Anchorage Partners

🧭 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀

𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗥 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.

When your firm or client is in the news, who’s in the room with you?

At Anchorage, we’ve worked alongside firms navigating high-sensitivity reputational challenges - 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀.

Our role is simple: bring clarity, calm, and strategy when the stakes are high.
We operate quietly behind the scenes...aligned with legal teams, grounded in ethics, and focused on protecting what matters most.

Our crisis repair approach is: 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮-𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮-𝘀𝗮𝘃𝘃𝘆, 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱.

📌 𝗪𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀:

• 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘁
• 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 + 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆
• 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲
• 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀

Some clients need us once. Others keep us close. We are there when it matters most.

It's not in our interest to say this, but rage posts are not good for anyone. Your reputation is on the line.

Cracker Barrel Saves America

…after tone-deaf logo change and reversal alienates everyone everywhere all at once

America was once again under siege.

This time, the crisis came from a Tennessee-based chain of gift-shop-plus-gravy emporiums.

Yes, Cracker Barrel. THE Cracker Barrel. Apple pie. Biscuits. Fireplaces. Frustrating peg games that make you question the value of your degree.

The offense? They changed their logo. The old guy – Uncle Herschel, friend of the original founders – was gone. So was his rocking chair.

But why, Cracker Barrel, WHY??

Maybe it was too busy for modern formats. Maybe they noticed the witch smoking a joint on the old guy’s shirt (look closely) and worried about bad logo juju.

That's a real a thing. The Chicago Bulls lousy run began shortly after people realized their logo is an inverted image of a robot violating a crab. (You’ll never un-see it. Sorry.) Coincidence?

Within hours of Cracker Barrel’s announcement the conversation was about woke-ists destroying everything America stands for.

Equality? Liberty? Democracy?

No, no, silly. Rocking chairs and overalls.

And yet… Cracker Barrel’s decision was stunningly tone deaf.

The logo change dug right into the stress levels of rural Americans already marginalized on the national stage and struggling economically.

Many of the Uncle Herschel’s of America - and their descendants - left the family farm to pursue manufacturing jobs that are now gone. Automation, AI, relocations, and straight up closures threaten what's left.

Uncle Herschel himself worked for the Martha White Flour Company; now owned by a private equity firm based in Connecticut. So we 86 him?

Things could have been handled much better.

I’d like to suggest, humbly, a full-scope rebranding.

Dear Cracker Barrel:

If the goal is broader demographic appeal, perhaps the word “Cracker” is a good place to start? Ultimately you run a tasty comfort food restaurant with a heavy focus on biscuits. Biscuits. Not crackers.

Next: barrels. “Over a barrel,” “bottom of the barrel,” “roll out the barrel” (not casting aspersions on the Polka community, but…). Negative associations abound.

Is there a better option? Something that has been a staple of proletarian utility across cultures for centuries and yet transcends the charged symbolism of these divisive times?

Yes. Yes, there is. The humble bucket.

Buckets are simple, helpful, and universally unoffensive. The only bad thing you can do with a bucket is kick it.

Combine these two improvements and there it is: Biscuit Bucket.

Cracker Barrel, kudos for keeping the old guy and giving him back his chair. But if you really want to lock in a much more relevant logo, Biscuit Bucket is the way to go.

I’ll be first in line with a full wallet and empty stomach. And no one will be offended.

Until, of course, they are.

Either way, if peach cobbler is still on the menu, I'm in.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗢𝗡

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸-𝘁𝗼-𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲:

"𝗠𝘆 𝗸𝗶𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿?"

Most parents accept that their kids will always be on social media. What keeps them up at night is the speed and permanence of it. Kids don't always grasp how quickly their actions can become public, or how unforgiving the internet can be.

My answer is always the same:

"𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗻."

I mean that literally.

Phones are everywhere: classrooms, hallways, buses, after-school hangouts.

At any moment, a slip-up can be recorded and shared with an entire community before a student even realizes what happened.

When a silly joke, a minor argument, or a thoughtless decision escalates…all the phones come out, and suddenly the moment lives online forever.

I've seen kids face incredible difficulty when things they said or did were captured and shared on social media, spreading through entire school systems in a matter of hours.

That's why awareness matters.

Help your kids understand that what they do in any given moment can carry consequences that last a very, very long time.

It's not a lesson that stops at graduation.

As professionals, leaders, and executives, we're living in the same reality. Meetings are recorded, transcripts are automatically generated, and offhand comments can resurface in ways we never intended.

Reputation today isn't built only on résumés or big wins, but also in the small, daily moments that are increasingly visible and permanent.

Those moments can either reinforce credibility and trust…or derail years of hard work.

Have a conversation with your kids to make sure they understand the risks.

And if there's only one thing they hear, make sure it's this:

📸 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗢𝗡.

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀, 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘀… 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀
𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣𝙨 𝙣𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡

Teenagers are navigating a social media minefield where one impulsive moment can echo far beyond a 10-second clip.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲.

How do I know this? Because every crisis I’ve managed involving a kid under the age of 18 started with social media. Every single one.

What began as a split-second bid for laughs or attention spiraled into cyberbullying, social rejection, suspensions, and has even derailed college admissions.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲:

• 46% of U.S. teens have experienced at least one form of cyberbullying (Pew Research).
• 1 in 6 students are bullied online every year (CDC).
• Victims of cyberbullying are twice as likely to report suicidal thoughts (Journal of Adolescent Health).
• 77% of high school students use social media multiple times a day, raising their risk for bullying, depression, and anxiety (CDC).
• YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok are the most common platforms where bullying occurs, with rates as high as 79% on YouTube.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿.

As parents, we can't unplug the internet. But we can become our kids' digital navigators, helping them understand the real-world consequences of every post, comment, and share.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

Help your teen:
√ Recognize the difference between momentary attention and genuine connection
√ See their online presence as a reflection of their character
√ Choose substance over viral sensationalism

Back-to-school season is the perfect time to start these conversations. Talk to your kid and set clear, values-based boundaries that model thoughtful online behavior. The risks are too great to be ignored.

Coldplay‑gate: A Masterclass in Crisis Management, Good & Bad

Why was this in the news for SO long?

When Astronomer execs Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot were caught on screen at a Coldplay concert, the fallout was fast: memes, speculation, and resignations.

Never heard of Astronomer before? Neither had anyone else.

The story continues, but is now about how those involved did, or did not, respond.

Most PR crises:
· Peak in 12–48 hours
· Fade within a week unless new news or silence keeps it going

So what made this one different?
-Coldplay owned the moment with humor and speed.
-Astronomer acknowledged the exposure and pivoted publicly.
-Byron stayed silent, and now rumors swirl about his intent to sue Coldplay.

Let’s talk legal reality:
-Ticket terms include consent to be filmed
-There’s no reasonable expectation of privacy in a 60,000 person stadium
-Defamation requires a proven falsehood stated with malice

In short: the legal case is weak.

But the reputational damage? That’s real, and made much worse by silence.

When leaders don’t respond:
- Others tell your story for you
- People assume the worst
- You lose control of YOUR narrative

Silence is not strategy.

You don’t have to say everything, but you do have to show up.

Take control of your story or someone else will.

More times than not, they won’t be kind about it

What Makes a Good Apology?

Have you ever seen a public apology that leaves you unconvinced?

More times than not, it's because the person apologizing isn't taking
responsibility for what went wrong.

- They speak in vague terms
- They say "I'm sorry IF anyone was hurt" or
- I'm sorry YOU felt that way
- They frame the issue as "a misunderstanding"

Hearing these apologies leaves us more frustrated than we were before.

Why?

Because these are not apologies, but weak attempts at image management.
A GOOD apology:

- Takes ownership without shifting blame
- Acknowledges harm without focusing on the speaker's intent
- Avoids self-protection framed as compassion

We've created powerful turning points for leaders navigating public
fallouts by shaping true and sincere public statements and engaging
stakeholders towards repair.

A good apology is not a PR move, it's a personal one. It says, "I understand the mess I've made, and I'm here to repair it."

The most effective apologies are rarely the ones designed to protect
reputation.

They're the ones that use sincerity to protect something much more
valuable: integrity. And integrity is what allows true repair to begin.

Repair begins where ego ends.

If your first instinct is to defend yourself, pause.

Ask yourself: Am I trying to do right...or just trying to BE right?

If you can't ask yourself that question, the path ahead is going to be
tough indeed.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗣𝗥 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀
When your mistake becomes public, legal action won’t save your credibility—it will crush it.

One of the first things I often hear from clients in the early hours of a public crisis is:

“𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺?”
“𝗜𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?”
“𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹?”

All good questions. When you're watching something deeply personal play out you want control. You want justice. You want it to stop.

𝗕𝘂𝘁... suing someone during a PR crisis almost never helps—and usually makes things worse.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝘄𝘀𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗢𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻
When people are hurt, angry, or confused about what you did, they’re looking for clarity. They want to understand why you did what you did—and whether you’re taking responsibility.

Everyone ultimately knows we all make mistakes. In a PR crisis, people want to hear that you know what you did was bad/dumb/mean/etc. They’re asking themselves:

“Is this person really like that? Do THEY know this was bad?”

If these questions go unanswered, they assume the worst.

So if the first thing they hear is that you're suing someone? That doesn’t communicate ownership or contrition. It communicates defensiveness—and arrogance.

Now the headline isn’t just the original controversy.
𝗜𝘁’𝘀: “𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀.”

You blew it.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗜𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱—𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
I’ve never had a crisis client who I felt was being treated fairly. Usually their crisis is based on half-truths and distorted facts quickly spreading online.

BUT—even if what’s being said is genuinely false or unfair—defamation laws are very narrow. Legal action moves slowly. Public opinion moves fast.

You can’t litigate your way back into people’s trust.

This is especially true online, where the lines between commentary and misinformation are constantly blurring. In this new(ish) format, the law is still trying to catch up.

𝗦𝗼 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗗𝗼?
If you have a viable legal claim, talk to your lawyer. Document everything.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵:
• 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 – What happened. What didn’t. What you’re doing about it.
• 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 – If you messed up, own it. If you didn’t, explain it.
• 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 – Show the person underneath the mistake. The one who’s willing to grow.

If legal action is appropriate, pursue it after you’ve addressed the public moment, taken stock of your relationships, and charted a path forward with sincerity.

Because the people watching?

They’re not asking whether you use lawyers to solve your problems.
They’re asking whether you’ve learned something.

You have one chance to answer that question.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.

As ColdplayGate unfolds, I’ve been asked what I would say to Andy Byron. I’ve helped crisis clients through similar (and worse), and I see the same patterns playing out here.

It would go something like this:

“Andy, we live in divisive times. Yet those who’ve seen your clip (basically everyone) are experiencing a rare moment of unity. I believe I speak for all Americans when I say… Ugh.

Here’s the bad news:

-345,000 people have been talking about you online in the last 24 hours.

-3.2 million people have engaged in those discussions.

-Tens of millions more are watching from the sidelines.

-Everyone you’ve ever known knows about this. Life will never be the same.

Here’s the good news:

-25,000 people were talking about you at 3 p.m. EST yesterday. Only a quarter of that are doing so now.

-Engagement is dropping, which means people are moving on. America’s terrible attention span is working in your favor.

-To whatever extent this can be fixed, fixing it is up to you.

-It doesn’t feel like it now, but life will eventually go on.

Most importantly: Despite the damage that’s been done, you have the ability to decide what your life looks like next. Repairing relationships with those you’ve hurt most will take time, honesty, and a staggering amount of work. Start now.”

Most people think a crisis ends when the media coverage stops.

It doesn’t.

A true PR crisis is like a funeral. After everyone else moves on, you’re the one left picking up the pieces—alone. You may not have lost a loved one, but you’ve lost what life was like before:

Your credibility. The reputation you spent years building. Maybe your career itself. They’re gone. And chances are, they’re not coming back.

There’s only so much you can do when your mistake hits the airwaves and knocks you into the most painful chapter of your life. But eventually, the media and the critics turn their attention elsewhere. What’s left is the chance to repair the relationships with people you care about. Those who know you best. Those who deserve to hear you say you’re sorry as many times as it takes for them to know you mean it.

I help clients shape their messaging and survive the public moment.

But I also help them repair the relationships that matter most: friends, teammates, classmates, neighbors, spouses, pastors, kids.

We call this Restorative Communications.

It’s not therapy. It’s not spin. It’s a plan to rebuild trust, one conversation at a time—with strategy, sincerity, and a whole lot of courage.

Because after the cameras are gone, what’s left isn’t just silence. It’s a chance to show up.

At the end of a crisis, its not what you say publicly, it’s how you show up privately that makes the difference.

We've had a number of clients whose kids were on su***de watch due to incidents like these. Talk to your children about the damage online bullying - of any kind - can do.

“There are students who are so severely psychologically affected that they have to change schools,” she says. “They may miss a lot of school or have to leave school abruptly in the middle of the day. They may be crying, depressed, unable to just keep up with activities of daily living.”

AI ‘Deepfakes’: A Disturbing Trend in School Cyberbullying | NEA

A new study in the Journal of Affective Disorders shows the dispropotionate harm social media does to kids who are already struggling. Something we've been seeing for years in our crisis work with families.

"About 40% of troubled 8- to 20-year-olds reported social media use that could be problematic, saying that they feel discontented, disconnected and upset when they can’t log on to their favorite sites, researchers report in the April issue of Journal of Affective Disorders.

These young people also had higher levels of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts, as well as poorer overall well-being, compared to peers in treatment who weren't overly attached to social media, researchers found."
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2025-03-28/social-media-can-drag-down-troubled-young-people

A 2019 Johns Hopkins study of over 6,000 U.S. youth ages 12 to 15 showed that those who spent more than three hours per day on social media were at a greater risk for anxiety and depression symptoms. It's about time we took some action to protect our kids.

Warning labels to appear whenever you use social media under new bill The newly introduced Stop the Scroll Act, if passed, will require social media platforms to include pop-up alerts with a mental health warning.