Reflecting Social Behaviors Within Public Relations

Keywords: crisis communication, reputation management, public relations, social norms, activism, strategic communication

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Social causes and norms are important within public relations as they build trust, foster relationships and manage reputations through aligning values and beliefs. Public relations professionals must understand current cultural and social norms to align messages and provide opportunities.

One article says, “Public relations plays an important role in moulding public perception, encouraging positive change, and fostering healthy connections among individuals, organizations, and society” (Dhoundiyal, para. 12, 2024).

Reputation Management

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American Airlines had a set of crises in the early 1990s involving LGBT publics; however, with strategic responses and management, the company was able to evolve into a ‘corporate leader’ in LGBT equity and inclusion.

In the mid-to-late 1900s, social movements began to take off. More specifically, gay liberation movements. April 25, 1993, was the March on Washington for LGBT Equal Rights and Liberation, where many attendees flew to and from Washington, D.C.

One American Airlines flight from Washington D.C. to Dallas-Fort Worth resulted in a discriminatory message to the operations center requesting a change of pillows and blankets due to the number of returning activists on the flight.

Months later, on November 14, 1993, an AIDS-related illness victim, Timothy Holless, was removed from an American Airlines flight after violating the general medical policy. Being asked to leave multiple times, Holless refused and was ‘forcibly removed’ and escorted to the terminal by police officers.

These incidents led to LGBT publications calling for a boycott of the airline and negative publicity worldwide.

The case study article says, ‘Historically, organizational response to activist publics varies from resistance to building cooperative relationships” (Cisek, p.11, 2016). After these incidents, American Airlines began to build relationships with LGBT leaders, activists and the media, partnering with Witeck-Combs Communications. American Airlines knew they needed to communicate honestly, transparently and authentically. Conferring with gay and lesbian organizations and AIDS organizations, AA was determined to right their wrongs.

Overall, AA developed a strategy involving policies, procedures, benefits, and programs (GLEAM) internally and externally that has helped them become a pioneer in LGBT relations.

Crisis Communication

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Anheuser-Busch has not been shy about its support for the LGBTQ+ community; however, actual efforts can also be questioned through donations and intentions of campaigns.

In April of 2023, Bud Light sparked one of the most conflicting partnerships. Supporting transgender influencer, Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light sent Mulvaney personalized cans with her face on them as a celebration of ‘365 days of being a woman’.

The given article says, “Following Mulvaney’s post, American conservatives and celebrities called for a boycott against Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch products” (Esterle, p.9, 2024). Days later, the company responded on social media, supporting their decision to partner with influencers in an effort to connect with various audiences.

Within just a month, Anheuser-Busch was suffering from declining sales. Within two months, the company announced the plans to lay off 2% of staff and in August, Bud Light lost the title of America’s best-selling beer.

Dylan Mulvaney spoke out about the backlash and confirmed that the company had not supported her during the criticism. LGBTQ+ advocates also spoke out about the company’s lack of public stance on transgender rights before Mulvaney’s statement. Bud Light distributors also received backlash, resulting in expired products being bought back.

The effects of this crisis remain focused on marketing efforts and increasing sales, while maintaining authenticity to the brand and aligning with its values. Bud Light failed to remain authentic through its efforts and lacked corporate responsibility. This crisis continues to affect the company to this day.

Brand Positioning

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In mid-2014, Florida attempted to repeal the same-sex marriage ban within the state and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau (GFLCVB) supported that. The GFLCVB had promoted the town to LGBTQ travelers as it contains a large number of LGBTQ-owned and operated businesses.

The ‘Love is Love’ wedding was created to celebrate marriage equality and same-sex marriage. The goal of this idea was to position GFLCVB as the destination of choice for LGBTQ travelers.

Through strategic action planning and communication, “to execute a festive, caring, and noncommercial celebration that would cast a favorable light on Greater Fort Lauderdale as a leader in LGBTQ rights” (Sheridan, n.d.). Communication consisted of campaigns, news releases, a website, ambassadors, media coverage and social media (posts and hashtags). This event was planned within a month and earned many awards within the PR and sales and marketing community.

The GFLCVB successfully promoted and executed the event through aligned messaging with the audience and organization and remaining authentic and transparent. With proper planning and management, this event became a legacy for the LGBTQ community.

Gender Roles and Norms

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Barbie as a brand has impacted society in a compelling way. From a PR perspective, “The PR success of 'Barbie' is grounded in a compelling story and an authentic message, making the movie a PR push for Barbie, rather than just a simple marketing stunt” (Gober, 2024).

The article describes Barbie as “a paradoxical symbol of imagination comfort, sexism, objectification, feminism, and conflicted cultural influence, challenging and entrancing both children and adults for generations” (Luttrell & Welch, 2023).

Barbie’s marketing campaigns and integral messaging have positioned the themes in a way that efficiently resonates with the audience. The case study also explains how the four themes of Barbie contributed to its success – connecting to feminism, broadening the scope of Barbie, intergenerational enjoyment and campaigning confidently.

Directed by Greta Gerwig, Barbie was articulated in a way that captures feminism and promotion in an inspiring way that encourages all generations. Breaking box office records and analytics, Barbie has raised the bar and set new expectations for success.

Barbie could be discussed all day long by everyone. Even if you haven’t watched the film. That is the kind of impression it leaves on people. With the marketing goal of total ubiquity, it ‘placed’ itself into all aspects of our lives, without us realizing.

Conclusion

In conclusion, social behaviors are crucial within an organization. Social causes and norms amplify movements and values of an organization. A brand can align its values by supporting or not supporting social movements. Remaining authentic, shaping perceptions, understanding the audience, cause marketing, etc., can help a brand succeed.

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References

Cisek, E. (2016). A Corporate Coming Out: Crisis Communication and Engagement with LGBT Publics. Case Studies in Strategic Communication Journal. https://cssc.uscannenberg.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/v5art5.pdf

Esterle, L. (2024). Cracking open a case, the Anheuser-Busch response to Bud Light Boycott. https://instituteforpr.org/wp-content/uploads/https___page.org_wp-content_uploads_2024_04_CRACKING-OPEN-A-CASE-The-Anheuser-Busch_case-1.pdf

Gober, D. (2024, January 8). Advertising week. Advertising Week. https://advertisingweek.com/the-pr-power-of-barbie/

How public relations reflects social behaviours: History and evolution. PR & Lattes. (2024, August 5). https://prandlattes.com/how-public-relations-reflects-social-behaviours-history-and-evolution/

Luttrell, R., & Welch, C. (2023). Everything Barbie all at Once: “A Marketing Campaign for the Ages.” Case Studies in Strategic Communication Journal. https://cssc-ojs-utexas.tdl.org/cssc/article/view/239/welch_luttrell_barbiecase

Sheridan, V. (n.d.). “Love is love” wedding in fort lauderdale. Cases in Public Relations Strategy. https://canvas.ou.edu/courses/417712/modules/items/7954150