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Tracy Carlson “Fake news” heightens the confusion in our cluttered media landscape. If you get caught up in a fake news firestorm, that confusion becomes a serious challenge for your brand and business.
Most U.S. adults (64 percent) agree that fake news has left them confused about basic facts of current events, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. Also striking: only 39 percent of U.S. adults are very confident in their ability to recognize fake news, and nearly one in four have shared fake news.
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Fake news is not a new phenomenon. In 1782, Ben Franklin printed a fake edition of a real Boston newspaper to strengthen America’s opposition to the British. Many other newspapers then reprinted the false information.
But Americans’ awareness of fake news — and their part in spreading it — remains a real concern. Just ask Pepsi and New Balance. During the recent presidential election, misquotes of their CEOs led to boycotts and shoe burning. Coca-Cola’s Dasani faced bogus reports of parasites in its water and McDonald’s dealt with the fallout from a hacked and hijacked Twitter feed.
It’s enough just to be next to the fake news. Fiat Chrysler felt the heat when its programmatic native advertising aligned ads with fake news stories.
Clearly, fake news can negatively impact public sentiment. The bottom line often follows. The Pepsi issue was the event that most negatively impacted the company’s reputation in 2016. A month after the incident, its stock price was still trailing its previous average.
Brands rarely have the chance to prevent their involvement in fake news. But corporate communications leaders can still prepare. Here’s how:
Aggressively monitor your mentions. Fake news spreads faster than you can imagine. One hour produces more than 1.8 billion Facebook messages, 21 million tweets and nearly 3 million Instagram photos. You need 24-hour monitoring services, with team members ready to develop responses at a moment’s notice.
Incorporate fake news scenarios into your crisis planning. Preparation is everything in a crisis. Bring the teams responsible for crisis management together regularly. Hold candid conversations about vulnerabilities and red flags in your organization. What could be exploited in fake news? How have other companies responded? What resources can you put in place now? Which internal and external champions can you call on for help? Answering these questions empowers you to mount a strategic, brand-appropriate response.
Regularly remind your employees of your media and social media policies. Your employees can be your best brand advocates. You should equip them with clear guidelines and messages to support your organization. Without these tools, even the best intentions can cause damage to your reputation. I’ve seen this firsthand: A devoted employee took to her blog to defend her employer, which was dealing with a fake news issue. Unfortunately, she didn’t have all the facts, and her commentary didn’t align with that of the organization. Her well-intentioned efforts created even more work to get the facts straight.
Train your thought leaders to vet information and media before sharing opinions. You likely have a thought leader (or five) eager to be the first to voice his/her opinion on current events. That can be an asset; if they have the appropriate support to vet media opportunities and research key information. Given the rushed nature of today’s news cycle, it’s easy to share incorrect or outdated information, engage with fake social media accounts or align with the wrong media outlet or reporter. Establishing best practices for your thought leaders and a process for providing them counsel will help mitigate risks.
Invest in ongoing media relations to tell your positive stories. What pops up in a Google search on your organization? That’s how you measure public opinion of your brand. It’s true of reporters, too. You need search results rich in earned media, the most trusted form of communications. Earned media coverage requires an ongoing investment. You need aggressive outreach and nimble storytelling power. Your online newsroom and social channels need emotionally resonant video and graphics. These investments create a more complete, more positive picture of your organization — critical to maintaining brand trust during a fake news crisis.
Assess and provide guidelines on where your paid advertising runs. Programmatic native advertising allows organizations a broad channel to frame their stories. Unfortunately, some outlets in this channel facilitate the spread of fake news and other problematic information. Organizations must work closely with their advertising networks to ensure their ads only appear in outlets that match their values.
The spotlight on fake news also shines a spotlight on its remedy: the truth. That’s a good thing. News organizations are coming back to their roots as champions for truth. They’re working to mend the broken line between news and opinions, combat fake news and regain the public’s trust. It’s the right environment for organizations to get engaged, build media relationships and prepare for any road blocks ahead. The more you do now, the more resilient your brand will be in a fake news firestorm.
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Tracy Carlson is Senior Director of Crisis and Media Relations at Padilla.
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