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The Coldplay Concert Scandal That Took Down a CEO

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Manage episode 496015031 series 2861141
Content provided by www.mollymcpherson.com. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by www.mollymcpherson.com or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

Seventy thousand five hundred twenty-one.

That’s how many news stories included Andy Byron’s name after one juicy Jumbotron moment at a Coldplay concert. In this episode of The PR Breakdown, dissecting how a viral moment spiraled into a corporate PR disaster that exposed a CEO, an HR chief, and a total breakdown in communication control.

What made this story explode? Not just the video, but the silence that followed a hoax.

Molly breaks down the viral ingredients:

  • A real-life HR entanglement caught on camera
  • Fake apologies and fake wife statements
  • A tech company scrambling to fact-check a fake statement
  • And a resignation that came too late to stop the damage

It’s a live case study in digital PR failure, and a warning for anyone who thinks “it will pass" is a good crisis response strategy in 2025.

Mentioned in the episode:

Want More Behind the Breakdown?
Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, exclusive member chats, weekly lives, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It's the insider’s hub for communicators who want strategy with spine—and a little side-eye where it counts.
Follow Molly → @MollyMcPherson
Subscribe to PR Breakdown on Substack → prbreakdown.media
Click here to subscribe to Molly's live events.

Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting.
This podcast is supported by Muck Rack, the PR management platform I use to monitor media coverage, track journalist activity, and inform high-stakes strategy with real-time data. Click here to try Muck Rack for yourself.

Follow & Connect with Molly:

  continue reading

Chapters

1. Andy Byron's Viral Coldplay Moment (00:00:00)

2. Crisis Management and Delayed Response (00:03:31)

3. Inside Connections and Hair Salon Revelations (00:06:22)

4. Fake Statements and Corporate Missteps (00:09:04)

5. Lessons from a Real-Time PR Disaster (00:12:50)

6. The Reaction Cycle and Closing Thoughts (00:16:09)

337 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 496015031 series 2861141
Content provided by www.mollymcpherson.com. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by www.mollymcpherson.com or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

Seventy thousand five hundred twenty-one.

That’s how many news stories included Andy Byron’s name after one juicy Jumbotron moment at a Coldplay concert. In this episode of The PR Breakdown, dissecting how a viral moment spiraled into a corporate PR disaster that exposed a CEO, an HR chief, and a total breakdown in communication control.

What made this story explode? Not just the video, but the silence that followed a hoax.

Molly breaks down the viral ingredients:

  • A real-life HR entanglement caught on camera
  • Fake apologies and fake wife statements
  • A tech company scrambling to fact-check a fake statement
  • And a resignation that came too late to stop the damage

It’s a live case study in digital PR failure, and a warning for anyone who thinks “it will pass" is a good crisis response strategy in 2025.

Mentioned in the episode:

Want More Behind the Breakdown?
Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, exclusive member chats, weekly lives, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It's the insider’s hub for communicators who want strategy with spine—and a little side-eye where it counts.
Follow Molly → @MollyMcPherson
Subscribe to PR Breakdown on Substack → prbreakdown.media
Click here to subscribe to Molly's live events.

Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting.
This podcast is supported by Muck Rack, the PR management platform I use to monitor media coverage, track journalist activity, and inform high-stakes strategy with real-time data. Click here to try Muck Rack for yourself.

Follow & Connect with Molly:

  continue reading

Chapters

1. Andy Byron's Viral Coldplay Moment (00:00:00)

2. Crisis Management and Delayed Response (00:03:31)

3. Inside Connections and Hair Salon Revelations (00:06:22)

4. Fake Statements and Corporate Missteps (00:09:04)

5. Lessons from a Real-Time PR Disaster (00:12:50)

6. The Reaction Cycle and Closing Thoughts (00:16:09)

337 episodes

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