Shows
Reputation TownSidney Sweeney, BBC vs Trump, TTC cancels Halloween, Prince Andrew on the outsIn this episode, we break down some of the recent headlines in the PR world, including the BBC apologizing to President Trump for deceptive editing, Sidney Sweeney's high-profile GQ interview as a master class in media training, Katie Porter being not so nice to staff behind the scenes, Prince Andrew getting stripped of his royal title, the TTC cancelling its Halloween fest and Canada's Parliamentary Budget Officer was perhaps a bit too transparent for the government's taste.
2025-11-1445 minReputation TownGary's gun grab, KFC recipe leaked, Riyadh comedy festival, AI actress stir, UK goes 1984This week, we chat about several stories in which the politicians should have paid better attention in media training class (including Mark Carney and Gary Anandasangaree). We also check in on how Jimmy Kimmel's ratings have fared since his controversial pause and unpause last week, an AI actress who's ruffling feathers in the top levels of Hollywood, the controversy around the Riyadh comedy festival, Col. Sanders' great-great nephew allegedly leaks the coveted KFC recipe after being dissed by the company and more. We also discuss some of the troubling developments in the UK, including the suppression of free speech...
2025-10-041h 23Reputation TownJimmy Kimmel Cancelled, Charlie Kirk, Ben & Jerry's, Cracker Barrel, Banksy and moreThis week, John and Warren talk about the controversial suspension of Jimmy Kimmel from his late-night show and the implications re: free speech, the ongoing backlash against people celebrating the death of Charlie Kirk online, next steps for Cracker Barrel as an activist investor is calling for the CEO's firing, Canada's PM does a housing announcement in front of a fake partially-built house constructed for the press conference and then dismantled and Banksy's new piece in the UK.
2025-09-191h 09Reputation TownCracker Barrel U-turn, Crown Royal to USA, the failed bench press that hurt a mayoral campaignThis week, John and Warren talk about Cracker Barrel's $700 million U-turn, Mitch Marner blasts fans on his way out of town, Canadian GDP shrinks, Crown Royal bottling plant moves to USA at the expense of 160 Canadian jobs, the media's skewed coverage of the story of the Lindsay, Ontario man who fought off an intruder who entered his home in the middle of the night, armed with a crossbow and the failed bench press that has hurt the NYC mayoral campaign of Zohran Mamdani.
2025-08-291h 04Reputation TownElbows down! Air Canada strike, Cracker Barrel rebrand, Colbert canned, self-defence laws in CanadaIn this episode, John and Warren discuss the latest in the Canada/US trade war (Elbows Down!), the reputational impacts of the Air Canada strike and the way it was handled by the company, the controversy around Cracker Barrel's rebrand, Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad, a few mins about the Coldplay concert cheating scandal (sorry, we missed a few weeks of pods!), the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's show, the state of the UK and how it's being covered in the media and a man in Lindsay, Ontario has been charged by police for defending himself with a knife after...
2025-08-221h 17Reputation TownJaguar sales down 98%, RCMP calls traditional values 'extreme', Sportsnet price hike backlash and moreIn this episode, John and Warren discuss some recent stories in the PR and issues management realm, including the growing backlash against Sportsnet's 30% price hike on its hockey programming, an RCMP spokesperson who appeared to say that Canadians exhibiting traditional values might be becoming extremists, Boston Consulting Group's controversy regarding a Gaza related project, Rogers allegedly used 1,000 human customer service employees to train a new AI tool and then proceeded to fire all those employees (and require them to sign NDAs in order to get their severance) and we revisit Jaguar's woke rebrand, which doesn't seem to be going...
2025-07-121h 08Reputation TownJake Tapper flogs a book, No Greatness for the Leafs, Outdoor Boys creator quits YouTube and moreThis week, John and Warren talk about Jake Tapper's new book and the accusations that he was part of the journalistic coverup he's highlighting, MLSE's handling of yet another disappointing year for the Toronto Maple Leafs, YouTube creator Luke Nichols (Outdoor Boys) quits the platform at the peak of his fame to focus on his family, murky water in Stoney Creek during labour disruption and is Tom Cruise the last real action movie hero?
2025-05-231h 00Reputation TownCoinbase, Frontier Airlines, NHL owner reprimanded for tweet, Toronto councillors' 24% pay raiseWe hit on a bunch of stories this week, including Coinbase flipping the script on hackers trying to extort the company, the viral customer service video from Frontier Airlines, NHL owner Doug Cifu reprimanded by the league for getting into a Twitter battle with a fan, Walmart says it will have to increase prices because of tariffs, Toronto City councillors give themselves a hefty pay raise, Tim Horton's sliding quality, Bernie Sanders justifies flying private and a Nova Scotia police news conference about two missing children starts on an interesting note.
2025-05-151h 13Reputation TownThe new Pope's PR, Poilievre drops the ball, Belichick's odd interview, the Diddy trial, Michelle Obama's podcastThis week, we break down some of the more recent PR stories in the headlines, including the communications from the Vatican around the new Pope, the curiously low viewership numbers for Michelle Obama's new podcast, Ron MacLean appears to be on a reputation management tour, what happens if you're a celebrity who's named during the Diddy trial, Pierre Poilievre drops the ball in stunning fashion and a former Facebook/Meta insider has a best-selling book talking about some of the company's shady practices.
2025-05-091h 06Reputation TownLA Mayor's media freeze-up, upside down airplanes, trade wars, Mike Meyers and Wayne GretzkyIn this episode, we catch up on some of the stories of the recent past, including LA Mayor Karen Bass's on-camera freeze-up in response to the California wildfires, Delta's handling of the upside-down plane crash in Toronto, Trudeau's handling of the trade war with the US and a look at some Canadian celebrities making headlines, including Mike Meyers and Number 99.
2025-03-0857 minReputation Town2024 Wrap-Up: Top PR crisis stories of the year with guest Molly McPhersonThis week, we welcome back our friend Molly McPherson to help us wrap up 2024 and break down some of the top PR crisis stories. We didn't discuss our topics with each other ahead of time, so in this episode, you're getting our real-time reactions and breakdowns to these stories, including the strategies behind them (or lack thereof) and any lessons learned. Thanks to Molly for joining us and we hope you enjoy this year-end episode.
2024-12-181h 04
The PR Breakdown with Molly McPhersonYear in Review: 2024's Disasters, Recoveries, and Lessons LearnedThey’re back and ready to dissect the year’s biggest communications fiascos. I’m joined by Warren Weeks and John Perenack, my Candian colleagues in crisis behind the Reputation Town podcast, to break down 2024’s most cringe-worthy PR disasters. We’re talking about brand meltdowns, public figures who just couldn’t keep it together, and major corporations fumbling their way through social backlash. From outrageous missteps to the frantic damage control that followed, you’ll hear why these moments matter—and how they’ve changed the game for everyone trying to stay ahead of the chaos.This isn’t your st...
2024-12-181h 02The PR Breakdown with Molly McPhersonYear in Review: 2024's Disasters, Recoveries, and Lessons LearnedThey’re back and ready to dissect the year’s biggest communications fiascos. I’m joined by Warren Weeks and John Perenack, my Candian colleagues in crisis behind the Reputation Town podcast, to break down 2024’s most cringe-worthy PR disasters. We’re talking about brand meltdowns, public figures who just couldn’t keep it together, and major corporations fumbling their way through social backlash. From outrageous missteps to the frantic damage control that followed, you’ll hear why these moments matter—and how they’ve changed the game for everyone trying to stay ahead of the chaos.This isn’t your st...
2024-12-181h 02Reputation TownMean Toronto librarians, Biznasty defends restaurant staff, the Canada Post Strike lingers and moreThis week, John and Warren talk about the ongoing Canada Post strike and the damage it's causing, both to Canadians and to the organization's brand, Paul Bissonnette steps up to defend Arizona restaurant staff and finds himself in a 6 on 1 brawl, Paul Krugman retiring from the NYT and how he'll be remembered, Toronto Public Library gets itself into hot water after a staffer refused to let a lost young girl use a phone to call her mother, journalist Taylor Lorenz makes a post apparently celebrating CEO killings and more.
2024-12-0749 minReputation TownJaguar's rebrand, Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson and BlueSky's big momentThis week, John and Warren talk about the controversial rebrand from Jaguar, the reputational implications from the Jake Paul and Mike Tyson fight, including for Netflix, which had technical trouble serving its live audience, Space X's COO answering questions about government contracts and the move millions are making to social media platform BlueSky.
2024-11-2248 minReputation TownUS Presidential Election recap, RIP Mike Bullard and McDonalds' E. coli crisisIn this 50th episode of the Reputation Town podcast, we do a breakdown of the US Presidential election, looking specifically at the elements of media relations, whether podcasts have eclipsed mainstream media, etc. We also discuss the complicated legacy of comedian and former late-night talk show host Mike Bullard, who recently died at the age of 67. And finally, we look at McDonalds' effective handling of its recent E. coli contamination crisis.
2024-11-0852 minThe PR Breakdown with Molly McPhersonElection PR Showdown: Campaign Predictions with the Guys from the Reputation Town PodcastIt's a special episode featuring Molly's conversation with Canadian PR experts Warren Weeks and John Perenack from the Reputation Town podcast. Just days before the 2024 presidential election, they break down the most talked-about PR moves and media strategies shaping this historic race.Episode HighlightsAnalysis of Trump's McDonald's publicity stunt in PennsylvaniaThe "garbage" rhetoric war between campaignsJeff Bezos and the Washington Post's controversial no-endorsement decisionWhy traditional denial strategies are failing in the social media eraRising distrust in mainstream media and its impact on campaign messagingOur predictions for Election Day 2024If you...
2024-11-0552 minThe PR Breakdown with Molly McPhersonElection PR Showdown: Campaign Predictions with the Guys from the Reputation Town PodcastIt's a special episode featuring Molly's conversation with Canadian PR experts Warren Weeks and John Perenack from the Reputation Town podcast. Just days before the 2024 presidential election, they break down the most talked-about PR moves and media strategies shaping this historic race.Episode HighlightsAnalysis of Trump's McDonald's publicity stunt in PennsylvaniaThe "garbage" rhetoric war between campaignsJeff Bezos and the Washington Post's controversial no-endorsement decisionWhy traditional denial strategies are failing in the social media eraRising distrust in mainstream media and its impact on campaign messagingOur predictions for Election Day 2024If you...
2024-11-0552 minReputation TownPre-election pod with special guest Molly McPhersonWith four days to go before the US Presidential Election, we're joined by our good friend Molly McPherson to discuss the presidential campaigns, each candidate's use of the media, the role podcasts will play in this year's election, the controversy around the 'garbage' comments and, finally, each of us gives our prediction of what we think will happen on Nov. 5th. Hope you enjoy this episode!
2024-11-0148 minReputation TownGrading Kamala's media work, TD's $3B fine, Dave Grohl's side baby, Quantas subjects passengers to R-rated movieIn this episode, we catch up on some stories from the past few weeks, including Dave Grohl's confession about having a baby outside his marriage, Samsung's apology for missing its earnings estimate, Quantas forces an entire plane full of passengers to watch an R-rated movie, TD is fined US$3 billion for failing to live up to its anti-money laundering requirements and the bulk of this episode (the latter half) is spent analyzing the media relations performance of presidential candidate Kamala Harris over the past few weeks. Hope you enjoy this episode of Reputation Town!
2024-10-1257 minReputation TownElon/Trump X chat, 900 CHML closes, bad PR for Disney, $18 mill of bonuses at the CBCThis week, John and Warren talk about the negative PR impacting Disney after the allergy death of a guest, the viral Australian breakdancer at the Olympics, the Trump/Musk conversation on X, Kamala Harris's reluctance to do media interviews, $18 million of bonuses at the CBC, a Boeing project manager tries his hand at media relations and more. Hope you enjoy this episode!
2024-08-1454 minReputation TownFallout after the attempted assassination of Trump, Crowdstrike outage, Cdn soccer drone scandal and moreThis week, John and Warren talk about the drone/spying scandal facing the Canadian Olympic women's soccer team, the wrap-up of the LCBO strike, the astronauts that 'are not stranded' on the International Space Station, the startup company that spent $1.8 million on a domain name and our main topic of the week, the fallout in the wake of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
2024-08-0157 minReputation TownBiden's downward spiral, TTC's weak response to murder, Paul Maurice's great speech, Al Michaels' goes A.I.This week, John and Warren chop up a few stories, including Paul Maurice's touching speech moments after winning the Stanley Cup, the TTC's inadequate response to a recent stabbing murder at Jane Station in Toronto and veteran broadcaster Al Michaels approves an artificial intelligence version of his voice to be used at the upcoming Olympics. We end this episode with a discussion of Joe Biden's dismal performance at the recent Presidential Debate, how his cognitive decline has been (mis)handled by much of the mainstream media and what does this all mean with four months until the US elections.
2024-07-091h 02Reputation TownTrump verdict, KateWatch, American Airlines blames 9-yr-old victim, study links crisis comms to stock priceThis week, Warren and John talk about stories including the Donald Trump guilty verdict, the continuing absence of Kate Middleton and Kensington Palace's curious handling of the situation, Shoppers Drug Mart posts a job ad looking for people to work for free, a US study tries to link crisis response to companies' stock price and Boston Pizza's curious creative choice for its TV ad during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode!
2024-06-0154 minReputation TownLeafs fire Keefe, Cdn army's minecraft logo, university protests and Galen blames the customersThis week, we break down some of the more recent PR stories in the news, including the Toronto Maple Leafs parting ways with their coach (and his video farewell), one of the Leafs players compares his teammates to 'gods', the Canadian army declares war on good design, the handling of the university protests and Galen Weston thinks customers are 'misguided' in their criticism of the Loblaw brand amid high grocery prices.
2024-05-1059 minReputation TownMaryland bridge disaster, the Huberman hit piece, cops vs LEGO, MLB, Marineland and Princess KateThis week, John and Warren discuss numerous PR-related stories in the news, including the comms around the Maryland bridge disaster, the reputational implications of the New York Magazine hit piece on YouTube neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, a California police department that got under the skin of the makers of LEGO, MLB's alleged gambling crisis, rumours swirling around the impending closure of Marineland and the continuing scrutiny around Kensington Palace's PR practices.
2024-03-261h 01Reputation TownDr. Terry Flynn joins us to break down the comms around KateGate and other PR stories of the weekThis week, we're joined by PR legend Dr. Terry Flynn, Graduate Director and Associate Professor for the Master of Communications Management Program at McMaster University. The anchor story of this week is the ongoing KateGate situation, which is the last story of the pod. Other stories we talk about this week include the dangers of over-media training your spokespeople, Toronto Police's advice to homeowners to leave their car keys by the front door to give easier access to car thieves, TikTok's lobbying initiative that backfired, Molson's great PR move to profile women's names on hockey jerseys and Ron MacLean...
2024-03-1558 minReputation TownBrad Ross joins us to discuss Google's woke AI, Shane Gillis on SNL, Arizona Coyotes and moreThis week, we're pumped to have communications veteran Brad Ross join the pod. Brad was the communications face of the Toronto Transit Commission for a decade and then the Chief Communications Officer for the City of Toronto. He's recently started his own communications business and he joined us this week to chop up stories including MLSE's security snafu, Shane Gillis hosting SNL, the NHLer cut by the Arizona Coyotes following a troubling social media post, Google's woke AI platform, a workplace podcaster who got into hot water and more.
2024-02-271h 11Reputation TownBoeing, Kyte Baby, Cloudflare, Bill Ackman vs Business Insider and Trudeau's vacationFor the first episode of 2024, we are very happy to be joined by a special guest: US-based crisis and PR expert Molly McPherson. In this episode, the panel does a deep dive into some of the more compelling issues, crisis and reputation stories in the news recently, including Boeing's lingering safety woes, the viral HR stories from Kyte Baby and Cloudflare, the ongoing war between Bill Ackman and Business Insider and the ethcis controversy around Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's recent vacation. Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode!
2024-01-291h 16The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson271: 2023's Biggest Public Relations Fiascos: A Year in ReviewPrepare to step back in time to revisit the top PR fiascos of 2023. Diving into the recent and semi-recent mishaps of the year and their enduring impacts. Joining Molly this week to breakdown the top crises of the year are two seasoned media and PR pros - John Perenack and Warren Weeks. This episode covers everything from significant advertising blunders to historical corporate crises. It's a mix of the obvious stories you'd expect on this list as well as some surprises. We're discussing what went down, who got hit the hardest, and what it all means for their reputation...
2023-12-1251 minThe PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson271: 2023's Biggest Public Relations Fiascos: A Year in ReviewPrepare to step back in time to revisit the top PR fiascos of 2023. Diving into the recent and semi-recent mishaps of the year and their enduring impacts. Joining Molly this week to breakdown the top crises of the year are two seasoned media and PR pros - John Perenack and Warren Weeks. This episode covers everything from significant advertising blunders to historical corporate crises. It's a mix of the obvious stories you'd expect on this list as well as some surprises. We're discussing what went down, who got hit the hardest, and what it all means for their reputation...
2023-12-1251 minReputation TownCBC layoffs, Ivy league weasels, Sports Illustrated’s AI crisis and the Chicago BlackhawksThis week, John and Warren look at some of the recent PR stories in the news, including the speculation of CBC paying bonuses to execs despite laying off 10% of its workforce, the abysmal testimony of three ivy league university presidents earlier this week, Sports Illustrated gets busted using fake/AI personas and some final thoughts on the Chicago Blackhawks/Corey Perry situation.
2023-12-0854 minReputation TownTexas A&M fires coach, Bud Light in bed with the UFC, a reneging sportscaster and Mr. BeastIn this episode, John and Warren ramble on about a few recent stories, including the massive severance package to Texas A&M's outgoing football coach, a sports radio personality who made a bold promise on-air only to back out of it, the off-duty pilot who tried to crash a plane full of people, Bud Light's hail Mary partnership with the UFC and two stories about Mr. Beast one in which he's suing the company behind his Mr. Beast Burger and the other where he's getting some hate for building 100 wells in Africa. We hope you enjoy this episode and...
2023-11-2044 minReputation TownBuddy Guy, plane lady update, Trump & Tucker and ’bad apples’ in journalismIn this episode, John and Warren ramble about the new contract the Maple Leafs signed with Auston Matthews, how to create a legacy in the style of Buddy Guy, the latest social media posts from Tiffany Gomas (the plane lady) and the strategy behind Donald Trump's sit-down with Tucker Carlson. The podcast wraps up with a discussion about working with reporters and what preparations spokespeople can take to prepare for the admittedly small percentage of journalists who might be a tad unethical or unprofessional.
2023-08-2545 minReputation TownBell Media layoffs, LIV/PGA, RFK Jr., Liz Gilbert’s self-cancellation and moreIn this episode, we break down some recent stories including Bell Media firing 1,300 people, the PR fallout from the LIV/PGA merger, author Elizabeth Gilbert's self-cancellation of her upcoming book, RFK Jr's end run around mainstream media on the podcast circuit, when should the crisis management firm become part of the story (if ever) and why running away from a media scrum is a bad look. Thanks for listening and if there's a topic you'd like to hear us chat about on the pod, please let us know.
2023-06-1644 minReputation TownBud Light, Elizabeth Holmes’s rebrand, anti-capitalist coffee shop and Elon vs. the comms dept.In this episode, John and Warren discuss Harry and Meghan's nearly catastrophic car chase, the NYT puff piece on Elizabeth Holmes as she prepares to go to prison, the anti-capitalist coffee shop that nearly went out of business in Toronto, the ongoing Bud Light controversy and what do you do as a comms person when you work for a CEO like Elon Musk?
2023-05-1942 minReputation TownCanucks vs Bruce, Tim Horton’s class action donut and Loblaw’s awkward authenticityThis week, John and Warren ramble on about the mishandling of the Bruce Boudreau firing in the NHL, Tim Horton's responding to a class action lawsuit about privacy violations by offering customers a coffee and a donut and Loblaws, the self-confessed 'face of food inflation', making an awkward attempt at authenticity on Twitter.
2023-02-0941 minReputation TownPrince Harry’s book, Bell’s mental health switcheroo, VIA’s slow response and moreThis week, we John and Warren touch on a number of stories with reputational implications, including Prince Harry's book, Bell's decision to change the structure of its annual mental health initiative, VIA Rail's very slow communications response to its recent operational woes during a major winter storm and a story about someone who may have bought and deleted the online archive of a community newspaper in order to delete negative media coverage about himself. As always, thanks for listening!
2023-01-1945 minReputation TownMolly McPherson joins us to talk algorithms, Sobeys, crypto and Elon/TwitterThis week, we're fortunate to have Molly McPherson join us to chat about some notable crisis management stories of the week. Molly shared her own story about being pulled into a social media kerfuffle and how she handled it. We also talked about the silence from grocery chain Sobeys while it deal with an ongoing data breach, the reputation elements of this week's crypto flameout and, of course, the ongoing controversy around Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter and some of the related business moves. Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode!
2022-11-1150 minReputation TownHockey Canada crisis analysis with the Friday roundtableWe're very fortunate this week to have an exceptional panel of crisis communicators with us to break down the Hockey Canada scandal. Joining John and Warren this week are Alberta-based media trainer Grant Ainsley, Alberta-based crisis expert Shawna Bruce and US-based crisis expert podcast host and TikTok celeb Molly McPherson. We hope you enjoy this conversation!
2022-10-1453 minReputation TownDay 12 for Bell Media, Andrew Tate, the Partying PM, and Marnie McBean’s standPR and crisis response expert Molly McPherson joins us this week to discuss five stories in the media, including the latest developments in the Lisa LaFlamme termination, the rapid rise and cancellation of Andrew Tate, Finnish PM Sanna Marin's response re: the leaked partying video, Rogers' heavily redacted report and Canadian Olympic gold medalist Marnie McBean's stand re: Hockey Canada.
2022-08-261h 00Reputation TownLisa LaFlamme vs Bell Media, the Crying CEO and Dan PriceIn this episode, we look at three recent stories through the lens of public relations and reputation management: The CEO who posted a crying selfie after firing two employees, the serious allegations against Dan Price and, of course, the media story that has dominated Canadian headlines this past week, the PR firestorm that Bell Media has found itself in after terminating the face of their nightly news broadcast, Lisa LaFlamme.
2022-08-2047 minReputation TownRogers’ handling of the communications side of the recent service outageIn this episode, we do a bit of a deep dive into Rogers' handling of the communications elements of its recent, massive service outage.
2022-07-2243 minReputation TownLIV Golf vs the PGA, TTC’s canned messaging and the Muzzo hospital naming controversyIs an institution such as a university or hospital ever required to remove the name of a large donor from one of their buildings? Mackenzie Health found itself facing this question earlier this week. And as the battle between LIV Golf and the PGA heats up, what are the reputation implications for the various parties? In the wake of a troubling attack on the Toronto Transit System, John and Warren chat about the TTC's public statement and whether or not it hits the mark. And there's also a little feel-good story for all you animal lovers.
2022-06-2452 minReputation TownOntario election, Depp vs. Heard and the implications of ignoring media requestsIn this episode, John and Warren talk about the media relations aspects of the recent Ontario election, the fallout from the Johnny Depp trial and the implications of companies that ignore media requests when there's a crisis taking place. Why do so many companies do it? Is it a smart call? And if not, what should they be doing instead?
2022-06-0742 minReputation TownCNN+, the Johnny Depp trial, Dolly Parton and Freshii’s virtual cashierIn this episode, Warren and John ramble about a few of the reputation management stories in the news these past few weeks, including the controversy around Freshii's new offshore, virtual cashier, short-lived CNN+, the reputational impacts of the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard defamation trial and Dolly Parton's impeccably cultivated reputation.
2022-05-0631 minReputation TownBreaking down the reputational fallout from The SlapIn this episode, we talk about the reputational aspects of the recent incident between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Academy Awards.
2022-04-0134 minReputation TownThe PR war in Ukraine, a CEO’s sexist conference comments, the Pay Gap App and Disney versus DeSantisIn this episode, John and Warren ramble about who's winning the PR war in Ukraine, the CEO who lost his job after making sexist comments at a conference, the Pay Gap App and what tech like this means for public-facing organizations, the Disney vs. DeSantis controversy and former NHL referee Tim Peel's tweet one year after losing his job to a hot-mic gaffe.
2022-03-2542 min
Reputation TownEP21: The Spotify/Neil Young situation, truckers vs. Terry Fox and the All-In pod kerfuffleThis week, John and Warren chat about the controversy around one of the All-In podcast's hosts, the Terry Fox Foundation's response to protestors messing with the Terry Fox statue in Ottawa and, of course, the ongoing saga involving Spotify, Joe Rogan, Neil Young, etc.
2022-02-0253 minReputation TownEP20: Our picks for the reputation winners and losers of 2021In our 20th episode, we chat about Jon Stewart's tiff with Newsweek, Peloton's recent Sex and the City problems and our picks for the reputational winners and losers of 2021.
2022-01-0846 minReputation TownE19: A deep dive on the Alec Baldwin 20/20 interviewWe were delighted to welcome back our friend Molly McPherson to join us for this episode. We chatted about the CEO who fired 900 employees over Zoom, Chris Cuomo's termination from CNN and we wrapped up the episode with a detailed breakdown of Alec Baldwin's sit-down interview with George Stephanopoulos. We hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.
2021-12-0952 minReputation TownE18: Facebook‘s name change, the Rogers family drama, Dave Chappelle & Netflix, Kyle Beach and the Chicago BlackhawksIn this episode, John and Warren talk about Facebook changing its name to Meta, the pocket dial that set off a boardroom drama for Rogers, Netflix's response to the Dave Chappelle controversy and the various responses/statements regarding the Kyle Beach and Chicago Blackhawks story in the NHL.
2021-11-061h 04Reputation TownE17: Bill Gates, Facebook‘s PR problems, WPP‘s bribery fine, the Church and the Residential School crisisWhere to follow John and Warren:
https://twitter.com/Room40
https://twitter.com/warren_weeks
2021-10-2944 minReputation TownSept. 11 marketing fails, private school buries info about principal, Western U, Leylah FernandezIn this episode, John and Warren ramble about Party City's September 11 marketing email that missed the mark, a private school that scrubbed all online content about its principal who was convicted of abusing students, Western University's response to widespread reports of sexual assaults, Leylah Fernandez shows incredible poise at the US Open.
2021-09-1854 minReputation TownA councillor‘s texting scandal, Delta CEO refuses to say ‘Delta‘, politicians vs journalists and moreThis week, we are joined my Alberta-based media training coach Grant Ainsley. The three of us shoot the breeze about a bunch of recent stories, including the Ottawa councillor who got himself in a bit of a Twitter DM scandal, Delta Airlines CEO's refusal to name the Delta variant in his communications, how not to run a press conference, politicians blatantly ignoring reporters' questions, PM Justin Trudeau's mic drop moment on Rebel Media, CNN dunking on Joe Rogan and more.
2021-09-101h 05Reputation TownTaliban PR, Bill Gates, photoshopped politicians and Sean O'Shea is at the doorThis week, Warren and John ramble about the Taliban's attempt at public relations, Bill Gates responding to Anderson Cooper's question about his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein, a Canadian politician who photoshopped his head onto a photo of Prince William, Mike Richards stepping down from Jeopardy's search for a new host and what to do when Global TV's Sean O'Shea comes knocking.
2021-08-2637 minReputation TownJeff Bezos, Lululemon, Ava Lane Boutique and the Montreal CanadiensWe're back! This week, John and Warren have lots of reputation-related stories to catch up on, including the odd Jeff Bezos press conference following his space flight, Lululemon's inadvertent diss of Physician Assistants and Ava Lane Boutique's errant email, the resulting viral TikTok and the company's attempted apology. And we round out this week's podcast by addressing the Montreal Canadiens' controversial draft pick and the team's subsequent efforts at damage control. We hope you enjoy this episode and thanks for listening!
2021-08-051h 06Reputation TownBezos vs Branson, Phylicia Rashad's tweet and how to prep for a media interviewThis week, John and Warren ramble about the space race between Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson, the pressure facing corporations re: social issues, the apology by sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson (who tested positive for cannabis), how to prepare for a media interview and more.
2021-07-0359 minReputation TownMolly McPherson joins us to discuss Subway's tuna woes, Blade's imaginary spokesperson and moreIt's a big week in Reputation Town because we have our first visitor and it's none other than Molly McPherson, a PR/comms, crisis response, media relations expert and author of Indestructible: Reclaim Control and Respond with Confidence in a Media Crisis. In this week's episode, we ramble about the allegations of 'fake' tuna at Subway, the admission by the CEO of Blade that he used an imaginary media spokesperson for three years, IKEA's Juneteenth menu debacle, a Canadian pastor putting his foot in his mouth regarding the residential school situation and more. We're also giving away four copies...
2021-06-261h 33Reputation TownSteroid burritos, a bad hockey apology, the Return of the Toobinator and moreIn this episode, John and Warren ramble about the athlete who blamed a positive steroid test on a burrito, CBC getting rid of reader comments on Facebook, the anatomy of a (bad) NHL apology, Jeffrey Toobin's awkward apology on CNN, Roger Waters tearing a strip off Mark Zuckerberg and more.
2021-06-191h 06Reputation TownTennis and press conferences, Tobi's 'we're not a family' email and 'Should you ask for a correction?'This week, John and Warren ramble about the Naomi Osaka situation, the email from Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke to staff stating that the company is not a family but rather a team, a deep discussion about when you should and shouldn't ask a journalist for a correction and a great media interview by Mohamad Fakih, the founder of Paramount Fine Foods, in the aftermath of a fire that gutted one of his flagship restaurants.
2021-06-1058 minReputation TownJohn Cena vs China, Kyle Dubas vs the Toronto Sun and CEO statementsIn this episode, John and Warren ramble about the recent John Cena/Fast and the Furious controversy, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas's slamming of The Toronto Sun, the nature of CEO crisis statements and more.
2021-05-2742 minReputation TownRevisiting our Ellen prediction, Elon hosting SNL and the Doug Ford 'protect the King' strategyIn this week's episode, John and Warren ramble about Ellen's announcement that she's quitting her show (and our predictions of that from last month), the reputational impact of Elon Musk hosting SNL, the implications of the 'protect the king' strategy being used by Doug Ford's handlers, off-topic banter and more.
2021-05-1457 minReputation TownPeloton's crisis response, selfies with Trump, the NHL's discipline issues and moreIn this episode, John and Warren ramble about Suzanne Rogers posting a selfie with Donald Trump, Peloton's handling of the crisis involving its treadmill, Tom Wilson versus the New York Rangers versus the NHL and more.
2021-05-1052 minReputation TownVaccine rollouts, pong-playing primates and the long-term care sectorIn this episode, John and Warren ramble about the PR issues around the vaccine rollout, monkeys playing Pong with their minds and the long-term care sector's general mishandling of the media relations aspects of the ongoing pandemic.
2021-04-2453 minReputation TownBig brands picking sides, Facebook's poor communications and trust in journalismThis week, John and Warren ramble about the trend toward large brands choosing sides re: social issues, Facebook's response to its latest privacy breach and a recent survey that said 49% of Canadians think journalists are intentionally trying to mislead them.
2021-04-121h 01Reputation TownEllen DeGeneres, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Tim Peel and AmazonIn this episode, John and Warren ramble about some of the reputation management stories in the news this week, including Ellen's lower viewership numbers, the guy who allegedly found shrimp tails in his cereal, the NHL's firing of referee Tim Peel, Amazon's beef with Bernie Sanders and, of course, off-topic banter.
2021-04-061h 02
The Warren Weeks Show44 - Introducing Episode 1 of Reputation TownVery pleased to introduce a new podcast I have created with longtime friend and communications expert John Perenack. Each week, we riff about stories in the news that have a reputation management angle to them. We also throw in a little off-topic banter to mix things up a bit. I'm just posting this first episode here, so if you like what you hear, you can subscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts. It's called Reputation Town. Thanks for listening!
2021-04-0350 minReputation TownThe WE scandal, the Huffington Post Canada layoffs and moreThis week, we talk about the WE organization, the closure of The Huffington Post Canada and more.
2021-03-2948 min
Reputation TownIntroducing The Reputation Town PodcastIn this first episode, hosts John Perenack and Warren Weeks discuss NFTs, Harry and Meghan's sit-down with Oprah, tips for tough media interviews, the trend of CEOs doing interviews on ClubHouse instead of mainstream media and more.
2021-03-2248 min
The Warren Weeks Show25 - Communicating in a Crisis with Heather Spidell and John PerenackThis episode is for the professionals out there who are tasked with communicating on behalf of their organizations in this time of global crisis. You will hear back-to-back conversations with two veteran communicators and long-time friends of mine - Heather Spidell, the Principal of Heather Spidell Consulting in Halifax and John Perenack, a Principal with StrategyCorp in Toronto. Thanks to both of these consummate professionals for their time and their expertise. Hopefully there are a few ideas you can use to help your organization communicate more effectively in these trying times.
2020-03-191h 45