Dolphin Subsidiary The Door Provides Strategic Communications Leadership for Hooters as the Iconic Brand Enters a New Era of Ownership and Cultural Relevance

Rhea-AI Summary

Dolphin (NASDAQ:DLPN) subsidiary The Door led the strategic communications campaign announcing new ownership and a repositioning of Hooters on December 30, 2025. The Door crafted an investor-grade narrative, secured extensive earned media in outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, and Yahoo Finance, and drove culture-forward social activation that amplified Hooters' refreshed identity.

The campaign emphasized transparent leadership from CEO Neil Kiefer, reframed Hooters for investors and consumers, and used timely social engagement—such as a response to Duolingo—to boost cultural relevance and social momentum.

Key Figures

Q3 2025 revenue $14,796,309 Up from $12,682,437 in prior-year quarter

Q3 2025 net loss $365,494 Improved from $8,692,389 net loss a year ago

9M 2025 net loss $4,108,474 Versus $10,643,614 for first nine months last year

Cash & equivalents $7,832,402 Balance as of September 30, 2025

Total debt $25,400,978 Increased from $22,394,274 at prior year-end

Equity purchase facility $15,000,000 Common stock purchase agreement with Lincoln Park

Series C conversion shares 2,369,470 shares Shares issuable from conversion of Series C preferred

Convertible note shares 6,920,697 shares Shares from convertible promissory notes aggregating $10,492,873

Market Reality Check

$1.57 Last Close

Volume Volume 46,707 vs 20-day average 35,241, indicating elevated trading interest ahead of this release. normal

Technical Shares at $1.32, trading slightly above the $1.27 200-day moving average.

Peers on Argus 1 Up 1 Down

DLPN traded down 4.35% while close peers were mixed: KRKR up 2.4%, DRCT up 2.08%, LDWY up 1.34%, and CHR down 12.59%, suggesting stock-specific dynamics rather than a broad advertising-agency move.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 23	Subsidiary recognition	Positive	-0.7%	Shore Fire Media podcasts named among The New Yorker’s 10 best of 2025.
Dec 16	New AI division	Positive	-4.5%	Launch of Dolphin Intelligence unit for AI-driven marketing and advisory revenues.
Dec 10	Awards nominations	Positive	-3.1%	42West clients received four nominations at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards.
Dec 04	Film distribution deal	Positive	-1.2%	Partnership for U.S. theatrical distribution of YOUNGBLOOD with coordinated release.
Nov 19	New AOR mandate	Positive	-0.6%	Elle Communications named agency of record for FDA-cleared NET Device rollout.

Pattern Detected

Recent positive operational and reputational news has repeatedly coincided with negative 24-hour price reactions, suggesting a pattern of selling into good news.

Recent Company History

This announcement highlights The Door’s role in a high-profile brand repositioning for Hooters, adding to a string of recent visibility wins across Dolphin’s agency portfolio. In late November–December 2025, subsidiaries Elle Communications, 42West, and Shore Fire Media all reported notable client achievements, yet DLPN’s 24-hour moves after those headlines ranged from about -0.57% to -3.09%. The launch of the AI-focused Dolphin Intelligence unit on Dec 16 also saw a -4.55% reaction, indicating that, historically, the stock has not rewarded similar “capability expansion” or prestige news in the near term.

Market Pulse Summary

The stock surged +11.4% in the session following this news. A strong positive reaction aligns with the stock’s exposure to reputation-driven catalysts, as this news showcases The Door’s role in a major brand repositioning for Hooters and reinforces Dolphin’s credentials across lifestyle and culture marketing. However, recent history shows several upbeat subsidiary and growth announcements followed by negative 24-hour moves. Investors watching a sharp upside move might weigh that pattern, existing convertible overhang, and insider buying trends when considering how durable a single-day gain could be.

Key Terms

earned media technical

"The Door defined the narrative, stewarded top-tier earned media, and activated Hooters"

Publicity a company receives from independent news outlets, bloggers, social media users or industry commentators without paying for placement; it comes from press coverage, reviews, interviews or viral posts rather than paid advertising. For investors it matters because third‑party attention acts like word‑of‑mouth—boosting credibility, customer interest and visibility at low cost—and can quickly influence sales expectations, reputation and short‑term stock moves.

social media activation technical

"narrative Discipline with Culture-Forward Earned Media and Social Media ActivationNEW YORK"

Social media activation is the organized set of posts, ads, influencer partnerships and interactive campaigns a company uses to get people talking, clicking and acting on social platforms. For investors it matters because successful activation can boost brand awareness, sales and customer growth like a storefront attracting more foot traffic, while poor or controversial activations can hurt reputation, raise marketing costs or signal weak demand.

viral PR technical

"a playful, timely exchange sparked by Duolingo's viral PR moment"

Viral PR is a publicity tactic designed to generate rapid, widespread attention online and in the media by creating content or events that people share widely, like a catchy video or surprising announcement. For investors it matters because sudden spikes in public attention can boost brand awareness, sales expectations, or short-term stock moves, but the effect may be fleeting and does not guarantee lasting business value.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

The Effort has Combined Investor-Grade Narrative Discipline with Culture-Forward Earned Media and Social Media Activation

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / December 30, 2025 / The Door, a lifestyle, hospitality and culture-focused communications subsidiary of Dolphin (NASDAQ:DLPN), today announced its role in architecting and executing the strategic communications campaign that introduced Hooters' new ownership and repositioned the iconic brand for its next phase of growth.

At a pivotal inflection point for the business, The Door defined the narrative, stewarded top-tier earned media, and activated Hooters within contemporary culture, ensuring the brand's evolution was communicated with clarity, credibility, and confidence. Central to the success of the effort was the transparency and coherence with which Hooters' leadership articulated the ownership transition and long-term vision, led by Neil Kiefer, CEO of Hooters Inc.

With Kiefer's guidance, The Door was able to craft clear, straightforward explanations to tell the reinvention story across business and financial media, reinforcing market confidence and enabling a more substantive conversation around the brand's refreshed identity, its continuity, and its growth.

The work generated substantial coverage across leading national business and financial outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, and Yahoo Finance, alongside lifestyle and culture coverage in People Magazine, InsideHook, Daily Mail and Restaurant Business. Together, the coverage reframed the narrative for investors, operators, and consumers alike-not as a novelty reboot, but as a thoughtfully managed transition for a globally recognized brand.

In parallel with the earned-media program, The Door capitalized on Hooters' growing social momentum by guiding the brand into new conversations with consumers, like a playful, timely exchange sparked by Duolingo's viral PR moment. As the language-learning brand's famously irreverent owl character dominated social feeds with tongue-in-cheek commentary, Hooters entered the conversation with a self-aware, culturally fluent response-drawing attention not just from audiences, but from peer brands impressed by the shift in tone and confidence.

The exchange extended the narrative beyond headlines and into real-time cultural chatter, offering visible proof that Hooters' social currency was already strengthening.

"This was about striking the right balance-serious strategy with a sense of humor," said Michela DellaMonica, Associate Vice President at The Door. "The brand's openness and clarity set the foundation, and through The Door we were able to amplify that story, protect the brand's equity, and show the market that Hooters is both well-run and culturally relevant."

As Hooters moves forward under the original founding members' ownership, the work underscores The Door's ability to navigate complex brand inflection points with discipline, transparency, and personality, delivering outcomes that resonate with Wall Street and the broader cultural conversation.

ABOUT THE DOOR

Founded in 2008 by industry veterans Lois Najarian O'Neill and Charlie Dougiello, The Door which was acquired by Dolphin in 2018, is an integrated marketing and PR agency constructed as "an idea house," with a focus on building important, viable brands through diverse initiatives. Headquartered in New York and Los Angeles, The Door represents a wide range of brands in lifestyle, consumer products, hospitality, culinary, culture and entertainment.

ABOUT DOLPHIN

Dolphin (NASDAQ:DLPN) is where cultural creation meets marketing execution. Founded in 1996 by Bill O'Dowd, Dolphin operates as both a venture studio-developing and investing in breakthrough content, products, and experiences-and a marketing consortium, featuring leading agencies across every communications discipline.

At its core, the venture studio creates, produces, finances, markets, and promotes new businesses and cultural ideas - ranging from acclaimed film, television, and digital content to consumer goods, live events and partnerships that define entertainment and lifestyle. Surrounding this entrepreneurial engine, Dolphin's marketing prowess brings together best-in-class firms including 42West, The Door, Shore Fire Media, Elle Communications, Special Projects, and The Digital Dept. Together, this collective delivers unmatched cross-marketing expertise and relationships across every vertical of pop culture - from film, television, music, influencers, sports, hospitality, and fashion to consumer brands and purpose-driven initiatives. Dolphin marketing has been the recipient of many accolades, including #1 Agency of the Year on the Observer PR Power List in 2025, The PR Net 100, and the PR News Elite 120.

James Carbonara
HAYDEN IR
(646)-755-7412
james@haydenir.com

SOURCE: Dolphin Entertainment

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

FAQ

What did Dolphin (DLPN) announce about The Door's work for Hooters on December 30, 2025?

Dolphin said The Door led the strategic communications campaign introducing Hooters' new ownership and repositioning the brand.

Which media outlets covered Hooters' ownership transition as reported by Dolphin (DLPN)?

The campaign generated coverage in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, Yahoo Finance, People Magazine, InsideHook, Daily Mail, and Restaurant Business.

How did The Door position Hooters for investors according to Dolphin (DLPN)?

The Door crafted an investor-grade narrative emphasizing transparent leadership from CEO Neil Kiefer to reinforce continuity and market confidence.

What social media tactics did The Door use to boost Hooters' cultural relevance for DLPN stakeholders?

The Door guided culturally fluent social responses, including a timely exchange tied to Duolingo's viral moment, to increase social momentum and peer-brand attention.

Does Dolphin (DLPN) say the campaign affected Hooters' brand perception among consumers and investors?

Yes; Dolphin states the coverage and social activation reframed the narrative for investors, operators, and consumers toward a managed transition rather than a novelty reboot.