The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

You can unleash a full-blown PR crisis on social media with one bad move against someone with a social media platform.  To handle these situations, companies and brands need a plan.  Who didn't prepare for her social media crisis? Bethenny Frankel.  The "Real Housewives of New York City" alum has gained popularity on TikTok for her beauty product reviews and sometimes harsh criticis...

This episode of the Indestructible PR Podcast looks at the public relations crisis created by Joy Gendusa, CEO of PostcardMania in Clearwater, Florida, when she claims she underestimated the severity of Hurricane Ian and insisted her staff continue to work through the storm. This podcast unpacks exactly what was communicated in that Zoom meeting when Gendusa addressed her staff before the arrival...

Anyone who lives in Florida will have heard a hurricane warning recently, well today’s episode is a hurricane content warning. At the time of this podcast’s recording, Hurricane Ian was close to making landfall. This episode looks at President and CEO of the Red Cross Gail McGovern’s warning to those in Florida, why some people did not heed her advice, and what social media has to do with the prob...

In today's digital age, with the constant posting, sharing, and posts going viral, PR crises can spiral out of control in the blink of an eye. This week’s Indestructible PR Podcast shares some key takeaways from how Adam Levine responded to his PR crisis in the aftermath of the video posted by Instagram model, Sumner Stroh.  You’ll learn more about the one big mistake he made, a mistake you n...

Recently, Rudy Giuliani, formerly known as ‘America's Mayor,' sat down for a media interview with Newsmax, and likely it did not go as intended.  One unprepared quote later, and the resulting gaff ended up all over social media. This type of thing can happen to anyone, and this week’s podcast looks at why this interview was such a train wreck. Tuning in, you’ll find out how Giuliani star...

Today’s Indestructible PR podcast episode discusses the trending TikTok drama surrounding the Don’t Worry Darling Venice Film Festival premiere. Did Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine? Did Olivia and Harry break up? What’s the deal with Florence Pugh? As the cast of the upcoming American psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darlin g, directed by Olivia Wilde, hit the Venice Film Festival, they brought...

In a recent exclusive interview with The Cut, Meghan Markle opened up about her new life in California, the struggles of her past, and her plans for her future. This was partly done as part of a promotion effort for Meghan’s new podcast, Archetypes.  This week, we examine and decode this article to analyze what she said and what she meant. Hear how Meghan and Harry’s PR has perpetually let them do...

 Ageism, sexism, bad management, and incredibly poor messaging, today’s PR crisis has it all!  This week’s podcast focuses on Bell Media’s ousting of Lisa LaFlamme and her replacement by a younger male, shortly after the beloved CTV Anchor allowed herself to go gray.  Let's discuss Lisa’s PR masterpiece of a response video and Bell Media’s well-written but completely inadequate response state...

Movie actor Ezra Miller recently issued an apology for a series of legal issues and assault and abuse allegations, published as an exclusive in Variety Magazine. With the DC Comics film The Flash opening in theaters next summer, there's a lot riding on this apology.  This week’s episode takes a look at Ezra Miller’s apology to evaluate whether the elements of the perfect public apology are pr...

Ever wondered how to deliver a knock-out public speaking performance?  Well, this episode of the Indestructible PR Podcast is all about 10 tips for overcoming fear and how, by doing this, you’ll be able to give a great speech. Molly uses her own public speaking experiences to give simple, meaningful, and applicable advice on how to feel confident and prepared.  From the power of constant practicin...

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 p...

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...

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...

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 leadersh...

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 Episo...

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 re...

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...

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 H...

 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 celebrit...

 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 s...

In any crisis, the first 48 hours are make-or-break. Things can quickly spiral out of control if you don't have a solid plan in place.  Police Chief Pedro Arredondo's failure to respond to the CNN crew when they stopped unannounced looked bad for the school district's chief of police. It was even worse when he dodged legitimate questions. The patterns that lead to a crisis are discu...

In our digital age, it’s hard to hide from the ugly side of life. Social media has allowed us all to bear witness to some of the most tragic moments in human history. From videos of natural disasters to intimate updates from people in the midst of personal crises, we are constantly barraged with images and stories that are hard to stomach.  Amidst this onslaught of sadness and suffering, it can be...

Have you noticed the benefits of writing an opinion piece for expressing yourself? Do you want to start writing an opinion piece but don’t know where to start? Then today’s episode of Indestructible is for you! The power of opinion pieces has grown rapidly in recent years, becoming a popular form of communication and expression.  In today’s show, we interview an expert on writing opinion pieces, C...

So you've had a misstep at some point in your career.  It made news, maybe it made the press or it just created news in your ecosystem? If you have ever made a poor choice on a job, off the job, were fired publicly, were involved in a sticky situation, or had a professional relationship that adversely affected your reputation or the reputation of your employer, this episode is for you!   in t...

Making regrettable choices is inevitable for anyone but, when you're in the public eye, the stakes are higher and the risks are greater if you refuse to answer certain questions pertaining to your misdeeds. The purpose of today’s episode is not to help you respond when you are asked about divorce, infidelity, or being palsy with a convicted sex offender. This episode is about strategy; the st...