Learning to steer in crisis and creativity

1. Cracker Barrel’s new social media lead reflects on “busy” first 60 days

New Cracker Barrel social media lead Bri Reynolds reflected on her first 60 days after it removed the “old-time” and barrel from its logo.
The iconic restaurant chain faced immense backlash, prompting the company to reverse the rebrand and lean heavily on social media to manage the situation.
Long-standing brand symbols carry emotional resonance, and companies must consider this before making rebranding decisions.

Instead of a single spokesperson, Taco Bell employed a “chorus of voices” to reach fans.
The campaign leveraged humor and approachability, providing minimal guidance to create authentic, spontaneous content.
The results generated millions of views on Instagram and TikTok, earning media coverage.

Following Charlie Kirk's death, several companies struggled to respond, exposing a lack of consistent internal communication strategies.
While consumer expectations rise for companies to denounce political violence, brands remain split between speaking out and staying silent.
Preparedness, clear internal frameworks for values-based communication, and documented policies for employee communication must be in place to navigate politically charged events without alienating customers or employees.

A crisis, whether backlash over a poor rebranding decision or a political event, demonstrates the need for a crisis communications plan with clear internal communication and a strong sense of brand identity.
Authenticity goes hand in hand with a strong sense of brand identity and values-based communications. Pair this with a creative spark for maximum impact.
Axia’s team can formulate tailored PR strategies that help navigate crises and creativity. Please don't hesitate to ask me how we can assist you.