Astronomer’s response to its viral PR crisis has sparked industry fervour and applause, and for good reason. The US startup had the audacity to hire Gwyneth Paltrow for a satirical, business-focused video, turning a meme at its expense into a case study in contemporary crisis management.
Early last week, we all saw a Coldplay concert video that revealed Astronomer’s CEO and chief people officer in an embrace on the stadium Jumbotron. The clip exploded online, drawing waves of public attention and resulting in both executives resigning as the company’s name trended for all the wrong reasons.
Rather than shying away from the spotlight, Astronomer enlisted Paltrow – business owner, actress and the ex-wife of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin – for a short social video.
In the clip, Paltrow sidesteps references to the scandal and instead addresses mock “frequently asked questions” in her signature deadpan style.
She deftly pivots the conversation to what Astronomer actually does, finishing with, “Yes, Astronomer is the premier place to run Apache Airflow,” and a wry thanks to newfound fans for their sudden curiosity.
The effect has been a viral response that actually put the company’s product front and centre of subsequent Google search results, not its internal drama.
Astronomer played it legally safe first
It’s important to note this wasn’t Astronomer’s first response to the scandal. In fact, there was nothing particularly flashy about the startup’s first public move: a board statement that was measured and cautious.
“Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability,” the company wrote in a LinkedIn post.
“The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.”
It also went on to debunk a fake statement from former Astronomer CEO, Andy Byron.
Sally Branson, a crisis communications expert, said this move was essential for laying the groundwork for the Paltrow video.
“The board had already put out a very dry, very clear statement around the incident. They didn’t say ‘affair’, they didn’t mention Coldplay. It was a straightforward, legally safe statement from Astronomer that ticked off their duty of care as a board and as an organisation.”
Why Astronomer’s Gwyneth Paltrow parody video worked
The original statement from the board left room for a humorous video that didn’t follow traditional crisis management scripts. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t well thought out, layered approach.
“Gwyneth Paltrow is the perfect spokesperson here,” Branson said.
Branson pointed to the “obvious” connection to Coldplay as well as Paltrow and Martin’s divorce, coining the term “conscious uncoupling,” making the pair an “authority in the divorce space”.
“The second thing is her own social media. She’s very used to being subversive and controversial. She’s had her own PR issues. She’s so clever at using that zeitgeist and being a step ahead of conversations,” Branson said.
Branson also pointed to Paltrow already being known for ‘ask me anything’ videos in the style of the Astronomer clip for her own business page.
“She’s an actress, used to presenting, a CEO of a disruptor brand, which is the same sort of disruptive brand Astronomer tries to be. There are so many synergies and connections here, and that is why it works. That’s why I say it’s actually a complex crisis response. There are so many factors that actually make it work so well.”
According to Branson, the Astronomer x Paltrow video also takes a deliberate aim at the conventions of crisis communication itself.
Crucially, Astronomer’s approach met the audience where the narrative was playing out: social media.
“The first video went viral online, so it’s entirely appropriate that this goes online as well. So it’s clever.”
One persistent issue with most viral crises is everyone learns your company name, but that doesn’t mean they walk away knowing or caring what you actually do.
“In a crisis, one of the greatest risks is that you’re known for your notoriety, not your core business. But with this, it moves the conversation,” Branson said.
The crux in Astronomer’s video was to take public curiosity and redirect it from the incident to the business itself.
Branson brought up the first question put to Paltrow, titled ‘OMG what the actual f…”
“When the question [was asked], she only talked about the business. They’re not talking about the crisis at all. They’re talking about the business.”
Despite praise for Astronomer’s move, Branson warns this kind of response wouldn’t work for everyone. She anticipates brands going to crisis comms experts asking for a Paltrow video and being told no.
It’s a dangerous, complex move, and unless all of those factors are right, no company in Australia has any business making a video like that as a crisis response.
“This is the moonshot, if we’re using astronomy language.”
