Tag Archives: maslansky and partners

Reformulate or Hold the Line? How to Talk About Ingredients in the MAHA Era

March 3, 2026

If you work in food and beverage right now, you don’t need another explainer on the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. You’re living it.

A year or two ago, you might have called it fringe. Today, it’s shaping regulations, rattling supply chains, and driving what ends up in shoppers’ carts. Consumers are reading labels more closely than ever. Politicians on both the left and right are suddenly food reformers.

This isn’t just about what’s in your products. It’s about how you talk about what’s in your products. Because right now, one word on a package or in a CEO quote can mean a lawsuit, a boycott… or a breakthrough.

Here’s some practical guidance for how to talk about ingredients in this new era.

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Lee Carter on Foxnews.com: The language of Trump’s State of the Union

February 25, 2026

From his opening line of the 2026 State of the Union, Donald Trump continued to understand something that confounds his opponents: that in today’s American politics, a good story beats everything else, including statistics. In this piece for Foxnews.com, Lee Carter reflects on the power of Trump’s storytelling… and the power play of his address.

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The Language of Super Bowl LX Ads: the messaging winners & losers

February 11, 2026

The Super Bowl isn’t just about football—it’s about messaging. For 30 seconds, brands spend millions trying to connect with millions of viewers. But not all of them succeed.

In this annual episode, one of our most popular every year, our partners break down the messaging behind this year’s most talked-about commercials. What made some ads resonate so powerfully that people can’t stop talking about them? Why did others completely miss the mark despite massive budgets and star power?

Lee, Michael, Keith, Ben, and Katie analyze the themes, language choices, and strategies that separated the winners from the losers. You’ll discover what these ads reveal about how audiences think right now, and gain a behind-the-scenes look at what actually makes messaging work. Whether you’re a communicator, a business leader, or simply curious about why certain messages stick with us, this episode is a masterclass in the power of language done right… and a whole lot of fun!

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The Language of MAHA & Food Ingredients

February 4, 2026

The rules have changed. Food and beverage brands that market artificial ingredients used to have breathing room. Not anymore. With MAHA gaining real momentum in Washington, the conversation around “healthy,” artificial additives, and what we put in our bodies has become impossible to ignore—and it’s moving fast.

If you’re a communications or business leader, you’re already feeling the pressure. The old playbook doesn’t work. Talking about the “science” doesn’t persuade. Even the words themselves can blow up in your face. So what do you say when the language itself is contested—and how do you say it so people will actually listen?

In Episode One of our sixth season, we reveal strategies to help you navigate this moment of change, find language that actually connects, and position your brand to lead—not just survive—through what’s coming next.

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Lee Carter on Foxnews.com: What Trump’s approval ratings reveal

January 20, 2026

Donald Trump has now been back in the Oval Office for a year. Polls and headlines are declaring that Trump is unpopular. In this provocative piece for Foxnews.com, Lee Carter suggests that it may be worth asking an uncomfortable question: What if the polls aren’t telling us Trump is failing, but that he’s delivering… and the country is splitting in response?

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Our Top Language Moments of 2025

December 16, 2025

Language shapes what we notice, remember, and act on. The words and phrases that break through—from the funny to the “cringey” to the profound—become true Language Moments. They jump out, capture our imagination, and change the way we talk and think about people, issues, and events.

In 2025, they spanned politics, business, tech, and culture. From the “Golden Age of America” and “MAHA” to “AI slop,” “job hugging,” and who can forget “Labubu”… our annual video compilation highlights the language moments that defined the year. It’s fast-paced, punchy, and packed with the year’s most memorable phrases!

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The Language Moments that Defined 2025

December 15, 2025

This year’s language didn’t just describe the world—it reshaped it. In this episode of HearSay, an annual favorite, we recap and analyze the most memorable language moments of 2025, across politics, culture, and business. It’s a fast, fun look at the language that moved audiences this year.

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