THE GREAT MOMENTS IN PR FOR 2021: FROM FACEBOOK’S RE-BRAND TO PELOTON’S ‘BIG’ MOMENT

THE GREAT MOMENTS IN PR FOR 2021: FROM FACEBOOK’S RE-BRAND TO PELOTON’S ‘BIG’ MOMENT

Welcome to a slightly different edition of Cannings’ weekly business and media intelligence update.

As we near the end of the year (finally!), we thought it was the perfect time to reflect on 2021 and some of the major PR challenges of the year. From Facebook’s re-brand to Peloton’s ‘Big’ moment – it’s been nothing short of interesting…

So, here are some of the great moments in PR for 2021:

VIRGIN’S AWAY WITH WORDS 

Virgin Australia faced a backlash of criticism in May following comments from the airline’s Chief Executive Jayne Hrdlicka. Calls for a boycott of the airline quickly began trending on Twitter after Hrdlicka’s was quoted as saying that borders should reopen even if “some people may die”.

In fact, the CEO was drawing a comparison between the death rate for COVID infections and the death rate for people contracting the flu, but her comments (taken somewhat out of context), became the focus of fury on social media, with many accusing the airline of placing profits above human life.

Even Prime Minister Scott Morrison joined in, describing Hrdlicka’s comments as insensitive.

SOME META FEEDBACK 

Back in October, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook was changing its name to Meta, bringing together its apps, like Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp and Messenger, under a new brand.

The rebrand caused a stir among critics, who say the move was an effort to divert attention from the tech giant’s litany of recent scandals. And, it was mocked on social media, particularly in Israel where the word “meta” sounds like the Hebrew word for “dead”. Hashtag #FacebookDead…

The rebrand was only the latest PR misstep by the multi-billion-dollar company.

Remember when we woke up and logged in on February 18 only to find no Aussie news in our feeds? The Facebook ban on local news followed a back-and-forth feud between the Federal Government and big tech over whether Facebook, Google and others should pay to have news on their platform.

We thought Facebook was preparing for the long haul, but less than a week later it reversed its decision after striking a deal (of sorts) with the Government. Long story short: tech companies will have to cough up if they want to play nice.

COKE v RONALDO 

Portugal’s most famous football star, Cristiano Ronaldo, managed to wipe billions off the value of Coca-Cola shares in a matter of seconds.

How? In June, the football superstar removed two bottles of the soft drink – one of the official sponsors of Euro 2020 – from the press conference table and replaced them with a bottle of water.

Ronaldo is a well-known health and fitness fanatic, and with little due diligence, Coca-Cola could have easily avoided the whole debacle.

Ronaldo 1, Coke 0.

PAYING THE PRICE 

The Federal Government’s JobKeeper program was praised by many business leaders as a way to keep workers in jobs when the COVID lockdowns first hit Australia.

But since then, several companies have come under fire and been publicly shamed for claiming wage subsidies while improving their financial position.

Among them is Harvey Norman. The retailer has received intense public and political scrutiny over JobKeeper since its billionaire founder and chairman, Gerry Harvey, refused to repay the subsidy earlier this year – despite a massive jump in earnings.

In August, the company appeared to relent, deciding to pay back $6 million after posting a record profit for the 2021 financial year.  

HOW TO WHEELIE DO IT 

*Spoiler alert*

And just like that… Peloton became a household name.

The maker of outrageously expensive exercise bikes was forced to go into damage control after Mr Big, a key character from the Sex and the City reboot, died from a heart attack after riding on the bike.

The short cameo sent the company’s share price plummeting.

In response, Peloton issued a statement through a cardiologist to say riding the bike as regularly as Mr Big did would have delayed a fatal heart attack.

When that didn’t have much of an impact, they brought Mr Big back to life in a TV ad to reinforce how “cardiovascular exercise can help people lead long, healthy lives”.

The company’s quick turnaround and the ad’s success has left many asking: Was it all just one ‘Big’ ruse?

AND FINALLY… 

This is our last update for 2021. Our office closes today for the Christmas break, reopening on January 4, with updates to resume next month.

In the meantime, thank you for your support.

Wishing you a safe and festive holiday season, from the Cannings Team.


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