There is an element of chaos theory to a PR crisis. Some are horrific, but seemingly have little long-term impact. Others appear relatively benign but ultimately serve as a catalyst for a corporate death spiral. The truth is that the true impact of a crisis is often best judged years after the fact. So, in that spirit, feel free to enjoy the 2020 list of Biggest PR Disasters to see which ones had a meaningful and lasting impact.
And if you are more interested in this year’s list of PR disasters, here you go:
VIC VELA
Colorado Public Radio reporter and podcast host Vic Vela was beloved because of his engaging social media presence and inspiring personal story of overcoming drug and alcohol addiction. It came as a shock in January when CPR fired Vela for what it claimed was his failure “to address his hostile behavior.” Vela went on the public relations offensive, filing a lawsuit and conducting media interviews claiming that CPR fired him for asking for accommodations to help maintain his sobriety. The strategy seemed to have worked, and Vela and CPR reached a financial settlement in April.
In July, Vela accepted an on-air position with New Mexico PBS, but that came to an end in September when he announced he had relapsed and lost his new position as a result. This unfortunate series of events highlights the ongoing challenges faced by individuals in recovery. Addiction is a complex and deeply personal struggle, and relapses can be a difficult part of the journey.
MATTEL
The toy manufacturer was hit with a class-action lawsuit after mistakenly printing the URL of a porn site on the packaging of its “Wicked”-themed children’s doll rather than the movie’s official website. It’s fair to say Mattel likely received more media coverage in 2024 than it has in the past few years combined, which may have benefited the Universal Pictures movie. “Wicked” is the eighth-highest-grossing movie of 2024.
SEAN ‘DIDDY’ COMBS
After years of rumors and allegations, singer and rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested in September on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He was taken into custody and denied bail, meaning he will remain in jail at least until his trial.
Media and lawyers representing Combs’ alleged victims quickly began circling, and numerous celebrities who attended Combs’ famous – now infamous – “White Parties” also faced intense scrutiny. Several, most notably rapper Jay-Z and actor Cuba Gooding Jr., have been sued for allegedly sexually assaulting women associated with Combs. Meanwhile, rumors of large confidential settlements involving other, as-yet-unnamed celebrities continue to swirl in Hollywood and New York City.
UNITEDHEALTHCARE
UnitedHealthcare became a symbol of public frustration with the American health care system when its CEO, Brian Thompson, was shot and killed outside a New York City hotel. Rather than being universally condemned, the alleged assailant was celebrated by some on social media as delivering a blow against what they perceive to be greedy insurance conglomerates.
BOEING
Boeing has joined the ranks of Facebook, Uber and Subway as repeat offenders vying for spots in the PR Disasters Hall of Fame. You might have thought that the two 737 Max crashes that killed 346 people, and the subsequent 20-month grounding imposed on the aircraft that disrupted air travel globally, would have been rock bottom, but it wasn’t.
In January, a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max flight. No one was killed, but the images of the plane making an emergency landing with a massive hole in its side went viral worldwide. The subsequent investigation found a pattern of shoddy construction by the vendor who assembled parts of the plane for Boeing. As bad as that was, it would get worse.
Things worsened in September when a seven-week employee strike halted most production, exacerbating Boeing’s financial troubles. After the strike, the company announced 17,000 layoffs and was forced to raise $25 billion through stock sales, debt and loans to avoid a junk bond credit rating. Since the initial crashes in 2019, Boeing’s stock has dropped nearly 60%, even as the S&P 500 rose 216%.
CROWDSTRIKE
It is likely you had never heard of the cybersecurity company Crowdstrike until July, when a bug in the company’s automated software update shut down computer systems around the world, including at 60% of Fortune 500 companies. When the 72-hour outage was over, Crowdstrike customers had lost more than $5 billion in revenue and the company’s stock price had dropped 22% – approximately $20 billion.
UNITED AIRLINES
United Airlines may be based in Chicago, but it feels like Denver’s hometown airline. That is one of the reasons it was so shocking to learn that Denver Broncos legend and NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Davis had been handcuffed and escorted off a United flight in July – in front of his family, no less – and immediately banned from flying the airline again.
A flight attendant claimed Davis struck them, while Davis insisted he had merely tapped the flight attendant’s arm to ask for ice. There were plenty of witnesses, and United, after a quick investigation, apologized to Davis, fired the flight attendant and restored Davis’ ability to fly on the airline. Davis sensed the incident was racially motivated and his PR team went to work, posting Davis’ thoughts on social media and talking to media outlets ranging from CNN to the “CBS Morning Show.”
IVY LEAGUE PRESIDENTS
It can’t be easy running a university when your students lean liberal and your alumni and biggest donors are largely conservative. The attack on Israel and subsequent war in Gaza only heightened those tensions. Congressional hearings on campus “wokeness” and antisemitism coincided with the resignations of five of the eight presidents of Ivy Leagueuniversities – Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Cornell and Yale.
AURORA, COLORADO
In crisis communications, one of the first questions we ask is whether there are photos or videos of whatever issue a client is facing. It makes an enormous difference. That proved true in Aurora when video of several members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were shown on surveillance cameras trying to enter an apartment carrying high-powered assault weapons. That video led to claims that gangs had taken over entire apartment buildings, which snowballed into claims that the city of Aurora had been overrun by Venezuelan gang members.
Aurora hit rock bottom when former and future President Donald Trump announced he would hold a rally in Aurora to bring attention to the city’s plight. Aurora’s Republican mayor, Mike Coffman, pleaded with Republicans nationally to stop misrepresenting his city, to no avail. In fact, Trump doubled down, naming a proposed deportation initiative “Operation Aurora,” further entrenching the city in controversy.
NETFLIX
Legendary boxer Mike Tyson’s return to the ring at age 58 to fight Jake Paul was the talk of the sports world in November, but only some of it had to do with the boxers. The fight was streamed on Netflix, one of the platform’s first major live sporting events, and, well, it proved the company was not up for the moment. Wannabe viewers reported massive buffering and freezing issues due to Netflix technical issues, and Netflix responded by suggesting subscribers check their internet connections, as if that was the problem. Meanwhile, nearly 8 million people bypassed Netflix altogether, watching the fight on Twitter via a livestream from the phone of former NFL player Antonio Brown, who was in the crowd.
PRINCESS KATE
Some of the biggest PR disasters come from unforced errors, and Princess Kate Middleton provided a textbook example this year. After undergoing a surprise abdominal surgery in January, she disappeared from public view for several months. As weeks passed, British media scrutiny grew, and increasingly wild rumors spread. To calm the frenzy, Kate released a photo of herself with her three children on British Mother’s Day in March.
However, the media quickly realized the image had been photoshopped, sparking outrage and fueling even more conspiracy theories. Instead of quelling speculation, the poorly edited photo intensified it. Kate apologized and released unaltered photos in an effort to regain public trust. This incident underscores the intense public scrutiny faced by high-profile figures and the challenging decisions they must make to protect their privacy. In hindsight, Kate’s actions may reflect the immense pressure she was under while quietly dealing with significant personal health challenges.
LEGACY MEDIA
Experts are still assessing the winners and losers from President’s Trump’s re-election, but a consensus early loser is legacy media. While Trump campaigned through alternative media –such as podcaster Joe Rogan, influencer Adin Ross and professional wrestler Logan Paul – mainstream outlets such as The Washington Post and The New York Times became walled-off echo chambers for left-leaning audiences. Adding injury to insult, billionaire owners of The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times blocked the newspapers from making presidential endorsements, creating a flood of subscriber cancellations that primarily hurt reporters and editors.
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