Lead Balloon - Marketing, Public Relations and Strategic Communications Stories

Wendy’s, the burger chain, is infamous for its punchy, no-holds-barred Twitter account. 

And social media manager Amy Brown was the creative instigator of that success. Many internet historians even point to her epic 2017 tweet-roast as the viral moment that launched an entire genre of Snarky Brand Twitter.

It certainly made her a hero to social media managers the world over.

So why, within just a couple of months, did Amy Brown feel like she needed to leave that high-profile dream job at Wendy’s? 

Because social media burnout is real. And for professional communicators, who need social media to do their jobs, it can start to seem like there’s no escape from the creeping toxicity, the poorly-defined work hours, and the haunting, ever-present specter of the algorithm. 

In this episode, Amy relives the moment she "went viral," and shares some of the lessons she's learned about finding balance in social media use and maintaining her personal well-being in the toxic environment of modern social media.

Plus, UC-Davis Social Media Director Sallie Poggi joins us as well with insights into how they’re creating a healthier environment for social media professionals... and why she thinks today's social media managers are tomorrow's CMOs.

While you're here:

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Tony Piloseno really likes paint.

And as a junior studying marketing at Ohio University, he channeled his passion for a part-time job at a Sherwin-Williams paint store into a wildly successful TikTok channel. His weirdly entertaining videos of mixing paint colors amassed hundreds of thousands of social media followers and tens of millions of views.

Inspired by his meteoric success, Tony pitched the concept of a branded TikTok channel to Sherwin-Williams marketing brass, hoping the company would recognize a ripe opportunity to build brand awareness and loyalty with a new generation of future homeowners.

Instead, the company fired him for "gross misconduct." But it would turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to the ascendant entrepreneur, and a public relations disaster for Sherwin-Williams.

Check out Tonester Paints on TikTok and visit the Tonester Paints website to learn more.

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This month on the show, we talked to Alex Lasry, the Senior Vice President of the Milwaukee Bucks, about the team’s dramatic stand for social justice last year during the NBA Playoffs. It’s a really important story and a great case study for how organizations can and should navigate some of these situations we face as a nation.

But Alex has a lot of other irons in the fire, too.

And so in this bonus episode, Dusty can't help fanboying a little bit over the really incredible Bucks team. Alex explains why he thinks the City of Milwaukee has a “Quiet Swagger” that will surprise a lot of out-of-towners. And, he explains the comms strategy that he’s deploying in his run for a U.S. Senate seat.

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With a shot at an NBA title on the line, an entire basketball team refuses to take the court. They won’t even come out of the locker room.

It’s a sports marketing nightmare. And just last year, it came true for the management of the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team.

Alex Lasry is the Senior Vice President of the Bucks. And even though he was shocked just like the rest of us when the 2020 walk-out happened, he supported the team’s decision whole-heartedly.

Because there was an entire summer of reasons why the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t take the court on August 26, 2020. But they crystalized around the police shooting of a black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and the violence and even deaths that followed. 

In this episode, Alex explains what went through his mind as a sports marketing professional during the historic events of last summer, and explains how the Bucks' new ownership group has strived to push back against decades of institutional racism in Milwaukee.

Plus, CBS Sports Senior Editor Andrew Julian joins us to put the Bucks' wildcat walk-out in the proper historic context.

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Reputation management and social media consultant Molly McPherson showed us in Ep. 25 of Lead Balloon how she herself was "Indestructible" following an on-assignment near-death experience.

But these days, her consulting practice, her book, her podcast and her online courses all center on helping brands achieve an indestructible reputation.

And, at this moment in time, there's no bigger buzz word in that field than "Cancel Culture."

So, in this B-side clip from our Lead Balloon interview, Molly shares some thoughts about "Cancel Culture:" its roots, its real impact, and the key takeaways for organizations in a highly-charged mediascape.

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Established by President Jimmy Carter in the late 70’s, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has responded to every major American disaster over the last 40 years.

But for all its many successes, FEMA is also an agency that has struggled with its image in the public eye. Its high-profile failures have dominated the conversation in the media and among the public.

So when Molly McPherson went to work for FEMA in 2007 as a public affairs specialist, she pitched a bold new approach the put the agency front and center in telling its own story. But it would also put her and her team in the path of danger.

And one sweltering day in Houston, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, that danger caught up to her, changing her career path and her life forever.

In this episode, Molly details the story of her close call, and her colleague Mike Moore shares his own personal struggle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of the time he spent in the trenches of FEMA's disaster recovery efforts.

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There's nothing easy about striking out on your own as an independent marketing consultant.

Work can be scarce and hard to come by, and when an opportunity does come along, there can be a lot of pressure to accept it no matter what.

John Jantsch knows from experience. Before he was the founder, host and author of Duct Tape Marketing the agency, podcast and book, he was a go-getter looking to make his way as a consultant in Kansas City.

But an association with one early client--a client that he wouldn't touch now as a wiser, more experienced marketer--was enough to get him called in front of a federal grand jury at the time. And he took away some valuable lessons about being discerning when it comes to whom you work with.

We'll also glean some lessons from his more than 15 years as a podcaster, and catch a few tidbits from his new book. 

John's new book is The Ultimate Marketing Engine: 5 Steps to Ridiculously Consistent Growth.

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The George Washington Bridge between Manhattan and New Jersey is the world’s busiest motor vehicle crossing, carrying more than 103 million vehicles a year over the Hudson River. 

And so in 2013, when accusations came out that hand-picked members of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s staff deliberately caused massive traffic backups on and around the bridge, the story made national headlines... and that was before revelations that the shenanigans were likely tied to political motivations.

But for Anthony Hayes, the Bridgegate scandal was more than a flashy cable news headline. As the Assistant Director of Communications and Media at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, it was his job to manage the public relations fallout from the scandal.

Anthony’s tale is a telling tutorial in managing the reputation of a public institution damaged by private petty partisanship. And his behind-the-scenes insights shed new light on a scandal that many say ended Chris Christie’s 2016 presidential campaign before it really even had a chance to get off the ground.  

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At Podcamp Media, we are *proudly* based in Milwaukee and Wisconsin.

Founder Dusty Weis explains why in this column he wrote for our friends at OnMilwaukee.com.

(Music by Ghost Beatz)

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Henry DeVries had to choose: a big fat raise and a promotion, or maintain his integrity.

The year was 1996, and Henry was the Vice President of Public Relations at Foresters Financial. He had just found out about an ongoing affair between two high-ranking executives, and they had made their intentions clear. They wanted him to aid in the cover-up, for which he would be richly rewarded.

But sticking to his principles was just the first lesson in what would become a crash course in scandal, marital infidelity, prostitution and executive embezzlement. And those principles of his would shortly become Henry's only life raft.

Now a San Diego-based business coach, author, Forbes columnist, and the CEO of Indie Books International, Henry recalls the story today as a career-defining lesson that marked a turning point in his understanding of leadership.

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