3 chapters across the catalog
The hosts analyze how corporations like Shell and BP use philanthropic attachments to buy "public relations insurance." They question whether Nikole Hannah-Jones was unaware of Shell's history or if the financial incentive was simply too large to ignore.
A crisis management expert on CNBC critiqued the NBA's initial response, suggesting they failed by attempting to deny, delay, and deflect. The expert argued that while American audiences might forget the controversy within a week due to short social media attention spans, the Chinese government maintains a much longer memory. The league faces a marketing dilemma in trying to appease US fans without further alienating the $4 billion Chinese market.
Edward Bernays, the "father of propaganda," is discussed regarding his 1920s "Torches of Freedom" campaign which encouraged women to smoke in public. By framing cigarettes as symbols of liberation for feminists, Bernays successfully broke a social taboo to benefit his client, Lucky Strike. The hosts explain how the term "public relations" was created to replace the word "propaganda" due to the latter's negative connotations.
