Welcome to SWOT by Sound Story, your inside track on the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats looming for the creative industries. If you're not subscribed, you can join SWOT here.
This issue is 878 words, a 4-minute read.
We're trialling a new format this week - more of what the Sound Story team consumed, plus a deeper SWOT of one big issue: Crisis Comms.
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The Sound Story Download:
⚡ Trending: CEO’s ‘Affair’ Exposed After Coldplay Kiss-Cam Surprise. Words by Amy Lee. Source: The Nightly.
🧠 Leadership: 6 Qualities And Traits Of A Bad Leader (And How To Be Better). Words By David Grossman. Source: The Grossman Group.
📣 Comms: What PR Can Learn From 10 Years Of Trump In Politics. Words By Zanda Wilson. Source: B&T.
🙈 Wild: Disgraced Businessman Billy McFarland Sells Fyre Festival Brand On eBay. Words by Lars Brandle. Source: TMN.
🎵 Music: BIGSOUND Teams Up With Cast For Inaugural Tech Showcase. Words By Tyler Jenke. Source: The Music.
📰 Media: The Daring Activists Targeting Kyle And Jackie O Advertisers. Words By Christopher Niesche. Source: Money Mag.
💰 Marketing: AUNZ Work Of The Week: Today The Brave And TMRW. Source: Little Black Book.
📲 Tech: Why The Qantas Hack Should Send Chills Around Corporate Australia. Words By James Turner. Source: AFR.
📜 Government: Spotify Global Exec Warns Labor's Quotas Threaten Aussie Music Exports. Words By John Buckley. Source: Capital Brief.
🌶️ Spicy: Elmo Socials Hacked To Post Antisemitic Rant And Demand Release Of Epstein Files. Words By Dannielle Maguire. Source: ABC.
This Week: From PR to ER, Crisis Mode in the Creative Economy
In an era where a TikTok can tank a brand, and screenshots never die, creative businesses must overhaul their crisis playbooks.
This week, we delve into the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats facing brands that want to stay ahead of the backlash cycle.
Need to crisis-proof your brand or stress-test your crisis comms plan?
Drop us a line — Sound Story can help build your playbook before the headlines hit.
Strengths: Authenticity and a Seat at the Table
👉 Yes, audiences still value authenticity. When done right, honest apologies and proactive comms can diffuse reputational fires (see: Billie Eilish’s quiet but effective mea culpa over past insensitivities).
👉 Crisis response time is faster than ever. Social media and direct-to-fan comms give teams unprecedented speed - if they’re prepped. Brands and talent with tiered risk response plans have the edge.
👉 Comms is finally a boardroom issue. Boards and C-suites are no longer sidelining PR. Perhaps now more than ever, media training, simulations and stakeholder mapping are being budgeted for before a scandal hits. Tick!
Weaknesses: Plans on Paper, Silence in Practice
👉 Despite the readiness, most teams are still reactive. Few start-ups, festivals or even ASX-listed brands have actually live-tested response plans or stakeholder protocols. Fact: Screenshots spread faster than statements!
👉 Comms and legal still clash. Lawyers say, “Say nothing.” PRs say, “Say something smart.” Too often, silence wins and damage grows.
👉 Influencers don’t behave like employees. Talent under contract can’t be relied upon like your spokespeople. Their statements (or their silence) can derail even the best (or worst!) managed narrative.
Opportunities: Crisis-Proofing is the New Brand Strategy
👉 Our best advice: Build ‘Crisis Culture’ before you need it. Risk simulations, stakeholder audits, holding statements, and tiered approval chains are low-lift and high-return investments. Get the pros in early!
👉 Treat reputation like brand equity. Comms isn’t a clean-up crew, it’s a growth engine. Think: Narrative defensibility, not damage control.
👉 New tech can help predict the storm. Social listening, sentiment tracking, and other AI-powered tools make early warning systems more affordable than ever before.
Threats: The Past Almost Always Posts Twice
👉 “Receipts culture” means past behaviour is always in play. Anonymous accounts with screenshots can reignite old controversies. Time doesn’t heal, especially when Google and ChatGPT remember (literally, everything!).
👉 Platform policy shifts make control more complicated. Meta’s recent AI-generated label and TikTok’s shifting content policies can spark PR fires that brands aren't ready for. Question: Are you clear on who, internally and externally, is on your crisis response team?
👉 It's true, misinformation spreads faster than corrections. A single viral falsehood can outrun the truth, especially when amplified by fan communities or activist groups. Time is rarely on your side!
Client Tidbit: Spotify Australia
Talk about setting the bar high when it comes to showcasing the power of Australia as a global music export powerhouse!
Spotify’s inaugural Turn Up Aus – The Export Edition took place in Sydney and Melbourne last week, with global editors including Sulinna Ong arriving down under for the roadshow.
The events also coincided with the release of Spotify’s Australian Music Global Impact List and the first-ever Global Impact Report.
“Australia continues to punch well above its weight, producing some of the best music on the world stage,” said Marty Doyle, Editorial Lead, AUNZ. “We’ve seen export streams of Australian artists increase by 37% in just four years. These are results worth celebrating, and this report sparks a broader conversation about how we as a collective music industry can continue to support that momentum.”
Turn Up Aus – The Export Edition, part of Spotify’s ongoing Turn Up Aus campaign, was a resounding success with media and industry applauding Spotify Australia on the initiative.
