This week, many of us gravitated towards recent public relations challenges, as well as taking a look at how industries seem to be adapting and changing with the ever-evolving Gen Z + Millennial-focused landscape. (Plus, a sprinkling of new tabletop design and partnerships, and too beautiful to eat cake design)!

Gabriel Rodriguez-Calderon: Where Was the PR Counsel at Pepsi?
After Pepsi’s major social blunder earlier last week, many PR pros now wonder if a communications executive could have helped Pepsi avoid the embarrassment caused by its ill-considered ad starring Kendall Jenner. Experts claim that a communications professional would have been “critical” in helping the soft-drink maker understand its audience and grasp the cultural sensitivities surrounding the campaign. (via PR Week)

Margaux Caniato:
5Pointz Graffiti Artists Court Case
This story will be one to watch and landmark for many future cases as well as defining the boundaries of street art and artists. Stay tuned… (via The New York Times)

Alice + Olivia Launches Private Instagram
Testing the power of social exclusivity, Alice + Olivia go old school fashion elitist in their innovative approach for Instagram. (via Glossy)

Melodie Mendez: Gucci Memes
Not a huge fan of the direction Gucci has taken in their latest ad campaign, #TFWGucci. It seems so disjointed from the brand. Who is this meant to attract? (via Buzzfeed)

Margaret Park: You Can Run, But You Can’t Fly
This United Airlines + Chicago PD beating of a paying passenger took the interwebs by storm on Monday and the CEO’s near-dismissal of the event was such a PR nightmare. Shares are down 4% and counting today… between the leggings incident a couple of weeks and now this, I really can’t imagine how they’re going to dig themselves out of this massive hole. (via CNN Money)

William Oh: United Airlines v. Reddit
The United Airlines incident & their subsequent response was damning to say the least, but also interesting to monitor was a mini-war that happened on reddit’s ‘r/videos’ subreddit – where users can post videos for others to view – as its moderators removed the video for a multiple of reasons. Naturally, users did not take this well and plastered links referencing the United incident at the airline’s expense.

Serves to show avoiding the ‘Streisand effect’ is key when addressing sensitive issues, as shown countless times – with Beyonce’s unflattering Super Bowl photo as a recent example. (via Vice News, Observer)

Michelle Shen: Oprah… is now Alexa?
The new partnership with Hearst bringing Oprah to Alexa serves to show that with new in-home technologies, brings new potential advertising and brand seeding opportunities. (via The Wall Street Journal)

Brandon Roldan:
Delta Airlines Partners with Alessi
This will be the first time a major US airline has partnered with a high-end designer tableware company to elevate the customer service experience. In addition to this, the Alessi pieces chosen are absolutely gorgeous and the stoneware feel makes them durable and easy to handle. Typically, there isn’t a strong connotation between airplane food and strong taste appeal, but scientific studies have proven that the perception of taste can be directly influenced by what they are served on so this was a great way for Delta to show its attention to detail and its “uncompromising level of elegance and service to the onboard experience” (via Food & Wine)

Cutlery & Tableware for the Experimental Eater
The story behind this was the idea that consumers typically, especially in urban environments, do not spend much time enjoying the experience and ambiance of eating (as much as they claim they do). This can be seen most indefinitely in New York City where everything is done fast, including eating. Some of the top restaurants in cities around the world such as in Amsterdam, New York, Zurich, Copenhagen, Berlin, and Philadelphia all have recognized this as a determent to their service, and thus have partnered with high-end tableware designers (as well as industrial designers) to create and curate collections that force the user to spend more time and enjoy the experience. Not only are these pieces purposeful in function, but are also incredible pleasing in aesthetic. (via The Globe & Mail)

Sara Gardner: Clickbait Journalism
What used to feel like an oxymoron is now a reality, with many editors being pushed more and more towards creating catchy titles for more clicks, or reworking or retooling stories from other outlets to seem fresher and snappier than their competitor. In an era where news stories (or presidential decrees) can be just 140 characters, the landscape of journalism as we know it is drastically changing – is there any going back? (via Cosmetic Executive Women)

Meghan Dockendorf: Succulent Cakes!
Came across these beautiful succulent terrarium cakes made by pastry chef Iven Kawi in Singapore, and I just had to share. (via Colossal)