The COREseries is built for leaders navigating pressure, risk and rapid change. These briefings cut through noise with sharp analysis and real-world strategy — helping you understand what’s behind the headlines and what to do next. From activist tactics and regulatory pressure to reputational threats and strategic missteps, we break down the trends, shifts, and power plays shaping today’s decision-making environment.
No spin. No fluff. Read more to gain perspectives that prepares you.
Broken trust breaks brands
First it was shrinkflation. Then price fixing. Record profits. Bloated bonuses. The headlines kept coming — often more than once. Parliamentary hearings turned into political theatre. Then came the latest: meat price gouging.
This grocery story? It’s a case study in how trust erodes — slowly, then all at once. And then it’s gone.
Tone Deaf: When brands lose sight of mission
Businesses exist for a variety of purposes. Some offer products to meet needs in the market. Others provide essential services. Some may focus on social change. But there’s an old saying I learned in politics: you can’t fight for a cause if you can’t feed your family. The same translates to business: you can’t support causes if you don’t make a profit.
Whatever the cause, whatever the reason, it’s critical organizations do their homework first. Does it align with your current customer profile? Does it signal a departure from what you’ve done in the past? How will employees or suppliers respond? How will it impact you.
Breakdown: How the Secret Service’s communications fell short
Not only did the attempted assassination of former President Trump shock the senses, it also appeared to overwhelm the communications capabilities of the U.S. Secret Service. Because of how they’re portrayed in popular entertainment and public relations, we’d expect the Secret Service to handle every aspect of a crisis event like this with relative ease, jumping into action without hesitation and being able to communicate with confidence. But that’s not what we’ve seen play out publicly so far, and it’s not a big leap to significant changes could be in store for this vaunted agency once all the investigations are completed.
Keep reading our tips for how crisis communications should unfold.
Can you get your credibility back?
Planes. Trains. Automobiles. We rely on all of them for many things in our lives. And at times, the companies we rely on in those industries fall far short. On safety, quality, transparency and accurate information.
Not only does it shake public and consumer confidence, it leads to long-term damage for those companies. Sometimes they can make their way back - but the reputation damage is still there. Enjoy reading our look at some of the major reputation crises for brands we all know.
Wrecking your reputation
Seems like kind of a strange thing to do, don’t you think? We agree. But we recognize things can happen that damage an organization’s credibility and how it is perceived. And once the stench of uncertainty in your honesty takes hold, or stakeholders begin to lose trust in your ability to manage a challenge, it’s so hard to come back from that.
When more than 1 million people in Calgary and surrounding communities were left without reliable water supplies and weeks of restrictions, the anger and resentment grew. So read our take on the water main break in Calgary - and how the initial communications fell far short of what the public needed.
Be Prepared to Act
In our May 7, 2024, edition of CORE Insights, we told you that professional activists will be targeting European airports during the summer. By linking air travel to environmental issues, they want to use these disruptions to both inconvenience people and cause us to re-think the desire to travel.