In the Media

Southwest Hopes $49 Fares Will Draw Customers after Its First Passenger Death

May 16, 2018 // An article about Southwest’s renewed marketing efforts following the airline’s first passenger fatality quotes Paul Argenti. Argenti says the airline is well-positioned to bounce back from the accident given its strong reputation among passengers.
View at The Washington Post

Tesla Woes: “Subsidy Entrepreneur” Elon Musk Faces Dire Market Realities

May 09, 2018 // Continued coverage of comments by Paul Argenti, professor of corporate communication, regarding a recent Tesla earnings call in which CEO Elon Musk was dismissive of several questions. Argenti says he can’t think of a more bizarre earnings call he’s listened to.
View at The New American

Silicon Valley's New Motto: Be Responsible

May 09, 2018 // Continued coverage of comments by Paul Argenti, professor of corporate communication, about a shift in messaging among technology companies.
View at WDIV

Silicon Valley's New Motto: Be Responsible

May 09, 2018 // Quotes Paul Argenti, professor of corporate communication, in an article about a shift in messaging from technology companies following recent controversies involving data privacy, fake news, and more.
View at CNN

Is Starbucks Making the Right Moves to Deal with Racial Bias Controversy?

May 05, 2018 // An article questioning the effectiveness of Starbucks’ planned bias training for employees quotes Paul Argenti, professor of corporate communication. Argenti says it’s difficult to predict how successful the training will be because there is no proven body of work on bias training.
View at Chicago Sun-Times

Elon Musk Got Bored—and Shareholders Took the Hit

May 04, 2018 // Quotes Paul Argenti in an article about Elon Musk’s contentious earnings call last week, during which the Tesla CEO dismissed several questions.
View at The Washington Post

Will Starbucks’ Training Help Workers Shed Unconscious Biases? Experts Weigh In.

Apr 20, 2018 // Quotes Paul Argenti in an article about Starbucks’ decision to provide anti-bias training to its workforce.
View at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Anatomy of a PR Response: How Starbucks Is Handling Its Philadelphia Crisis

Apr 19, 2018 // Continued coverage of comments by Paul Argenti in regards to Starbucks’ response following the arrest of two black men at a Starbucks in Philadelphia. Argenti says the company’s history of promoting its progressive values meant it needed to respond strongly to the incident.
View at Richmond Times-Dispatch

Anatomy of a PR Response: How Starbucks Is Handling Its Philadelphia Crisis

Apr 18, 2018 // Quotes Paul Argenti in an article about Starbucks’ decision to close all company-owned stores for “racial bias” training following the arrest of two black men at a Starbucks in Philadelphia. Argenti says the company’s long history of touting its progressive values meant it had to have a strong response.
View at The Washington Post

The Latest: Zuckerberg Appears Careful, Contrite

Apr 10, 2018 // Quotes Paul Argenti, in coverage of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony before Congress. Argenti says Zuckerberg appeared “staged and careful.” “He probably said 15 times, ‘I’ll have my people get in touch with you.’ There’s a formality about the way he’s presenting himself.”
View at The Washington Post

Facebook Tries to Get Its House in Order

Apr 10, 2018 // An article about Facebook’s PR push prior to CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifying before Congress quotes Paul Argenti. Argenti says the company’s efforts aren’t doing it any favors. “[It’s] just calling attention and asking for articles to be written.”
View at CNN

Slammed by Trump, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos Chooses Silence

Apr 09, 2018 // Quotes Paul Argenti, in an article regarding the decision not to engage with President Trump made by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos following numerous tweets from the president criticizing the company. “I don’t think there’s any benefit to actually engaging with President Trump,” Argenti says.
View at The Wall Street Journal

Zuckerberg Takes Facebook Data Apology Tour to Washington

Apr 09, 2018 // Quotes Paul Argenti in an article about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s forthcoming testimony in front of Congress. Argenti says Zuckerberg needs to display maturity during his testimony, as many still view him as the “22-year-old CEO-in-a-hoodie.”
View at CNET

What Mark Zuckerberg Has to Fear in Testifying before Congress

Apr 06, 2018 // An article exploring what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg could face when he testifies before Congress next week quotes Paul Argenti. "It could be a self-defining moment," Argenti says.
View at CNN

Trump Keeps Attacking Corporations. But Do They Really Need to Fear Him?

Apr 04, 2018 // An article about presidents picking fights with corporations, including President Trump’s recent clash with Amazon, quotes Paul Argenti. He says that, in the case of Amazon, it’s perhaps better to not have the support of the president.
View at The Washington Post

Elon Musk’s April Fools’ Tweets Were ‘Not a Joking Matter,’ Experts Say

Apr 03, 2018 // Quotes Paul Argenti in an article regarding Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s April Fools’ tweets stating the electric car maker was bankrupt. Argenti says the tweets were in poor taste given recent news surrounding the company, including a fatal accident involving a Tesla Model X.
View at The Washington Post

Facebook Crisis-Management Lesson: What Not to Do

Mar 21, 2018 // Quotes Paul Argenti in an article about how Facebook handled news that a political consulting firm may have used data improperly obtained from approximately 50 million Facebook users. Argenti says CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s five-day silence on the issue has damaged Facebook’s image.
View at The Wall Street Journal

A Clamor Grows over Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg’s Public Silence About Facebook and the Cambridge Analytica Crisis

Mar 20, 2018 // Quotes Paul Argenti in an article about the silence of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, prior to his media appearances Wednesday, following news that a data analytics firm improperly accessed Facebook user data.
View at The Washington Post

Goldman Sachs' investment in a gun retailer puts it in an awkward position

Mar 03, 2018 // Quotes Paul Argenti in an article about Goldman Sachs’ ties to Bass Pro Shops, one of the largest retailers of guns in the United States. Many are calling for the investment bank to cut ties with the retailer, which Argenti says is a sign of the current business climate.
View at CNBC

Corporations only break with the gun industry when it’s cheap and easy

Mar 01, 2018 // References insights by Paul Argenti in an article arguing that businesses—such as Delta, Hertz, and Dick’s Sporting Goods—that recently cut ties with the NRA or opted to stop selling assault-style rifles aren’t engaging in shareholder activism or corporate social responsibility, but merely normal business practices.
View at The Washington Post