harvest handled the crisis, why they were manipulative, how they made the crisis worse, and how they deceived their customers. We also discuss how the presence of a victim in a crisis changes it and raises the stakes for the company at fault. Tune in to hear all this and get another indestructible PR tip about victims in a crisis. Key Points From This Episode:  Today’s topic of discussion: how Daily Harvest handled the online criticism they received when customers reported gastrointestinal issues after consuming one of their products. Abigail Silverman’s experience with Daily Harvest and the health issues they caused. How Daily Harvest handled the crisis – the playbook response.We read a portion of Daily Harvest’s email response to the reports and explain why it’s manipulative.Why Daily Harvest’s response to the crisis was more of a problem than the actual faulty product. We read some Reddit feedback on the product. How Daily Harvest is trying to cover the issue up and why it makes the crisis worse. Why a victim changes a crisis and why you should ‘go to’ them and speak to healing. Molly’s TikTok response about the Daily Harvest’s crisis. The importance of considering the victim’s feelings. Another mistake Daily Harvest made: deceptively hiding the problem by making the advisory difficult to find.The indestructible PR tip for today: Victims need somebody to blame, and for the owners to show empathy and remorse.Tweetables: “There was a recall of their food which caused problems for their customers. That is not an external incident, it’s an internal incident [and] Daily Harvest needs to own it.” — @MollyMcPherson [0:06:15] “For any brand dealiWant More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

 Focusing on who you are speaking to and what they want to hear before stepping into the public eye can help prevent press conference mishaps.Media trainer Warren Weeks to discuss Matthew McConaughey’s reaction to the Texas shootings and Jack Del Rio’s inappropriate political commentary. Tuning in you’ll hear why Matthew’s comments on the shootings resonated differently to those of other celebrities, how he justifies being a gun owner while advocating against gun violence, and what feels different about this particular shooting. We also compare Matthew’s response to that of Meghan Markle’s and consider the possibility that he may want to run for office at some point. Next, we talk about Jack Del Rio’s political commentary and why you should always stay in your lane and train your spokespeople to prevent mishaps.  Key Points From This Episode: •    The changes in the media environment nowadays. •    Matthew McConaughey’s reaction to the shootings and why it’s resonating differently. •    Comparing Matthew’s action to Meghan Markle’s. •    How Matthew justifies being a gun owner and being against gun violence simultaneously. •    What feels different about this school shooting and its impact. •    The importance of staying in your lane. •    Discussing the disregard Jack Del Rio showed in his comments about politics. •    The importance of training your spokespeople and preparing for media confrontation. •    Talking about the possibility of Matthew McConaughey running for office.  Tweetables:  “There are more guns than people in the US.” — @warren_weeks [0:12:11]  “Media train your spokespeople.” —@warren_weeks [0:19:18]  “It’s about mindset and leaders making the decision. You can’t get good at this stuff on the day that it hits the fan, you have to build those muscles ahead of time.” —@warren_weeks [0:21:01]  “Make it about the audience instead of about yourself or your organization and all of the other content pieces, I find, tend to fall more easily into place.” —@warren_weeks [0:28:26]  Want More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

 There is more to you than your worst moment.This week we are joined by educator, speaker, and consultant Dan Farkas to discuss Bill Simmons’ Jalen Green blunder on his podcast, the Ringer Podcast. Tuning in, you will hear exactly what happened during the incident and what Dan thought of it. We also discuss how Bill and Jalen handled it and Dan’s opinion of Bill’s response. Next, we discuss the successful crisis management framework Bill followed and how that led to them both coming out on top.  Key Points From This Episode: •    Introducing the topic of today’s discussion: the Bill Simmons Jalen Green podcast incident. •    Dan reflects on whether the way hosts react to controversial issues is different from the past. •    Whether or not hosts are treading on thin ice when it comes to their opinions. •    Why unscripted moments can sometimes be the best moments. •    What Dan thinks about how Bill responded when Jalen called him out on his comment. •    The good crisis management framework Bill followed: acknowledgment and explanation. •    A story of how Dan has been on both sides of a process like this and how he responded to it. •    Today’s indestructible tip: what we can take away from this incident and what the lesson is.  Tweetables: “Bill Simmons really – impacted the player more than I think he thought it did.” —@danfarkas[0:13:08] “If you go through that Framework you can come out – looking like good guys!” — @MollyMcPherson[0:14:44]  “There’s more to you than your worst moment.” —@danfarkas[0:18:15]  Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:  Dan Farkas on Linkedln Dan Farkas on Twitter The Strategic Communicator Podcast with Dan Farkas Bill Simmons on Twitter The Ringer Podcast Want More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...