Why Actions Still Speak Loudest
In public relations, organizations often focus on finding the perfect response when their reputation is threatened. However, the cases involving SeaWorld, Brandy Melville, ExxonMobile and Deflategate demonstrate that reputation management is much more complicated than controlling a message. The larger lesson is that reputation is built through the relationship between what an organization says, what it does and what its stakeholders experience. In a digital environment where audiences can challenge a brands narrative instantly, communication without credible action has limited power.
You Can’t Communicate Your Way Out of Everything
SeaWorld’s response to Blackfish demonstrates what can happen when an organization relies too heavily on defending itself. The company initially took a defensive advocacy approach and was slow to match its communication with meaningful action. Only after the backlash continued did SeaWorld shift toward accommodation and introduce tangible changes. The case ultimately argues that communication becomes more believable when supported by organizational actions and policies.
ExxonMobile faced a similar challenge surrounding hydraulic fracturing. Its case highlights the importance of transparency and genuineness, particularly when public concerns involve issues that an organization cannot simply dismiss. These cases and the way in which they were handled contrasted directly with the PRSA Code of Ethics, which emphasizes honesty, accuracy, disclosure and open communications as foundations for public trust.
Who Controls Reputation?
The other cases show that organizations are not the only ones defining their reputations. Brandy Melville successfully used social media and exclusivity to create an aspirational identity, but the same strategy generated criticism because exclusivity can easily become exclusion. Deflategate provides another example: both the NFL and Tom Brady attempted to control the narrative, with the NFL emphasizing competitive integrity while Brady and the Patriots positioned themselves as victims of an unfair process.
These examples show why modern reputation management must involve listening rather than simply persuading. A recent PRSA discussion of ethical communication argues that trust is built through candor, accountability and respect, especially when transparency may create short-term discomfort. In other words, protecting an image cannot become more important than addressing the issue behind it.
Trust Has to Be Earned
Ultimately, reputation is not something an organization fully owns. Stakeholders help create it through their experiences, conversations and judgements. The most effective PR strategy, therefore, is not simply to look trustworthy, but to communicate and behave in ways that actually deserve trust.
References
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment “Blackfish” Crisis An Assessment of “Blackfish” Effect on SeaWorld. (2016). https://csic.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/SeaWorld-Parks-Entertainment-Case-Study.pdf
Ethical Principles for PR Students & Professionals | PRSSA. (n.d.). Www. Retrieved September 8, 2026, from https://www.prsa.org/prssa/about-prssa/ethical-principles
Smith, A. (2024, November 13). Everyone Is Not Your Customer: a Case Study of Brandy Melville – Strategic Marketing & Production Company Based in Trinidad & Tobago. Caribbean Content Strategy, Corporate Event Photography, Video Production, Marketing, Live Streaming Content. Relatestudios.Com. https://relatestudios.com/everyone-is-not-your-customer-a-case-study-of-brandy-melville/
Deflategate and the National Football League – Case – Faculty & Research – Harvard Business School. (n.d.). http://Www.Hbs.Edu. Retrieved September 8, 2026, from https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=49760
What Ethical Communication Looks Like in Practice – PRsay. (2026, April 8). PRsay – The Voice of Public Relations. https://prsay.prsa.org/2026/04/08/what-ethical-communication-looks-like-in-practice/
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