The Washington Media Group Podcast

The NCAA has maintained a tight grip over collegiate athletics since its foundation in 1906 in the spirit of promoting fairness and safety for athletes.  The enormous popularity of March Madness and the College Football Playoff generates billions of dollars of profit each year, yet the players themselves are barred from receiving any form of payment while enrolled.  A recent Supreme Court decision now allows athletes to earn lucrative endorsement deals by promoting their name, image, and likeness.  The NCAA faces unprecedented challenges to its authority and its previous way of conducting business.  Sweeping changes to recruiting and retaining players will most certainly change the landscape of college sports as currently constructed. The WMG team discusses the many reputational challenges facing the NCAA as they navigate a prolonged legal battle, hoping that potential congressional oversight can help right the ship. Hosted by Crystal PattersonProduced and Edited by Brian BoeckmanA production of Washington Media Group

How do you know as a business when is the right time to take a stand?  Some customers might prefer that companies stick to core operations, while younger generations increasingly want businesses to use their economic power to influence decision makers.  The current conflict in the Middle East isn't only impacting external communications.  Internal messaging tools meant to promote office collaboration now are host to heated exchanges that derail productivity and dissolve working relationships. Speaking out on the issue has already created turnover in many high profile jobs.  In this episode, the WMG team discusses the challenges of answering the many demands of customers and employees without sowing further seeds of division. Hosted by Crystal PattersonProduced and Edited by Brian BoeckmanA production of Washington Media Group

How can a single can of beer gifted to a social influencer cost a powerhouse brand almost half a billion dollars?  However you feel about Bud Light as a product, its recent downfall has been a painful lesson in brand mismanagement.  Unlike most controversies that tend to fizzle out against the endless churn of the 24-hour news cycle, the Goliath brand has struggled to regain composure following a series of botched apologies and marketing pivots.   Hosted by Crystal PattersonProduced and Edited by Brian BoeckmanA production of Washington Media Group

In this episode, the WMG team discusses the reputational challenges faced by Southwest Airlines in the wake of weather-related holiday travel delays which cost the company over $800m in just a week.   Hosted by Crystal PattersonProduced and Edited by Brian BoeckmanA production of Washington Media Group