Lindner’s Wedding: A Luxury Celebration in Tough Times

In 2022, Finance Minister Christian Lindner threw a fancy wedding on Sylt while inflation was skyrocketing. Bad timing? Absolutely.

The Backlash

Lindner’s lavish wedding, held on the exclusive island of Sylt, became a symbol of privilege at a time when many Germans were struggling with rising costs. Social media didn’t hold back, with users criticizing the tone-deaf nature of the event. Some even called it a “Marie Antoinette moment,” highlighting the disconnect between politicians and ordinary citizens.

What He Did

Lindner chose to stay silent and let the controversy blow over. While this approach helped avoid further media attention, it didn’t repair his image. The wedding continued to be cited in discussions about political elitism.

My Take

Silence wasn’t golden in this case. A simple acknowledgment of the criticism, paired with a gesture to show solidarity with those struggling, could’ve turned this around. Instead, it reinforced the “out of touch” narrative.

Sources:

1. Schmidt, F. (2022). Christian Lindner’s wedding sparks backlash amid economic crisis. Tagesspiegel.
2. Reuters (2022). Lindner faces criticism over lavish wedding during inflation crisis.

Deutsche Bahn’s Summer Chaos: Delays, Memes, and Frustration

Trains delayed, ACs broken, and passengers packed like sardines. Summer 2023 was a PR nightmare for Deutsche Bahn, and social media had a field day.

The Drama

Germany’s rail operator faced a wave of criticism as the summer heatwave exposed major flaws in their operations. Passengers shared photos of overcrowded trains and broken air conditioning units, turning Twitter into a real-time complaint board. Memes about missed connections and “standing-room-only” tickets flooded social media, adding to the company’s embarrassment.

What They Did

Deutsche Bahn released statements acknowledging the issues and promised to invest in upgrading infrastructure and rolling stock. They also committed to better real-time updates for passengers. However, these promises felt like déjà vu for many long-time commuters.

My Take

Deutsche Bahn needs to move beyond promises and deliver results. Their communication during the crisis was reactive, not proactive, which left customers feeling ignored. A more transparent and immediate response might have helped ease frustrations.

Sources:

1. Weiland, M. (2023). Deutsche Bahn faces backlash over summer chaos. Spiegel International.
2. Deutsche Bahn (2023). Public statement on summer delays. DB Newsroom.

adidas and Kanye West (aka Ye) had a billion-dollar partnership with Yeezy… until Ye’s offensive comments in 2022. What started as a PR dilemma turned into a full-blown crisis.

The Crisis

Ye’s remarks, which included antisemitic comments, quickly went viral and sparked outrage online. Adidas faced mounting pressure from the public to take action. The longer they stayed silent, the worse it looked. Critics accused the company of putting profits above principles, as the Yeezy line was a major revenue driver.

What Adidas Did

After weeks of backlash, Adidas finally ended their partnership with Ye. The decision came at a high cost—over $1 billion in projected revenue loss. In their statement, they condemned Ye’s comments and emphasized their commitment to diversity and inclusion. While the move was widely praised, the delay in action left a stain on their reputation.

My Take

Cutting ties with Ye was the right thing to do, but Adidas hesitated too long. In situations like this, speed matters. Delays make a company look complicit or indecisive, and that’s a hard image to shake.

Sources:

1. Mellenthin, C. (2022). Adidas ends partnership with Kanye West over antisemitic comments. Deutsche Welle.
2. Horwitz, J. (2022). Adidas cuts ties with Ye, sees big financial loss. Reuters.

Imagine running for chancellor and laughing during a flood disaster speech. That’s exactly what Armin Laschet did, and it became the viral moment of 2021 in Germany—for all the wrong reasons.

What Went Down

While visiting a flood-hit area, Laschet was caught giggling in the background as the president gave a serious speech about the lives lost and the damage caused. Social media exploded, with hashtags mocking him and memes spreading like wildfire. Many saw this as a complete lack of empathy, especially during such a heartbreaking event.

The timing couldn’t have been worse, as Laschet was already struggling to connect with voters. His opponents didn’t hold back, using the incident to question his leadership and judgment.

What He Did

Laschet apologized publicly, calling it an unfortunate “moment of distraction.” He tried to shift focus to the government’s plans for flood relief and reconstruction. Despite his efforts, the incident became a defining moment of his campaign. Polls showed a noticeable dip in his approval ratings, and he never fully recovered.

My Take

This was a PR nightmare. In politics, perception is everything, and one image can speak louder than a thousand apologies. Laschet’s reaction felt too late and out of touch. A genuine and immediate acknowledgment of the mistake might have softened the blow.

Sources:

1. Oltermann, P. (2021). Armin Laschet apologises after being caught laughing in flood zone. The Guardian.
2. Deutsche Welle (2021). German election: How Laschet’s flood gaffe shaped the campaign.

---

---

by Joeline Kölker

Boeing’s 737 MAX: A Crash Course in Bad Crisis Management – by Joeline Kölker

Boeing’s 737 MAX disaster is a textbook example of how not to handle a crisis. Two crashes, 346 lives lost, and a faulty system—it’s the kind of tragedy people don’t forget.

What Happened

The crashes in 2018 and 2019 exposed major safety flaws in Boeing’s MCAS system. Regulators grounded the planes, and Boeing’s “everything’s fine” attitude didn’t help.

What They Did

After months of backlash, they apologized, updated the software, and faced Congress. But their slow response and lack of empathy left a bad taste.

My Take

Boeing cared more about saving face than saving lives. If they’d been upfront and empathetic from the start, it wouldn’t have been such a PR nightmare.

Sources:

1. Kitroeff, N., & Gelles, D. (2019). Boeing’s 737 MAX: What’s Happened After the 2 Deadly Crashes. The New York Times.
2. Slotnick, D. (2019). The Boeing 737 Max crisis: A timeline of events. Business Insider.