We provide communications support for corporate transactions, litigation, governance issues, and other sensitive business matters where legal strategy, stakeholder confidence, and reputation must remain aligned.
CASE STUDIES | Counsel-Aligned
EDM Americas
EDM AMERICAS
Managing Communications Post-OSHA
Crisis Response to Workplace Incident
Situation
EDM Americas faced OSHA-related scrutiny following a workplace incident. The company needed rapid, disciplined communications across media, employees and clients during a high-stakes regulatory and reputational matter.
Strategy
Throughline established a single response frame that balanced regulatory sensitivity, worker safety, media interest and client confidence. The goal was to help leadership respond quickly without over-explaining, speculating or creating avoidable reputational or legal exposure.
Deliverables
• Crisis response strategy for OSHA-related regulatory scrutiny
• Media relations counsel and company comment for a Bloomberg inquiry
• Employee communications addressing OSHA citation posting and safety concerns
• Client communications strategy to protect confidence in service continuity
• Executive messaging and social/news monitoring to maintain issue discipline
Outcome
• Reduced reputational exposure during a sensitive workplace safety matter
• Protected management credibility with employees by showing concern for worker safety
• Helped preserve client confidence by aligning external response with operational facts
• Maintained a disciplined communications posture when inconsistent or defensive messaging could have intensified risk.
Kroger
Consumer Assurance Support
Product Contamination Communications
Situation
Kroger faced a product contamination matter where consumer confidence, operational credibility and public-facing response discipline were central to protecting the brand.
Strategy
Throughline approached the matter as a consumer trust event. The strategy prioritized safety, speed, factual accuracy and consistency. Messaging was aligned with operational and legal realities so the company could demonstrate responsibility without creating unnecessary confusion or liability.
Deliverables
• Product recall and contamination communications strategy
• Consumer trust message framework centered on safety, facts and responsible action
• Media response guidance for a high-sensitivity consumer issue
• Internal alignment recommendations for legal, operations and communications teams
• Stakeholder talking points to support clear, consistent public response
Outcome
• Protected consumer confidence by keeping the issue grounded in safety and verified facts
• Reduced the risk that rumor or uncertainty would define the brand narrative
• Supported Kroger’s reputation for responsible action during a consumer-facing incident
• Helped preserve brand equity by aligning response discipline with customer trust
Joe Van Gogh Coffee
Protecting Brand Credibility
Protecting Brand Credibility
During a Public Employment Dispute
Situation
Joe Van Gogh faced a public dispute involving Duke University and allegations of wrongful employee termination. The matter created reputational risk for a local consumer brand whose credibility depended on trust with customers, employees, university partners and the broader community. The situation was nationally amplified by engagement of rapper Young Dolph.
Strategy
Throughline treated the matter as a counsel-sensitive reputation issue, not a media fight. The strategy was to establish message discipline, clarify known facts without escalating the conflict, protect employee privacy and keep the company aligned with its values of fairness, respect and community trust.
Deliverables
• Crisis and issues management strategy for a public employment dispute
• Counsel-aligned message framework balancing facts, privacy and reputational risk
• Media response guidance to avoid speculation and public back-and-forth
• Stakeholder Q&A for leadership, employees, customers and institutional audiences
• Internal alignment counsel to ensure one consistent public posture
Outcome
• Protected brand credibility during a visible local controversy
• Reduced reputation risk by keeping the response restrained, factual and values-based
• Helped preserve customer and community trust in a consumer brand built on local relationships
• Supported operational continuity by preventing inconsistent messages from distracting leadership and employees
Maryland + Virginia Milk Cooperative (MAOLA)
MAOLA
Plant Closing Messaging
Explaining a Plant Closing Within a Changing Industry Reality
Situation
Maryland & Virginia Milk Cooperative needed to manage communications around Maola-related divestiture, layoffs and plant closings in North Carolina. The decision affected employees, customers, farmers, local communities and public audiences.
Strategy
Throughline reframed the plant closing from a stand-alone job-loss story to a market-driven business decision shaped by dairy-industry economics. The strategy connected declining fluid milk consumption, consolidation, shipping efficiency and plant geography to the cooperative’s need to protect long-term stability.
Deliverables
• Change and plant-closing communications strategy
• Stakeholder messaging for employees, farmers, customers, communities and public audiences
• Plain-language business rationale explaining industry, logistics and operational realities
• Visual narrative and infographic translating complex dairy-market data
• Public affairs and reputation counsel for a sensitive local transition
Outcome
• Protected the cooperative’s credibility while communicating an unpopular decision
• Helped stakeholders understand the business rationale rather than view the closing only through a local-loss lens
• Reduced confusion by translating operational complexity into clear narrative and visual proof points
• Supported reputation preservation during a transition affecting workforce, community and customer trust