This week's PR Roundup takes a look at a prime example of unprompted employee advocacy on LinkedIn, lessons from the Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage and a new study from GIPHY showing the triumphant preference of the group chat for sharing important information.
Employee Advocacy for an Embattled Brand
What happened: Last week PR Roundup covered the repercussions for employees behaving badly—at sporting events, in leaked group chats…
But this week a post on LinkedIn made me stop in my tracks—a note from Washington Post White House reporter Dan Diamond. Diamond posted a photo from the front page of The Post showing the decapitated (now-demolished) East Wing of The White House—a scoop shared with the public on Oct. 22.
Now, it’s no secret that The Post has had its share of hardship this year, bleeding subscribers after owner Jeff Bezos defended the decision to not publish the paper’s endorsement for president—the first time in 36 years. Diamond goes into detail about what the environment has been like at the paper for journalists, confirms that the newsroom continues to be committed to investigative, impactful reporting and encourages those who unsubscribed to rejoin. (Disclaimer: Our family has been a years-long subscriber to The Post.)
Diamond writes: “But in the newsroom of The Post, where I work, nothing about our mission has changed. We are still editorially independent. (To translate: Nobody tells me what to write, including this LinkedIn post.) We are still focused on breaking news and doing accountability journalism.”
No, this may not be a typical news story that PR Roundup focuses on, but the simple eloquence of the LinkedIn storytelling stopped this editor's scroll. The communications industry has an entire arm—the internal and employee communications sector—which hopes for this type of employee advocacy, even in tough times. It’s a heck of an example for organizations to learn from.
Communication takeaways: Jody Moore, Head of People and Operations at Spool Marketing, says Diamond’s post is “a great reminder that some of the most credible and compelling voices for any organization come from the inside.”
“When employees are invested in their company’s mission and feel personally connected to its success, advocacy happens naturally,” Moore says.
Moore notes that internal comms teams and company leaders can help play a key role by consistently connecting employees to the organization’s purpose and impact. She says that doesn’t happen through formal communications alone.
“It requires honest, ongoing dialogue that makes people feel seen and valued,” she says.
Now, one may argue that The Post hasn’t had the most stable company culture in the past year with veteran journalists and editors leaving for calmer waters and many others taking buyouts. However, it does show that no matter what is happening, there’s still a deep commitment from staff who still believe in the history and mission of the organization and the necessity of their career.
Moore says you can prep employees all you want, but they have to have that belief to be true advocates.
“While you can equip employees to be advocates by sharing messaging, encouraging engagement on company social channels and even celebrating participation, they ultimately need to be inspired to take action,” she says. “The best advocacy is unprompted because employees genuinely believe in what they’re part of. And that kind of advocacy doesn’t just matter for sales [and production]—it drives recruitment, retention and overall reputation, too.”
AWS Outage Disrupts Major Parts of the Internet
What happened: A major Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage this week caused widespread disruptions across the internet and mobile apps, affecting everything from financial platforms like Venmo and Robinhood, to streaming services such as Prime Video, and to restaurants like McDonalds and Starbucks.
The outage began early Monday and lasted several hours, impacting apps and companies that depend on AWS for hosting and data storage. Users reported that smart devices like thermostats and mattresses stopped functioning, while websites and apps—including banking tools, social platforms and online retailers—were inaccessible or slow to load. The company said service was fully restored by the afternoon, though some residual issues continued.
The outage underscored how a single cloud disruption can ripple across industries, temporarily halting both personal conveniences and critical operations like air travel. Reuters reports it as the “largest internet disruption since last year's CrowdStrike malfunction.”
Communication takeaways: In today’s global economy, everything is interconnected thanks to the convenience of technology. However, technology can fail, and tertiary brands connected to it need to be prepared in cases of outages—when customers may need them most.
Katie Clark, Head of Crisis at Marathon Strategies, says during a disruption, speed and empathy matter most when addressing an audience.
"Acknowledge the issue quickly to reduce confusion and maintain trust—even if you don’t yet have all the facts,” Clark says. “Let customers know you’re aware, investigating and offer clear workarounds or alternatives. Balance transparency with accuracy and timing: don’t speculate about causes or overpromise on fixes. Focus instead on the process and partners working to resolve the issue.”
Clark says the AWS incident should serve as a wakeup call for crisis teams.
“Events like the recent AWS outage also create a moment for leadership teams to revisit preparedness—from pre-approved messaging and tabletop exercises to backup communication channels,” she says.
Group Chats Beat Social Media for Major Life Updates
What happened: When was the last time you heard someone use the phrase, “Facebook Official?” Been a while, boomer!
When big news breaks—like a new job, a breakup or a move—people are no longer posting on social media first. They’re heading to the group chat.
According to a new study from GIPHY, a majority of people are sharing major life updates in their group chats before telling social media or even family.
Meg Lewis, VP of Brand Marketing at GIPHY, says the company wanted to better understand how communication is changing within these smaller, more intimate spaces.
“Group chats have become the go-to for sharing life updates—they’re where our closest circles live and where our day-to-day conversations are happening, in real time,” Lewis says. “GIFs especially, alongside other forms of media, are a major part of how people express themselves in their group chats, and this survey underscored the importance of that.”
Key findings in the study:
- Nearly 80% share major life updates with their group chat before family.
- 90% share in their group chat before posting on social media.
- 51% of Gen Z say their group chat knows more about their daily life than family.
- Men are more likely than women to say their group chat knows them best (45% vs. 32%).
- Gen Z is twice as likely as Baby Boomers to send GIFs daily in their chats.
Communication takeaways: It’s becoming well-documented that users are shifting away from traditional social media platforms, and PR pros need to pay attention to new trends of communicating. Lewis says group chats are a place where people feel safer sharing.
"The group chat is seen as a growing space where we feel comfortable opening up about our lives, discussing topics that we care about, building closer bonds and sharing things we love,” she says.
Veronica Correa, Social Media Manager at Crowe PR, says to not sleep on the resurgence of GIFs—which should still be considered a possible tool in applicable communications strategies.
“Not only are GIF's shared widely in group chats but they've also found a new life in the comments section,” Correa says.
She notes how GIF use in group chats mirrors use in social media comments—something brands should not ignore.
“In social media we often joke that the real party is in the comments section,” she says. “Thanks to GIPHY's social media integrations, oftentimes more than half the comments section are filled with GIFs that have more likes than an original video!”
Correa says this behavior showcases the importance of social listening.
“Brands who make it a point to show up early in the comments section, and communicate in ways that feel authentic can really win consumer favor, particularly with Gen Z and Millennial audiences,” she says.
Nicole Schuman is Managing Editor at PRNEWS.