In today’s episode I am joined by the indestructible Molly McPherson, who you may know as the TikTok “PR Lady,” as her followers have affectionally dubbed her.

I just know her as my first stop when a brand or celebrity is in the news for reasons they’d rather not be. Molly is hilarious, warm, and witty and I’m absolutely thrilled and delighted that she’s on the show today, talking about the #1 biggest mistake that brands make before, during, and after a public relations crisis and even dishing with me on my favorite topic — the online business family tree and the curious case of the SEO-optimized friendship (featuring personal brand celebs Rachel Hollis, Jenna Kutcher, and Amy Porterfield).

But, more than anything, I appreciate how Molly always brings us back to our humanity and helps us see that public relations is just a fancy way of talking about human communication.

On today's episode about cancel culture and personal brands in crisis, we discuss:

• Molly's next gig as the star of "PR CSI" and how punctuation can catch a culprit
• The biggest mistake brands make during a social media crisis
• The real reason Bud Light still hasn't recovered from backlash
• How to make a crisis go "poof!" and the 3 tenets of Molly's Indestructible PR framework
• Why Rachel Hollis' brand still hasn't bounced back, 2.5 years after Toilet Gate
• Molly's beef with Amy Porterfield and the online business family tree
• Why Colleen Ballinger (or was it Miranda Sings?) mistakenly believed her ukulele would win the day
• What do Molly's four Gen Z kids think about Mom being a TikTok sensation?
• The difference between social media vigilantes, bullies, and investigative reporters
• The problem with Reddit snark and parasocial relationships
• The other side of the cancel culture coin and the pot of gold at the end of the snark rainbow

About Molly McPherson

Molly reports on crisis communications and breaking news stories with a perfect blend of snark and heart. She has over two decades of experience in public relations, emergency management, and media. As a crisis pro, Molly previously worked at FEMA and as the Director of Communications for the Cruise Line International Association, where she managed media responses during major crises. Today, Molly is a crisis communications consultant, keynote speaker, and TikTok sensation. She hosts the Indestructible PR podcast and recently won the 2023 Adweek Creative Visionary Award for Careers Creator of the Year.

Read the episode transcript, watch the YouTube video, and get the show notes on the Marketing Muckraking website here.