Borkowski Weekly Media Trends 23-09-22
Phil & Holly | Iran Tragedy becomes powerful symbol | ex Uber CEO's risky media blackout
An UnHolly Phil from Grace?
Once seemingly inching their way towards national treasure status, television presenter duo Holly and Phil are now battling to halt a reputational slide that has seen them recast as British national pariahs.
Reportedly far more popular with viewers than with fellow industry professionals at their peak, they have induced outrage, firstly for the perceived insensitivity to the cost of living crisis behind the decision to offer to pay people’s energy bills as a ‘spin to win’ prize.
Although ironically it almost definitely wasn’t either of their decisions, they didn’t help themselves by appearing to double down on the prize and the apparent lightness with which it treated skyrocketing energy bills.
The cardinal sin came last week when they were accused of skipping the queue to see the Queen lying in state. Their employer ITV were slow and unconvincing in offering support to their stars, obfuscating that the pair’s journalistic duties were sufficiently different from the general public’s mere paying of respects that the queue didn’t apply to them.
The British public - led by precisely the demographics that comprise This Morning’s audience- was in an unforgiving mood towards those perceived as disrespecting the nation’s farewell to Queen Elizabeth II, which further exacerbated the controversy - alongside an onslaught of memes.
Ultimately the situation should be salvageable with an apology and a period of lying low, but the two controversies have put a dent in Phil and Holly’s cosy daytime ubiquity that will require careful management.
Iran Tragedy becomes powerful global symbol
In the year 2022, women across the world are still fighting for their rights. In the last couple of years we have seen young girls in Afghanistan protest against the Taliban in to protect their right to be educated. We have watched the US supreme court overturn Roe vs Wade, taking away women’s abortion rights. Earlier this week, we watched a 22-year-old woman lose her life at the hands of Tehran’s police for breaking the country’s strict religious dogma by not wearing her hijab. The death of Mahsa Amini has traumatised a nation of people who have already suffered under Iran’s regime, hoping for a little more freedom.
The demonstrations across Iran have displayed images of women across all ages, who are stripping off their headscarves in protest. Mahsa Amini is not the first, and sadly will not be the last to lose her life to the authoritarian regime. Neda Agha-Soltan was 26 years old when she was perished in central Tehran 2009 riots. Sahar Khodayari set herself on fire in 2019 after being sentenced for attending a football match. This display of terror has shown us that despite the relative freedom that women have won in the western world, there is still a long way to go in terms of global gender equality.
These protests will not succeed in overturning the hijab obligation, however this is just one small example of a nation where women have been restricted in using their voice who are now coming together to speak out against unruly enforcement. Mahsa Amini has now become a symbol for equality, especially within Iran. The name will forever stand as a symbol of resilience, one that appears to have echoed around the word.
Can Uber’s founder boycott the press while managing a $15bn operation?
Anyone who’s read about Uber’s meteoric rise in the 2010s will know about former CEO Travis Kalanick’s impressive entrepreneurship, innovating in burgeoning areas where regulation is underdeveloped and growing Uber at a lightning speed. However, Kalanick reportedly oversaw an insidious and disturbing work culture, ignoring hundreds of reports of sexual harassment and public accounts of the company’s unethical corporate culture, and Uber ousted him in 2017.
Since then, he’s established a food and delivery business called CloudKitchens, spreading across Latin America, that makes food exclusively for delivery apps. Kalanick has quietly raised funds from the likes of Microsoft, and analysts value the business at $15bn. But while most companies would be shouting their success to the heavens, Kalanick has sworn off the press, shutting down all external communications. CloudKitchens insiders have described Kalanick’s tactics as pure paranoia following his downfall at Uber - the company he founded.
His approach to press and media is unique in today’s climate, especially with brands becoming evermore paranoid and fearful of cancel culture whilst aware of the value a solid comms team provides. Can business powerhouses simply ignore the media? And does this transfer to influential celebrities: can the cancelled find solitude by quietly going about their business?
Whilst these strategies may partially work in the short term, folk like Kalanick must ultimately emerge from the shadows if they want to see sustainable, long-term growth. To eschew press like this, you’re entrusting a tiny, tightly woven group to make decisions for the company. The bigger the brand, the harder it is to manage internal comms, and the more desperate journalists and whistle-blowers will be to reveal the inner workings. Whilst many of Kalanick’s skeletons have been plucked from the closet, new questions for the entrepreneur emerge weekly, and the pressure to answer them will mount as his business operation doubles and triples in size. Kalanick’s company is certainly one to watch. Not for its business merits, but to find out whether his distrust for the media and blackout comms strategy will come back to haunt him.