I hope you haven’t had to go rounds with Cyclospora, the parasite known to cause cyclosporiasis — loosely nicknamed the Taco Bell virus, which causes… well, you know what it causes.
Unless you’ve been living in never-never land, you’ve heard that Taco Bell found themselves in the middle of a brand-image nightmare — a widespread health panic — after their shredded iceberg lettuce supplier, a company in Mexico, was linked to the cyclosporiasis outbreak across several states.
If you’re wondering what any of this has to do with Rocktnative audio, here’s the connection.
The Taco Bell Scenario
Put yourself in Taco Bell’s shoes. They didn’t grow the lettuce, didn’t clean it, didn’t shred it, and didn’t ship it. Instead, they paid a company to do all of it.
So it’s not really Taco Bell’s fault, right? They didn’t know parasites were on the lettuce. Perhaps they’re guilty-adjacent?
But here’s the reality: it doesn’t matter. No one cares about the details. Brands can share little or even no guilt, but when they get sucked into a vortex of nonstop negative PR, no one is letting facts or nuance get in the way. The damage is already done.
As expected, Taco Bell has seen a recent decline in sales. But don’t cry for them — they’ll be fine. This isn’t the first or last time they’ll be dragged for one reason or another, just like countless other brands. Furthermore, the Wall Street Journal already outlined their plan to win back customers.
What About Your Brand?
What if the CEO gets caught embezzling money? Or, what if the GM gets sloshed at the game and it ends up on the news? And if a staffer gets a DUI with a client? What if a PD accepts gifts for airplay? What if your afternoon show’s comments were taken out of context and the whole cycling world thought they were advocating murder (sorry, I had to get that off my chest)?
These things happen all the time. And unlike Taco Bell, the brand didn’t serve the GM drinks at the game. The brand never asked the staffer to drink and drive. The brand doesn’t allow payola. Neither the brand nor the afternoon show advocated the murder of cyclists.
Even if the brand didn’t light the fuse, it still gets hit by the explosion. Getting burned isn’t unique to radio or Taco Bell — it happens everywhere in our ecosystem.
It Can Even Happen to Bands
When one band member loses it, the ripple effect can cancel shows and halt revenue not just for the band, but also for their crew, label, management, promoters, and venues. All because one person made a mistake. The bassist gets arrested mid-tour. The guitarist melts down on stage. The singer punches a fan. The drummer can’t stay sober.
One person’s mistake becomes everyone’s crisis.
So What Do You Do?
The only thing brands can do is prepare before the crisis hits. Build goodwill now, while the skies are clear and the bassist hasn’t been arrested yet.
Show brand values publicly and live them — not just with slogans, but in how you treat listeners or fans. Be human on-air by answering calls, responding to texts and DMs — real connection builds trust you’ll need when the Chalupa goes bad. Invest in the community through fundraising for the sick, feeding or clothing people in need, and rescuing animals — these create reservoirs of goodwill you can draw from later. Be easy to root for: fun, honest, self-deprecating, self-aware, and neither too corporate nor too cool for the room. Keep the culture tight through expectations, goals, boundaries, accountability, and shared wins. A real team stands up for one another.
When things go sideways — and they eventually always do — you want your audience saying: “Give ’em a break. That brand, those people… they’re solid. They’ll fix this.”
The Taco Bell Effect
That’s what’s happening at Taco Bell. They’ll be fine because people love Taco Bell. They built a massive core audience by doing a lot of what’s noted above. Their fans will let this lettuce fiasco pass and be right back in line for the Luxe Meal Box with a Baja Blast.
Rock/Alternative brands need the same thing in their back pockets. You can’t prevent every mistake, but you can absolutely build a brand strong enough to survive them.
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Keith Cunningham is a music industry and Rock/Alternative columnist for Barrett Media and the founder of Black Box Group, a modern-modeled creative & strategic consultancy built for brands that need strategies with teeth. He’s the former Master of Mayhem at 95.5 KLOS-FM in Los Angeles for over a decade, a nationwide consultant, and has been repeatedly voted one of America’s top Program Directors and strategic thinkers. Keith has built his career by taking multi-million-dollar brands from worst to first and leading Marconi & Gracie award winners along the way. A data nerd with a rock-and-roll heart, he is an advisory council member for St. Jude fundraising, a fantasy football champion, and lover of his daughters & dogs. Reach him at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com or on LinkedIn or X.