Go big internally first: Marriott’s immersive tech storytelling (UK)

In 2025, Marriott International stood out in the internal-communications world when it won the Grand Prix at the Internal Communications & Engagement Awards for an immersive employee experience designed to help its workforce understand the impact of emerging technologies.

Rather than fuelling anxiety about AI and automation, the campaign highlighted the opportunities ahead and invited employees into the conversation about the future of their roles.

Lesson: Future-of-work communication needs more than a memo, it needs emotional engagement and imagination.
For IC teams: Use immersive, experiential formats when introducing significant technological shifts. Helping employees “feel the future” is often more powerful than explaining it.
For HR leaders: Internal campaigns can be brand moments too. When done thoughtfully, they build clarity, confidence and shared purpose in times of change.

Treasure your brand’s heritage: Cracker Barrel’s logo backlash (US)

In 2025, Cracker Barrel unveiled a redesign, including a new minimalist logo that removed the long-standing “Old Timer” imagery. The goal was to modernise the brand and refresh its aesthetic. Instead, the change triggered immediate outrage. Customers, media and public figures criticised the new look as sterile and unfaithful to the chain’s soul. Within days (and after a sharp drop in market sentiment) Cracker Barrel announced it was reverting to its original logo and halting the broader redesign effort.

Lesson: Heritage isn’t baggage, it’s identity. Rebranding a legacy brand needs sensitivity and respect for what made it beloved.
For IC teams: Treat brand changes as a cultural evolution, not just a visual refresh. Bring employees and other stakeholders into the conversation early to surface emotional connections and guardrails.
For leadership: Modernisation is not inherently good. If you value what sets you apart, protect it. Distinctiveness is a strategic advantage; erasing it risks alienating core audiences.

Own your values (even in apology): Mobus Properties (Ghana)

In 2025, a protest outside the Nigerian High Commission in Accra drew public attention to disputes involving several Ghanaian businesses, including firms linked to Mobus Properties. Though the protest was not organised or sanctioned by the company, Mobus quickly moved to clarify its position. Its CEO issued a formal apology to the Nigerian Police Force, distancing the company from the incident and emphasising its commitment to lawful conduct and respect for institutions. The tone and transparency of the statement helped the company demonstrate accountability at a moment when ambiguity could have fuelled speculation.

Lesson: When your organisation is pulled into a public controversy (directly or indirectly), clarity beats defensiveness. A timely, sincere response can stabilise trust before narratives harden.
For IC leaders: Don’t let uncertainty silence you. Employees need to hear directly how the organisation is responding and what values guide the response.
For HR teams: Accountability doesn’t require guilt, it requires ownership. When the public conversation touches your organisation, proactively reaffirm your values and your expectations of conduct.

Delay is the enemy: The BBC’s Trump documentary editing scandal (UK)

In late 2025, the BBC found itself mired in a crisis after its flagship documentary series mis-edited remarks from a 2021 speech by Donald Trump. The cut spliced two separate parts of the speech (delivered nearly an hour apart) to make it appear as if Trump was directly urging supporters to storm the Capitol. A detailed memo from a former internal adviser, later leaked to the press, accused the broadcaster of serious misjudgement and editorial bias. After days of public outcry and political pressure, the corporation’s top two senior news executives resigned. The BBC’s chair publicly apologised for what he termed an “error of judgment.”

Lesson: In a crisis, especially one of public trust, delay can compound damage. Inaction or slow response becomes part of the story.
For IC teams: Develop and rehearse a rapid-response protocol for reputational issues. Even if facts are still emerging, begin communicating your intentions, emphasise transparency, and commit to a process.
For leadership: Silence breeds speculation. When people are waiting for answers, absence of communication becomes a narrative. Act early, acknowledge publicly, and own responsibility to preserve credibility.

Be prepared for influencer activism: Chelsea Handler vs Corporate America (US)

In late 2025, comedian Chelsea Handler used her platform to call for a boycott of several major US retailers, including Home Depot, accusing them of contributing, directly or indirectly, to controversial immigration-enforcement practices. In an Instagram post that quickly gained traction, she criticised what she described as the company’s “complicity,” citing reports from activists and community groups about ICE activities near or at Home Depot locations. While Home Depot publicly denied coordinating with federal enforcement efforts or providing data to authorities, Handler’s post sparked a wave of online debate, media attention, and renewed scrutiny of corporate values. The episode demonstrated how a single influencer’s framing of an issue, even one rooted in allegations rather than confirmed corporate action, can ignite a national conversation and pull brands into politically charged territory overnight.

Lesson: In the age of social platforms, brands can be thrust into public ethics debates even when allegations are contested. Influencers can refract public sentiment in ways that rapidly shape a company’s reputation.
For IC teams: Track activist conversations, emerging narratives and influencer commentary that may intersect with your brand’s public image. Have a response framework ready for moments where allegations (accurate or not) collide with your company values.
For leadership: Silence is rarely neutral. When a brand is publicly accused of hypocrisy or harmful alignment, acknowledge the concern, clarify the facts, and reaffirm your values. Waiting for a crisis to “blow over” can allow someone else to define your position for you.

Back up sustainability claims with proof (Netherlands)

In 2025, Unilever faced sharp criticism from Dutch consumer advocates after an investigation found that many of its food products carried sustainability claims that lacked clear, verifiable evidence. The Dutch consumer association reported that phrases like “sustainable packaging,” “sustainably grown,” or climate-friendly commitments were often unsupported, and that some labels used company-designed icons resembling certification marks without independent verification. The scrutiny prompted regulatory attention and public debate. Unilever responded by committing to remove or revise unsubstantiated environmental claims on products sold in the Netherlands – a reminder that purpose-driven branding is only effective when backed by transparent proof.

Lesson: Sustainability isn’t a storytelling exercise. Claims must be specific, measurable and evidence-based.
For IC teams: Help leaders and marketers avoid broad, feel-good eco language. Employees should understand exactly what the organisation is committing to, and how progress will be measured and reported.
For HR and leadership: Stay ahead of watchdogs by ensuring all environmental claims pass independent verification. Publish transparent data, rely on credible third-party standards, and prioritise small, provable commitments over sweeping declarations.

Here’s hoping more brands get it right (than wrong) in 2026, with a clear plan to course correct when they don’t.