Out of Scope Issue 95: C-Suites and C-SPAN
Plus: Gas stove-gate, consumer protections in the heartland, and the saga of the Disney Bobs.
In business and communications alike, the only constant is change. This week, Hirsch Leatherwood examines changes big, small, gradual, and rapid. We take a closer look at slow-and-steady shifts, like gender parity among Fortune 500 CEOs, Facebook’s ongoing woes, and the rise of zero-proof drinks. We also tackle the true curveballs, from C-SPAN’s moment in the sun to gas stoves’ moment at the center of the culture wars. Happy reading, and remember to expect the unexpected.
💡ON OUR MINDS: C-SPAN
The hottest thing on TV this season featured an all-star cast of household names. However, it didn’t air on NBC, and you won’t find it streaming on HBOMax. It’s C-SPAN. And after 44 years of capturing House and Senate action on air, it became must-see TV last week.
The Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network documented the grueling fifteen iterations of the House speakership vote last week, one that eventually saw the election of long-time congressman and potential CableACE Award nominee Kevin McCarthy.
Due to existing rules that are relaxed during the speaker election, the network’s broadcast was suddenly able to capture the drama and intrigue of the contest—catching tense side conversations and resulting in an influx of public attention on the network and generating the inevitable memes.
The high-drama content C-SPAN is churning out stands at odds with its formerly-tedious offerings, and the network has been quick to capitalize on the attention, using their moment in the sun as a springboard to go on with the show.
This should serve as a reminder to make the most of your big wins. When your brand or story has people’s attention, use it to leverage even more; make your hay while the sun shines!
📡 ON OUR RADAR
January marks the first time that women make up more than 10% of the CEOs leading Fortune 500 companies. Most of the women—including Karla R. Lewis, Julia A. Sloat, and Jennifer A. Parmentier—come from the materials and manufacturing industries. The growing presence of women in C-suite positions makes us hopeful 10% will turn into 50% in the near future.
We all know that Meta (née Facebook) stans the metaverse, but did you know they’re the owners of a (currently) failing railroad project? Turns out that a combination of local politics, budget issues, and eagerness to chart another commuter path for Meta employees has left the company facing a crossroads. While the literal bridge is currently leading nowhere, let’s hope they catch the next train to smart business and community decisionsville.
It’s been a big week for the heartland. Deere & Co. finally bent to advocates and signed an agreement ensuring farmers can repair their own farm equipment. This decision follows accusations that Deere’s use of proprietary software on their equipment restricts repair capabilities for the average consumer. Additionally, professional athletes are hoping to reap the benefits of the roughly $5 million they’re sowing with the purchase of a 104-acre farm in Iowa as an investment. And the word “field” has gotten the goat of the University of Southern California, whose social work school has written they will no longer include the term due to its potentially offensive connection to slavery.
Gas stoves are feeling the heat. After a member of the Consumer Product Safety Commission said a ban was under consideration, politicians fired off their hot takes. The commission’s chair later clarified that they were simply exploring ways to curb the health and climate risks associated with the appliance, but not before the CPSC learned a valuable lesson in the PR pitfalls of teasing an announcement too soon. As the political frenzy simmers down, we’re especially interested in what future regulations would mean for how manufacturing companies work and communicate.
🥊QUICK HITS:
In case you missed these stories this week.
For Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, the road from internal comms to external crisis was short and paved with poor meeting planning.
With a very trendy Dry January in full swing, Millennials and Gen-Z are not drinking like they used to. Perhaps they’ll start guzzling the puzzling new Sprite competitor from PepsiCo – it’s “social responsibility” flavored, yum!
Current Disney CEO Bob Iger continues to reverse the policies that former CEO Bob Chapek instated. Most recently, Iger is trying to harness his Bob power to bring magic back to the Disney parks and improve the visitor experience.
In fresh NCAA football/NIL news, the Popeyes meme kid picked up a sponsorship deal to rep the fried chicken-fueled franchise between the goal posts and in our hearts.
The scandal-plagued Golden Globes returned to low ratings but positive reviews. Image rehab takes time, but the Hollywood Foreign Press Association may be on the right track.
Thanks for reading,
HL
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