Why A Good Strategy Has to Feel Real

One thing that stood out to me across these four cases is that successful public relations is not just about getting attention or putting out the “right” statement. It is about whether an audience actually believes what an organization or person is saying. Disney, United Airlines, Ryanair, and the Fetterman campaign faced completely different situations, but each case shows how much trust and authenticity affect the success of communication.

The Disney measles outbreak demonstrates how an organization can protect its reputation without trying to control every part of the conversation. Disney largely allowed public health experts to communicate about the outbreak while emphasizing its cooperation with them. The strategy helped separate Disney itself from responsibility for the outbreak while still showing concern for public safety (Aylesworth-Spink, 2016).

When Communication and Actions Do Not Match

United Airlines and Ryanair show the other side of this issue. After a passenger was forcibly removed from United Flight 3411, United's initial response failed to match the seriousness of what people could see happening. The viral video made it difficult for carefully worded corporate language to shape the story. The larger lesson is that companies cannot communicate their way out of behavior that contradicts the image they want to present.

Ryanair took this even further by intentionally making incivility part of its identity. For a while, its controversial approach generated publicity and did not stop customers from choosing its inexpensive flights. Eventually, however, customers became frustrated with the poor service and negative behavior, and the company changed its approach (VanSlette & McClain, 2018). The case shows that attention is not always the same thing as a positive reputation.

Authenticity Can Be a Strategy

The Fetterman campaign shows how authenticity can work in the opposite direction. Instead of creating a polished political persona, the campaign leaned into Fetterman's existing humor and personality. His team maintained a consistent voice across social media, which helped him appear authentic to voters (VanSlette, 2023). The strategy also produced measurable results. After one viral response to Oz, the campaign reported raising $500,000 in 24 hours and used the attention to encourage volunteering.

Together, these cases changed how I think about PR. A clever message can attract attention, but long-term trust depends on whether communication matches behavior. PR professionals also emphasize that authentic, transparent, and timely communication can help organizations establish trust, especially during uncertain situations. Professional ethics in public relations similarly emphasize accurate and open communication. For PR professionals, that makes authenticity more than a trend. It is part of building relationships that can survive both everyday communication and a crisis.

Tags

Public Relations, Crisis Communication, Authenticity, Reputation Management, Social Media, Strategic Communication

References

Aylesworth-Spink, S. (2016). Protecting the herd: An analysis of public relations responses to the 2015 measles outbreak originating at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park. Case Studies in Strategic Communication, 5, 191–219.

Public Relations Society of America. (n.d.). PRSA code of ethics.

Bermudez, H., & Izquierdo, A. (2020). Trust and transparency in times of crisis. Public Relations Society of America.

VanSlette, S., & McClain, M. (2018). The case of Ryanair: Demonstrating the benefits and the limits of incivility. Case Studies in Strategic Communication, 7, 36–55.

VanSlette, S. (2023). Trolling and sick burns: John Fetterman’s winning social media strategy against Mehmet Oz in the 2022 Pennsylvania Senate campaign. Case Studies in Strategic Communication Journal, 8.