This week's PR Roundup looks at whether or not Delta's compensation to crash survivors is good PR, fun partnerships between brands and "The White Lotus," and the Institute for Public Relations's new report that lists the most impactful research of 2024 for communicators.
Fun Partnerships for “The White Lotus”
What happened: Everyone’s favorite social satire, “The White Lotus,” is back on HBO and Max, where they can take a dark comedy trip to dreamy Thailand. But it’s not just the gorgeous landscape that’s piquing attention. Marketers are taking advantage of the enthusiastic audience. In fact, the season three premiere peaked at 2.4 million viewers on Sunday, setting a series record, and up 90% from the season two premiere in 2022, according to Variety.
So, brands are jumping on the bandwagon. Our sister publication, Chief Marketer, talked with Andrew Meengern, VP of HBO and Max Originals Marketing, and Julie Yufe, SVP of Vodka, Gin, Rum at Diageo North America, about the show’s partnership with the spirit house. According to Chief Marketer the campaign titled, “Sip into The White Lotus,” featured “custom cocktails inspired by the show, kits for purchase on Cocktail Currier, viewing parties in more than 100 bars and restaurants across the country, and a sweepstakes with a chance to win a trip to a luxury hotel in Thailand, the location of season three.”
Another notable collaboration, in addition to those launched by Away, CB2 and others, is a fun resort-wear collection premiered by H&M. Full of luscious tropical colors and free-flowing fabrics, the collection is the result of the brand collaborating with the show’s costume designer to create clothing for travelers (or those just wanting to feel like they are at The White Lotus).
Communication takeaways: Priscila Martinez, Founder and CEO, The Brand Agency, says the collaborations mark a new era in audience connection for marketing and communications.
“TV series and films are looking to touch consumers in new and relevant ways,” Martinez says. “Marketing teams are getting increasingly creative, and naming a fashion collection after a show is a great move. This one is particularly special because they engaged the show's costume designer. This adds an extra layer of authenticity for consumers.”
And how do you know if you have a strong partnership? Martinez says fans of both brands need to complement each other.
“They don't have to be the same demographic, but there has to be a fit there for a collaboration to be successful,” she says. “The purpose is to cross-pollinate audiences and to delight the consumers that are already in your funnel.”
Delta Offers Compensation to Toronto Plane Crash Survivors
What happened: Surviving a plane crash is—without question—an extremely traumatic experience. To compensate those who survived the horrific crash of Delta Flight 4819 (in which no one perished, miraculously) at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport on Feb. 17, Delta Airlines offered all 76 passengers $30,000 with “no strings attached.”
According to an article about the offer in The New York Times, international treaties say that “when an international aviation accident causes injury or death, airlines in the United States are required to make advance payments to passengers if the airline determines that the money is necessary to cover their immediate economic needs.”
However, also noted in the article was this: some passengers have already sought legal advice through Rochon Genova, a Canadian law firm.
Communication takeaways: Amanda Coffee, Communications Consultant for Coffee Communications, who has also worked high level PR jobs at Under Armour, PayPal and eBay, says it's easy to forget that the airlines are a regulated industry and that they have guardrails from government rules that make crisis communications more dynamic. And while the situation is challenging, she praises the speed and transparency Delta utilized to move to make those reparations—allowing the company to better control the narrative.
But while it’s comforting for some to see that those endangered will receive compensation, other comms professionals argue that is feels uncomfortable when broadcast so publicly.
Hinda Mitchell, President, Inspire PR Group, says Delta’s approach is akin to something they would take to provide a payment for a lost bag or missed connection—although on a much smaller level—and the compensation pales in comparison to what these passengers experienced.
“It feels uncomfortable as a comms strategy because it is not human and empathetic…it is instead creating a transactional situation (e.g., “what is the cost of a near-death experience?”),” Mitchell says. “To immediately jump right to a financial settlement misses the mark.”
Coffee, however, says Delta leadership has shown that the the brand truly does care through other humane connections.
"The CEO reposted an email he sent to all employees on LinkedIn that thanked the pilot and crew members for their bravery and detailed how he visited victims still in the hospital," she noted. "A personal message with examples of a brand living their values shines through in a crisis."
New IPR Report: Must-Know Research for Communicators
What happened: This week the Institute for Public Relations released a new report, the “IPR Top 16 Public Relations Insights of 2024.” The report provides a roundup of 2024’s most impactful PR studies that communications professionals should be aware of at present.
Key highlights include:
- Workplace Trends: 83% of senior managers say they believe their organization “cares about them,” while only 50% of non-managers said the same (Integral: Index Study).
- AI & Media Disruption: 67% of organizations planned to increase AI investments due to the benefits they have experienced from its implementation (Deloitte).
- Speaking Out on Social Issues: 60% of respondents said they “buy, choose or avoid” brands based on politics, while 78% said they would avoid certain foreign brands based on where the brand is headquartered (Edelman Trust Center: Trust Barometer).
The report also features research from the Public Relations Journal, a collaboration between IPR and PRSA, highlighting the most pressing challenges and opportunities in the field.
Communication takeaways: It’s always helpful to lean into research, as well as real-life examples, when planning a communications strategy. Marium Abdulhussein, Research Associate, IPR, says the valuable insights can serve every public relations practitioner, no matter the specialty.
“Featuring research on AI, politics and media, and the future of the workplace, these insights [can be used by communicators] to address daily challenges like understanding media expectations, implementing impactful AI strategies, or combatting burnout in their organization,” Abdulhussein says.
Nicole Schuman is Managing Editor for PRNEWS.