Maintaining Brand Integrity in an Era of ‘Alternative Facts’

Fire was the symbol of ancient storytelling, inspiring people of those times to unleash their imaginations and weave tales to communicate, inform and entertain. Fast forward to 2017. Simply by hitting a button on Facebook, we can share stories, anytime and anywhere, instantly connecting with not just people we physically meet every day, but also on social media.

With the rise of digital platforms as a storytelling tool, virtually anyone can post anything – including fake news. Think about the flurry of misinformation on Donald Trump in the 2016 US Elections, or ‘Pizzagate’ – a conspiracy theory purporting that a pizza store was the headquarters of a child sex ring run by Hillary Clinton.

Welcome to the era of ‘alternative facts’; where stories spread faster than wildfire, where reputational damage can be done with a tap of button.

What this means for brands

The recent 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer revealed that there is now a chronic lack of trust in key institutions among the general public– businesses, governments, NGOs and even the media. Basically, people distrust brands.

This crisis of trust, coupled with the emergence of social media as a way to share information, means that brands are more vulnerable than ever to reputational attacks on the ‘alternative’ news front.

In the United States, enraged Donald Trump supporters threatened to boycott Pepsi in November 2016, after fake news circulated on social media claiming that PepsiCo’s CEO Indra Nooyi did not care for business from Donald Trump supporters. In reality, Nooyi had simply said that some of PepsiCo’s employees were concerned about Trump’s election. Legitimate news agencies and fact-checkers jumped in to correct the misrepresentation, but the damage had already been done.

In an example closer to our hearts, earlier this year local supermarket chain FairPrice came under public fire after alleged online claims that their house brand Jasmine Fragrant Rice was made of plastic. The false reports were quickly debunked by both FairPrice and the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA), which verified the authenticity of the Vietnam-sourced rice, but not before distressed customers demanded refunds and compensations for damage.

In both cases, the injuries to both PepsiCo and Fairprice’s brand integrity were quickly inflicted but slow to heal.

While these examples are from the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry, brands across all industries are susceptible to fake news that could hurt their brand reputations. This gives rise to an urgent need for institutions to re-look how their brands and their corresponding communications are handled.

So why do people fall for fake news, and how can brands maintain their brand integrity in this era of ‘alternative facts’?

Delving into the human psyche: why do we fall for fake news?

Understanding why people fall for fake news is the first step to creating a strategy to deal with it. Bias is the word here. Psychologists have identified two types of bias that make us more susceptible to fake news – implicit bias and confirmation bias.

Implicit bias is the idea that subconsciously, we would be more trusting of opinions belonging to people in our own group, while displaying prejudice towards those of a different group.

Confirmation bias refers to our tendency to affirm information that we think is true, at the same time downplaying facts that do not align with our beliefs.

Social media plays a huge role in helping fake news go viral by driving instantaneous interaction in real-time. We naturally follow people who affirm us on social media, making us more likely to believe and share any nuggets of ‘alternative facts’ that these people send us, reflecting our implicit and confirmation biases.

Strategies brands can adopt

So how can brands maintain their brand integrity in this era of ‘alternative’ facts? It all boils down to two simple strategies.

1. Build a community of brand loyalists

At times, when fake news is circulating about your brand, the best strategy is to allow loyal followers to speak up on your behalf to dispel rumours. These people are external to the organisation and their opinions will appear more credible to the wider public.

How do you foster a community of fans? Create an emotional connection with your consumers based on shared values and purposes, instead of simply extolling the functional attributes of your products or services. A strong emotional connection instils legitimacy and loyalty in the consumers’ minds.

In this case, brand activism is more essential than ever. Consumers believe that companies should play a positive part in society, opening up many meaningful ways to engage them.

For example, the Dove brand has become symbolic with the inclusive ‘Real Beauty’ cause, inspiring women around the world to feel proud and beautiful. TOMS is at the forefront of corporate social responsibility, with its One for One model and commitment to improving the lives of children in disadvantaged parts of the world.

Therefore, when faced with fake news that has a negative message about the brand (say, TOMS in involved in child labour), a TOMS loyalist who believes in the company’s brand values will be more inclined to be sceptical and influence those in his social circle – confirmation and implicit bias at work, but now to the brand’s advantage.

Simply put, emotional loyalty creates an arsenal of goodwill that helps brands tide through fake news attacks.

2. Consistency and transparency in branding and communications

Consumers today demand transparency and consistency, underlined by a simple and honest brand story. This entails keeping brand messages linear across all communications channels, and being honest about company processes and its offerings for consumers.

Inconsistent branding is not only damaging to the business but diminishes trust, as consumers have conflicting ideas of what the brand stands for.

Again, it’s about building consumer goodwill and trust that helps mitigate reputational damage inflicted by fake news about your brand. Ultimately, while more and more fact-checking measures are being put in place, a strong brand with loyal customers is your best line of defence.