PRWeek US

Unboxing the fall of the unboxing video The influencer gifting strategy that became a staple in the early 2010s has lost its spark with consumers amid excessive, impersonal PR packages, says Rise at Seven’s Gretchen Turnbull.

In this week's Gen Zeitgeist, Rise at Seven's Gretchen Turnbull unboxes the fall of the unboxing video — the social media staple that connects consumers with products through influencer PR packages.

www.prweek.com/article/1935...

A Swiftie’s guide to meaningfully marketing ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ In order to resonate with Taylor Swift’s fanbase, brands need to emulate the popstar’s unique storytelling in their own narratives, says Narrative’s Connor Gerrity.

In this week's Gen Zeitgeist, Narative Strategies' Connor Gerrity breaks down a Swiftie's guide for brands looking to meaningfully activate around Taylor Swift's #TheLifeOfAShowgirl album release this Friday.

Need to know info: What a shutdown means for government communications How press secretaries, the White House and agency briefings have communicated with the public in previous shutdowns.

The federal government appears headed for a shutdown. What does that mean for government communications?

How press secretaries, the White House and agency briefings have communicated with the public in previous shutdowns:

PRWeek Healthcare Awards 2026 opens for entries The winners of the fifth annual awards will be celebrated during a gala dinner at Current at Pier 59 in New York City on May 7.

PRWeek’s Healthcare Awards program is back for the fifth year and open for entries.

The awards showcase the best campaigns, craft, projects, agencies, teams and individuals in the healthcare and pharma PR sectors.

Details:

www.prweek.com/article/1934...

The Life of a Baker: How KitchenAid crafted its Taylor Swift-inspired stand mixer ahead of TS12 The kitchen appliance brand partnered with MSL, WoW Studios, Manifest and OneMagnify to bring 12 sparkly orange stand mixers to life.

Taylor Swift is entering her showgirl era this Friday, and, ahead of the release of her 12th studio album, KitchenAid is cheffing up a wishlist collab, combining some of the global pop star’s enchanted baked goods with its stand mixer.

Trendjacking: cringey or Gen Z gold? Brands hopping on the latest trends for visibility need to do so with intention in order to resonate with Gen Z audiences, says Bold Vision PR’s Erica Williams.

In this week's Gen Zeitgeist, Bold Vision PR founder Erica Williams questions if trendjacking is a viable PR strategy for reaching Gen Z or just plain cringey.

www.prweek.com/article/1933...

Global health officials repudiate Trump’s Tylenol-autism link Experts from the WHO and other national health organizations emphasized that there is no conclusive evidence tying paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, to autism or ADHD, despite President Trump’...

Global health officials are repudiating President Donald Trump’s unproven medical claim that Tylenol’s active ingredient, acetaminophen, is linked to autism.

Details:

‘Boy, it’s been a busy first 60 days’: Cracker Barrel social lead reflects on backlash Bri Reynolds joined Cracker Barrel just weeks before its logo change sparked intense backlash.

"Boy, it's been a busy first 60 days.”

Mere weeks before Cracker Barrel Old Country Store changed its logo, igniting a wave of intense backlash against the chain of country-themed restaurant and gift stores, Bri Reynolds joined as its social media lead.

The 2025 PRWeek and Boston University AI in PR Survey The inaugural AI survey provides the biggest insights into its use in PR yet produced, with perception still outpacing reality.

PRWeek and Boston University's inaugural #AI survey provides the biggest insights into the technology's use in PR yet produced, with perception still outpacing reality.

Explore the 2025 PRWeek and Boston University AI in PR Survey:

www.prweek.com/article/1932...

Carolina Panthers fire PR employee over Charlie Kirk social media post Charlie Rock, who served as a football communications coordinator with the NFL team, is the latest person to face firing for comments in relation to Kirk’s death.

The Carolina Panthers have fired a PR employee following a social media post he made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Details:

www.prweek.com/article/1932...

Brands need to go back to school to reach Gen Z — literally Companies that activate meaningful, in-person back-to-school experiences will score big with Gen Z students this fall, says Campus Multimedia’s Olivia Dooley.

In this week's Gen Zeitgeist, Campus Multimedia school relationships manager Olivia Dooley urges brands to activate meaningful, in-person back-to-school campaigns on high school and college campuses this fall.

www.prweek.com/article/1931...

Get to know PRWeek's 40 Under 40 class of 2025 PRWeek profiles the newest members of this distinguished club leading the next generation of PR and marketing.

The latest class of PRWeek’s 40 Under 40 highlights the best and brightest young talent that the PR industry has to offer.

Read the profiles of the newest members of this distinguished club leading the next generation of PR and marketing:

College graduates are ditching the job market for content creation Amid layoffs and hiring freezes, creators like Katie Feeney, Lohanny Santos and Connor Wood are building their own careers online, says University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Lauryn Taylor.

In this week's Gen Zeitgeist, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill undergraduate student Lauryn Taylor breaks down how college graduates are ditching the job market for careers as content creators.

Cracker Barrel removes ‘inclusion’ content from website References to the company’s business resource groups for members of the LGBTQ+, Black, Hispanic and Latino and neurodiverse communities have been erased from the site.

Cracker Barrel removes ‘inclusion’ content from website — References to the company’s business resource groups for members of the LGBTQ+, Black, Hispanic and Latino and neurodiverse communities have been erased from the site.

Brands wanna go Greek. Don’t you? While brands like Bumble and Alani Nu are sponsoring student ambassadors, Poppi is expanding its on-campus presence by taking over RushTok, says UNC Chapel Hill graduate Tia Malika Chawla.

In this week's Gen Zeitgeist, @uncchapelhill.bsky.social recent graduate Tia Chawla explains how brands like Poppi are showing up on campuses this fall through sorority-targeted branded products and social media content, taking over #RushTok.

PRWeek reveals Hall of Fame class of 2025 The honorees will be celebrated at a gala dinner in New York City on November 20.

PRWeek has revealed its Hall of Fame class of 2025 — The honorees will be celebrated at a gala dinner in New York City on November 20.

See who's in this year's class:

Are brands prioritizing reach over reputation? Brands, like E.l.f. Beauty, need to research the influencers they partner with, or face the consequences, says Morgan State University’s Addis Romero.

In this week's Gen Zeitgeist, Morgan State University's Addis Romero addresses the latest brand campaign crisis: E.l.f. Beauty's partnership with comedian Matt Rife, and questions if brands are prioritizing reach over reputation?

www.prweek.com/article/1929...

OpenAI’s Hannah Wong offers clarity from AI cacophony The CCO of the AI giant focuses on product education over brand buzz.

Newsmaker: Hannah Wong, OpenAI's first chief communications officer, communicates clarity in times of crisis for the world’s most valuable hashtag #AI startup.

Read the full profile:

www.prweek.com/article/1929258/openais-hannah-wong-offers-clarity-ai-cacophony

Travis Kelce is not just a football trophy boyfriend The Kansas City Chiefs tight end is building his own brand and personality outside of the NFL and his superstar girlfriend, says PRWeek editorial intern Sabrina Oliveri.

In this week's Gen Zeitgeist, PRWeek editorial intern Sabrina Oliveri gives her analysis on why Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs tight end and romantic partner to popstar Taylor Swift, is not just a football trophy boyfriend.

www.prweek.com/article/1928...

Meet Mug Root Beer’s new mascot: The world’s ugliest dog The PepsiCo-owned root-beer brand, which sponsored the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest, is launching limited-edition cans replacing its classic Bulldog with the winning pup.

Petunia, the canine champion of the 2025 World’s Ugliest Dog Contest, may look “ruff” to some, but not to Mug Root Beer.

www.prweek.com/article/1928...

Sex isn't a strategy, it's a tactic American Eagle missed the mark with Gen Z on its Sydney Sweeney campaign by advertising sex, but forgetting to be real, says Sabra Strategies’ Sloan Wyatt.

In this week's Gen Zeitgeist, Sabra Strategies' Sloan Wyatt explains how American Eagle missed the mark with Gen Z on its Sydney Sweeney campaign by advertising sex, but forgetting to be real.

www.prweek.com/article/1927...

Why Reddit is the best place for brands to build credibility in health From women’s wellness to chronic condition care, pharma brands are finally waking up to Reddit’s power as a go-to hub for real talk and trust, says Zeno Group’s Samantha Cronin.

In this week's Gen Zeitgeist, Zeno Group's Samantha Cronin is breaking down the most unexpected place to build brand credibility in health: Reddit.

prweek.com/article/1927267/why-reddit-best-place-brands-build-credibility-health

Edelman appoints Jennifer Hauser to lead New York office President of global practices and sectors Alex Thompson has departed the agency as part of a restructuring of the firm’s central global practices and sectors team.

People moves: Edelman has appointed Jennifer Hauser as GM of its New York office.

Details:

www.prweek.com/article/1927...

Micromanaging creators is the fastest way to lose Gen Z Brands partnering with creators need to let their individual personalities shine through, or risk losing their targeted audience, says Twirl’s Abigail Swanson.

In this week's Gen Zeitgeist, Twirl's Abigail Swanson breaks down why brands partnering with creators need to let their individual, authentic voices shine through, or risk losing the Gen Z audience.

PRWeek US Power List 2025 Our annual look at the 50 most powerful movers and shakers in the industry returns for its 19th year.

The Power List is here — PRWeek's annual look at the 50 most powerful movers and shakers in the industry returns for its 19th year.

Explore the full list here:

Should brands use others' crises for engagement? Netflix, Paramount, X, Ryanair and Tesla were among the brands that poked fun at the viral Astronomer CEO video.

Netflix, Paramount, X, Ryanair and Tesla were among the brands that poked fun at the viral #ColdplayGate video.

Do you see a problem with brands using others' crises for engagement?

The ‘F1’ movie is fueling Americans’ need for speed through product placements Branded placements on team uniforms, fire suits and racecars in the new movie showcase how brands are investing in authentic visibility, says Northwestern University’s Leila Dhawan.

Start your engines. In this week's Gen Zeitgeist, Northwestern University undergrad Leila Dhawan highlights how product placements in the recently released F1 movie showcase how brands are investing in authentic visibility on the big screen.

www.prweek.com/article/1925...

Texas flood relief: Brands like Home Depot, H-E-B and Dallas Cowboys rally to support communities Whataburger, H-E-B and AT&T, along with sports teams, quickly released statements after the tragedy.

Brands are quickly pitching in to provide help to the relief and recovery efforts taking place in response to catastrophic floods that swept across the Texas Hill Country on Friday.

5 years of Pride in PR: What changed, stayed the same and still needs progress Pride in PR alumni explain how the comms industry has evolved and the new challenges in continuing outward support of the LGBTQ+ community.

A lot has changed around representation within the PR industry, among other sectors, in the last five years. Pride in PR alumni explain how the comms industry has evolved and the new challenges in continuing outward support of the LGBTQ+ community.

PRWeek launches Pride in PR 2025 To mark the fifth year of the Pride Month initiative, PRWeek is honoring 30 new leading LGBTQ+ PR and communications professionals.

Now in its fifth year, Pride in PR highlights the impact of 30 new individuals at a time when the LGBTQ+ community faces legislative setbacks and decreasing social support as brands pull back their Pride collections, activations and investments throughout the month of June.