Controversy has been building in Major League Baseball for some time now, ever since the Houston Astros cheating scandal erupted, calling into question many things, including the legitimacy of recent playoff and World S
Originally published February 2020. Updated June 2026. The Houston Astros 2017-2018 sign-stealing scandal is one of the most-studied institutional-cheating cases in modern sports communications. The original piece on th
Most brands understand they would benefit from a dedicated public relations team. Whether that might be an in-house team or a contracted team depends a lot on the brand’s goals, budget, administration and intentions. Th
With so many social media platforms around, what’s a brand to do and focus on when it comes to advertising and marketing? While Facebook continues to be the leader among marketers, other platforms like Pinterest, Instag
Someone once said “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Somewhere along the line, a videographer or director responded, “Then what’s a video worth?” Turns out, quite a lot. Video marketing has seen a significant increa
“Who is the customer,” and “what do they want?” Boil all the jargon and these are the two most vital questions every marketer needs to answer. The process of finding the answers to these questions is called marketing or
In 2012, when marketing research company Marketing Sherpa released its study of just how important social media is to marketing, 72% of marketers reported they had already recognized its value and were employing it to g
Social media influencers are an important part of a digital marketing plan. Given the metrics and statistics, that statement should no longer be considered controversial. The plain fact is, influencers have become a val
As more companies enter the shipping business, and more consumers demand faster shipping times, longstanding brands face greater logistical and financial challenges. For the past year, stalwart industry leader FedEx has
Originally published January 3, 2020 covering Russia's response to the WADA four-year Olympic ban. Refreshed June 2026 with the six-year state-level doping reputation arc. The World Anti-Doping Agency's December 2019 fo
The voice of the public can get loud in a hurry these days, especially on social media. A handful of influencers, or a few key people on Twitter or Instagram, and suddenly it feels like the world is against your brand.
Originally published December 20, 2019 covering the NFL officiating-controversy season. Refreshed June 2026 with the seven-year engine-cycle read. The 2019 NFL season ran on a backdrop of officiating controversy that st