The Flack highlights changes and trends in the news, examples of communications practices, and content we at BYRNE PR thought you might find useful.
We hope you enjoy, and we always welcome your feedback.
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Jerry Of Ben & Jerry’s Resigns, Saying Company Has Been ‘Silenced’ – Say it isn’t so! Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s resigned this week saying the brand’s independence has been lost and its social activism silenced by parent company Unilever. So can the brand still flourish without its founder and mission for social change? The New York Times weighs in.
New ‘Got Milk’ Campaign Tries To Build On A Dairy Milk Comeback – A new “Got Milk” ad campaign in California is aiming to capitalize on consumers’ cooling interest in dairy alternatives.The California Milk Processor Board introduced the iconic “Got Milk” campaign in 1993 as a response to flagging milk consumption in the state. Now they are looking to capitalize on the MAHA movement which emphasized a diet of “real” (not ultra processed) food. But will it work? The Wall Street Journal investigates.
Big Brands Play Down Their Americanness Abroad – U.S. brands like Coca-Cola and McDonald’s are downplaying their American identity abroad with campaigns highlighting local ties and economic contributions. This shift is driven by declining U.S. favorability in Europe, linked to political policies. The New York Times tries to figure out if these brand strategies really work.
Cracker Barrel’s Rebranding And Crisis Management Lessons – We Set Out To Craft The Perfect Phishing Scam. Major AI Chatbots Were Happy To Help. – This is scary. Reuters and a Harvard University researcher used top chatbots to plot a simulated phishing scam – from composing emails to tips on timing – and tested it on 108 elderly volunteers. The bots’ persuasive performance shows how AI is arming criminals for industrial-scale fraud. This is the Reuters investigation. Get a cup of coffee for this one.
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Feed Your Head:
Why Does Everybody Swear All The Time Now?
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flack
: one who provides publicity
flack
: to act as a press agent or promoter for something
The word flack was first used as a noun meaning “publicity agent” during the late 1930s. According to one rumor, the word was coined in tribute to a well-known movie publicist of the time, Gene Flack.