Boeing: Too Big to Fail?
Reputational damage rarely stems from a single incident, but from patterns of failure that expose deeper cultural issues. In 2024…
What just happened?
Welcome to What Just Happened?. Each episode, Polpeo co-founders Tamara Littleton and Kate Hartley will delve into a different crisis, what it means for the brand, and how it shaped our thinking in crisis communications.
Join us to explore What Just Happened?. Listen and subscribe wherever you normally get your podcasts, and if you enjoy the podcast, leave us a rating or review.
WJH Shorts: The BrewDog Controversy
After going into administration on 2nd March, the fallout for BrewDog’s investors, employees and reputation has been rapid and calamitous.…
WJH Shorts: The Anthropic Trump Feud
On 27th February, President Donald Trump ordered the US Government to stop using technology from AI company Anthropic, developer of…
My CEO Did WHAT?!
The Coldplay kiss cam incident in July 2025 was a great example of what can happen when a CEO is…
The M&S Cyber Attack
In April 2025, Marks & Spencer suffered a significant ransomware cyber attack that severely disrupted its operations for several months…
Del Monte Deaths
Del Monte is a globally recognised brand that has been in existence for nearly 140 years. But in 2023, The…
Disney “Don’t Say Gay”
In March 2022, Florida’s Senate passed a bill to ban discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity in primary schools.…
Everything is NOT Awesome: Greenpeace v LEGO
Until 2014 Shell had enjoyed a 50-year-long brand partnership with LEGO. But it came to an abrupt and high profile…
Spanish Football on Trial: Sexual Assault at the World Cup
During the medal presentation at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Luis Rubiales, then-president of the Spanish Football Federation, forcibly…
Miracle on the Hudson River
In January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 suffered a dual engine failure shortly after take-off from LaGuardia Airport due to…
Culture of Fear: Lessons from the Harrods Abuse Scandal
This episode of “What Just Happened?” explores the widespread abuse committed by former Harrods owner Mohammed Al Fayed and its…
The Arup Deepfake Scam
This episode of “What Just Happened?” explores the growing threat of deepfake technology in corporate settings. In 2024, a major…
SBM Offshore: Corporate Corruption, Whistleblowing, and the Fight for Justice
In this episode of “What Just Happened?”, hosts Kate Hartley and Tamara Littleton talk to the whistleblower at the heart…
The TalkTalk Cyber Hack
The TalkTalk data breach of 2015 was one of the most high profile cybersecurity incidents in the UK. Initially attributed…
The Wells Fargo Fraud Scandal
In 2011 Wells Fargo bank was thrown into the centre of a scandal that resulted in it being fined $185…
Malaysia Airlines: The Disappearance of MH370
In March 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 completely disappeared and became one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history. The…
BP Deepwater Horizon
This week’s show discusses the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, the largest marine oil spill in history. Hosts Tamara Littleton…
The Nestlé Deforestation Backlash
In this episode of “What Just Happened?,” hosts Kate Hartley and Tamara Littleton, with special guest John Brown, explore the…
Horsegate
The horse meat scandal that erupted in 2013 had a huge impact on major UK food brands and supermarkets. And…
The Bud Light Boycott
In this episode of “What Just Happened?,” hosts Kate Hartley and Tamara Littleton, with special guest Aby Hawker, talk about…
United Airlines Passenger Removal
In this episode of “What Just Happened?,” hosts Kate Hartley and Tamara Littleton, with special guest Mark Fritz, discuss the…
The Tylenol Recall
In this episode of “What Just Happened?,” hosts Kate Hartley and Tamara Littleton, with special guest Jonathan Hemus, discuss the…
What Just Happened? Introduction
In What Just Happened? hosts and co-founders of Polpeo, Tamara Littleton and Kate Hartley, delve into a different corporate crisis,…