Since Monday, Twitter (and now the entire web) has been alight with writer and podcaster Jensen Karp’s discovery of dried shrimp tails in his box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Many have expressed sympathy for the brand’s social media managers, who, as is often the case, bore the brunt of the brand’s clumsy response, which only exacerbated the situation and drew more attention to it. 

In this Voice piece, social media and influencer marketing consultant Kate Bray took a moment to draw some key lessons in brand crisis management from the whole fiasco. “Having a pre-established issues management plan that places honesty and transparency at the center is crucial,” Bray writes. Here’s what that entails.

Adweek has teamed up with R/GA and the 4A's to launch Beyond the Pledge, a limited, special-edition podcast series. The first episode in the series features R/GA’s VP and global executive director of Culture & Operation Jai Tedeschi, as well as Simon Fenwick, the 4A’s EVP of Talent Equity and Inclusion, who discuss the importance of prioritizing equity in the workplace. 

▶️ Tune in here.

Our latest poll with Morning Consult explored what consumers think of brand initiatives for Women’s History Month and women’s equity in general. Here were a few key takeaways:

• 31% of shoppers value brands that launched Women’s History Month initiatives consumers perceived as feeling authentic.
• That number jumped to 47% if the brand donated to organizations that advocate for women.
• But over half of consumers thought brand initiatives for the occasion feel inauthentic.

Explore more data and discover what it means to express authentic support for women.

Related:

• Following its 2019 #ShowUs initiative with Getty Images, which aimed to make stock photo collections more inclusive, Dove and agency LOLA MullenLowe Madrid have launched “It’s on Us” that tackles diversity in casting. Find out how it works.
• As part of Women’s History Month and Equal Pay Day, Eleven by Venus Williams launched #PrivilegeTax, an initiative focused on bringing awareness to the existing gender pay gap between men and women.
• Dick’s Sporting Goods was one of the brands that sought to address the inequities between male and female athletes during March Madness—but the NCAA said its help was not needed.

This week the New York Times announced that its staffers have to get approval before proceeding with book proposals, TV and film deals, audio projects and even newsletters (paid or not). The move was met with backlash from many in the journalism community—but could it become the new norm for other media organizations? (It’s notable that it comes around the same time that Substack is catching heat.) 

Dive into the issues and learn what the larger implications might be.

Google is ready to start trials of cohort-based targeting, or federated learning of cohorts (FLoCs), in Chrome. FLoCs, which are part of the tech giant's Privacy Sandbox proposals, would replace cookies. But these plans have run into problems in Europe over their compatibility with GDPR. Adweek's Ronan Shields discusses.

Related Webinar: Need a blueprint for the post-cookie world? Join Resonate today at 1 p.m. ET to learn how you can build better consumer connections. Register for free here.

Adweek Elevate: Performance Marketing

Kicking off at noon ET, marketers from Chipotle, Walmart, Mack Weldon and more will take the virtual stage to help you score a better ROI on your marketing dollars. Register here.

Briefly:

• As Direct Response Returns to Growth, IWCO Expands Creative and Analytics Practices
• Financial Challenger Revolut Looks to Fill Key Roles Before International Marketing Push
• Omnicom Media Group Names New US Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
• Katrina Cukaj Named WarnerMedia Ad Sales Lead as Joe Hogan Exits Company
• Univision’s New Execs Urge Marketers Not to Ignore Hispanic Consumers
• NBCUniversal Urges Viewers to ‘Make a Plan’ For Vaccination in Companywide Campaign
• With an Eye on Reader Revenue, Grist Launches New Products Capitalizing on Today’s Political Climate
• Awareness of Covid-19 Fake News Is High, but So Is Apathy, Finds WHO Study

The Royal Family releases commemorative plates to mark occasions such as the Queen’s Coronation and Golden Jubilee. To mark the 50th anniversary of its Creme Egg, Cadbury has created a “Golden Goobilee”—and it’s releasing a limited-edition plate to mark it.

Join Professor Scott Galloway for the Brand Strategy Sprint, a culmination of over 20 years of building some of the world's greatest brands. You'll learn how to tackle the most pressing issues facing brands today and drive value with brand strategy.

Space is limited—sign up now.

Colorful ads for Physicians Mutual spread joy while busting stereotypes.

Pinterest's Jim Habig looks at tweaks for marketers.

The 20-year-old company commits to companywide inclusion under Made Music Studio.

Celebratory lifestyle clothes are back at the fashion retailer—but loungewear isn't being tossed out.

Essity's Bodyform introduces Intimiwear with spot from AMV BBDO.

The future is more embedded technology that turns video into ads.