All aboard for some harrowing tales from the early days of Covid. Gordon Ho, a marketing whiz and crisis communication pro, shares stories of critical decisions made during a time of utter crisis. When the Diamond Princess cruise ship was stuck in Yokohoma Japan during one of the earliest outbreaks of COVID 19, thousands of passengers and crew were quarantined and information changed hourly. We start the voyage with some air travel, covering Boeing recent door-busting crisis. But don’t worry, John and Brian keep things light, covering Gordon’s career highlights, like scouting out a chocolate program and getting a generation of kids hooked on disappearing Disney classics. Brian seeks an oracle for a future Hopelessly Unattainable Guest.

Key topics & chapter markers

00:27: Reviewing Boeing’s current crisis

03:12: Snap Decision: Did Boeing handle it OK…and how soon is too soon?

06:32: Lightning Round: which corporate PR crisis was a better nightmare scenario?

09:06: Meet Gordon Ho

16:44: Terror at sea: early Covid strikes the Diamond Princess cruise ship

39:42: Before Covid…the greatest job in the world

47:28: Growing a market through scarcity at Disney

51:49: Dear Hopelessly Unattainable Guest

Background content

What's going on with Boeing planes? - Mashable

Chronology of COVID-19 Cases on the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship and Ethical Considerations: A Report From Japan - National Library of Medicine

27 Days in Tokyo Bay - Wired

Jan Swartz: Steering Princess Cruises Through the COVID-19 Crisis - Harvard Business Review (for purchase)

www.xpertainment.com - Gordon Ho's website

Connect with Brian and John on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmarks13/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-l-young/

Welcome to the show, Jay Baer! The CX expert drops in on the show to talk about his latest book, The Time to Win. He also gives his riffs on AI, his process for building a book and collecting all those great stories and examples. That and more from a leading speaker on the marketing circuit and also one of the country’s top tequila influencers. Brian gets John’s reaction to the recent Wendy’s dynamic pricing news. John’s shoots for Mars with his Hopelessly Unattainable Guest.

Key topics & chapter markers

01:04: Oh, Wendy’s

09:11: Jay Baer joins the show

20:05: Responding quickly…but not too quickly

27:16: Being fast doesn’t always mean being free

37:36: How AI will impact customer experiences

44:24: Chasing tequila

51:45: Hopefully Unattainable Rocket ships

Background content

Surge Pricing is Coming to More Menus Near You - Wall Street Journal

Wendy’s planning Uber-style ‘surge pricing’ where burger prices fluctuate based on demand - NY Post

No, Wendy’s Says It Isn’t Planning to Introduce Surge Pricing - NPR

Verizon’s new CX leader wants to quash customer pain points - Fierce Wireless

JayBaer.com

The Time to Win

The Time to Win - Amazon

Talk Triggers - Amazon

Tequila Jay Baer

Tequila Jay Baer - Instagram

Connect with Brian and John on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmarks13/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-l-young/

Fresh off her agency’s four Super Bowl commercials, Goodby Silverstein & Partners Chief Creative Officer Margaret Johnson joins the show and discusses the craziness of putting together a Big Game ad and her experience building creative for the biggest audiences. She also talks about integrating digital at a leading agency and provides her perspective on the impact of AI on her work. Also, John gives his snap decision on whether there’s a backlash against technology. Brian takes a swing at another Hopelessly Unattainable Guest.

Key topics & chapter markers

(00:37) - SNAP DECISION: Waymo car fire a sign of tech backlash?

(04:52) - Welcome, Margaret!

(23:26) - Navigating an ad agency through digital transformation

(32:23) - Daughters of the Evolution

(44:25) - Dear Hopelessly Unattainable Guest

Background content

How Waymo became a symbol of everything people hate about AI - Fast Company

Tesla worker killed in fiery crash may be first ‘Full Self-Driving’ fatality - Washington Post

Goodby Silverstein & Partners

See Margaret speak at SXSW

Most liked Super Bowl ads 2024 - Ad Age

USA Today Ad Meter - USA Today

Lessons in Herstory - Daughters of the Evolution

Fire & Ice Super Bowl ad (2018) - moviemaniacsDE/YouTube

Connect with Brian and John on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmarks13/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-l-young/