What Brandy Melville, SeaWorld, ExxonMobil, and the NFL teach about trust in public relations

The Power of Public Perception

PR strives between brand identity and public perception. The case regarding Brandy Melville shows how being exclusive creates backlash and allure because of limiting clothes to one size, which fueled a demand for alienated groups of consumers (VanSlette & Waymer, 2016). SeaWorld’s reliance on the killer whale shows became a liability when the Blackfish documentary came out and showed their brand narrative around animal cruelty (Duhon, Ellison, & Ragas, 2016). Both of these cases show how the brand underestimates how cultural values can quickly shift and how audiences of younger ages and socially engaged can mobilize online. 

The ExxonMobil hydraulic fracturing defense and the NFL’s “Deflategate” reflect a truth that overly defensive communication strategies can intensify any skepticism of the public. Exxonmobil began to lean in on technical assurances, but the disputes, scientifically and visual evidence of the water that was flammable became undermined credibility (Arthur W. Page Society, 2012). On the other hand, the NFL was attempting to manage a scandal through setting an agenda and image repair, but the controversy began to linger because the fans perceived evasiveness (Strawser, 2017). There is no longer any control of public perception when it comes to these organizations, and it has shaped dynamically through media and consumer expectations. 

Accountability, Strategy, and Transparency 

Through each of these cases, there is a strategy that determines whether the organizations can either deepen distrust or mitigate damage. With Brandy Melville’s social media, it’s driven through exclusivity and tapped into teen aspirations, which revealed the risks of the branding of elitism, and with the culture becoming attentive to inclusivity. SeaWorld adopted a posture of defense but shifted to advocacy and animal welfare initiatives. This pivot has illustrated that acknowledging critics and engaging with stakeholders can help start to rebuild legitimacy. 

On the opposite approach, ExxonMobil started to double down on the scientific messaging while ignoring the emotional concerns of the affected communities. With them prioritizing persuasion over dialogue it created a failed gap between public fears and corporate goals. The response of the NFL leaned into Tom Brady’s image and internal investigations, but the messaging of inconsistency is what weakened the league’s trust in leadership. 

Sincerity and spin are what connect these disparate examples in tension. Research is continuing to show that audiences value transparency in any moment of a crisis. PR Daily says “Openness and candor build resilience” because it helps build credibility before the reputations collapse and crumbles (PR Daily, 2021). Pew Research says "Trust is starting to decline in institutions because of organizations priororitizing there self interest over accountability" (Pew Research, 2023). 

Why All of These Lessons Matter 

In today’s society of PR practitioners, these cases discuss how trust is currency. Stakeholders are expecting genuine engagement and clear accountability. Age of exclusivity and secrecy is over, and transparency and values driven communication aren’t negotiable anymore. The broader implication of this is that public relations isn’t about protecting reputations, it’s about participating in conversations of honesty. Brands that acknowledge criticism and adapt within expectations that evolve will not only weather a crisis but become stronger. 

Keywords: #CrisisCommunication, #Transparency, #BrandTrust, #PublicRelations

References:

Arthur W. Page Society. (2012). Water on fire: An analysis of ExxonMobil’s communicative defense of hydraulic fracturing. Case Study Competition.

Duhon, S., Ellison, K., & Ragas, M. W. (2016). A whale of a problem: A strategic communication analysis of SeaWorld Entertainment’s multi-year Blackfish crisis. Case Studies in Strategic Communication, 5, 3-37. http://cssc.uscannenberg.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/v5art2.pdf

Pew Research Center. (2023, July 11). Public trust in government: 2023. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/07/11/americans-trust-in-government-2023/

PR Daily. (2021, May 27). The role of transparency in crisis communication. Ragan’s PR Daily. https://www.prdaily.com/the-role-of-transparency-in-crisis-communication/

Strawser, M. G., Shain, S., Thompson, A., Vulich, K., & Simons, C. (2017). Deflated: The strategic impact of the “Deflategate” scandal on the NFL and its golden boy. Case Studies in Strategic Communication, 6, 62-88. https://csscjournal.org

VanSlette, S., & Waymer, D. (2016). Exclusive and aspirational: Teen retailer Brandy Melville uses the country club approach to brand promotion. Case Studies in Strategic Communication, 5, 117-139. http://cssc.uscannenberg.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/v5art7.pdf