Every year, the same pattern plays out: giant brands with armies of PR advisors still manage to implode right in the public eye. And every year, the rest of us shake our heads, and then quietly take notes.
Here are three hard-earned lessons drawn from this year's most evident PR disasters.
1. Authenticity is a Strategy
In March 2026, McDonald's released a video of CEO Chris Kempczinski promoting the brand's new Big Arch burger. The video showed Kempczinski taking a small, visibly reluctant bite and referring to the burger as a "product," stripping the moment of any warmth. The internet noticed instantly, and the clip was mocked at mass across social media.
Burger King moved quickly, releasing a video of their president taking an enthusiastic bite of a Whopper, and the clip went viral. What began as a product launch became a "burger war" McDonald's never wanted to fight, but they were losing.
Before any public-facing moment, ask not only "is this polished?" but "does this feel real?"
Audiences crave authenticity. Whether you’re a global brand or a small business, staged messaging can backfire.
2. "It Was a Different Time" Is Not an Apology
When Netflix released a documentary revisiting America's Next Top Model's controversial past, all eyes turned to Tyra Banks. Tyra's response was, to put it kindly, a mess. Defensive, inconsistent, and heavy on excuses.
She avoided the hardest questions and failed to demonstrate genuine accountability. The allegations were dominating media coverage before any coherent response had been formulated.
The tragedy is that this was predictable. A prepared response with accountability could have reversed the narrative, but the defensive position confirmed every critic's worst suspicions.
Transparency builds credibility, even in difficult situations. When mistakes happen, acknowledge them quickly and take responsibility.
3. Empathy First
OpenAI faced lawsuits alleging ChatGPT played a role in suicides amongst users. Plaintiffs argued the AI validated delusional thinking, fostered unhealthy emotional dependence, and failed to properly handle conversations involving self-harm.
In any crisis involving real suffering, legal instinct says minimize, but communications instinct says humanize. The company's response defended their safety record rather than acknowledging the human cost.
When a crisis involves real suffering, humanizing MUST come first. Lead with empathy, then explain what you are doing about it. Anything less tells the public that the organization values its legal position over the people affected.
Conclusion
Even experienced communications teams make mistakes. The key is preparing for the unexpected: run crisis simulations, audit your response plans, and stay transparent with your audience. Mistakes are inevitable, but reputational damage doesn’t have to be.
