Public trust in institutions—media, government, academia—has been eroding for years. Once-reliable voices of authority are no longer widely accepted as arbiters of truth. Recent polling by Pew finds fewer people support restricting false information, whether it’s done by the US government or tech companies. Social media and search platforms are pulling back on fact-checking as public demand for it wanes.
These shifts create an environment where facts are contested, stories spread unchecked, and trust is harder to earn. For business, this susceptibility to false and misleading narratives is magnified among younger audiences. A growing body of analysis suggests these audiences are deeply skeptical of institutions and likelier to gather in small online communities where misinformation thrives.
Among those polled as part of Brunswick’s “Net Defender” research, the difference between groups willing to strongly defend a company and those willing to criticize a company is a razor-thin one percent. Misinformation can tip this balance quickly, and cause significant reputational and financial damage along the way. Generative AI deepfakes can turn stakeholders against an organization and its top executives.
Traditional media relationships no longer offer sufficient protection to correct the record. Businesses must lead. That means presenting facts in compelling, creative ways that reach an increasingly skeptical public.
Forward-thinking organizations should take the following five steps:
1. Anticipate reputational attacks and their potential impact.
Just as ethical hackers probe networks for cybersecurity flaws, companies can use “reputational penetration testing” to find their susceptibility to false and misleading narratives. This includes identifying the most damaging misinformation scenarios—timing, channels, tactics—that bad actors could use. “Red Teams,” experts in misinformation tactics, can simulate attacks to help organizations prepare.
2. Set up alert systems and rapid response frameworks.
Once high-risk misinformation narratives are mapped, institutions have a set of scenarios to plan against and warning signs to monitor. Now they can develop automated alerts, escalation protocols, and response templates. Their misinformation playbook should also include outreach strategies for third-parties who carry weight with key audiences.
3. Develop and test compelling narratives.
Facts often struggle to compete with unscrupulous, highly emotive narratives. With time to prepare, organizations can use research, polling, and focus groups to test messages and craft narratives best suited to building trust and win over skeptical audiences. The research can also identify where key audiences get their news and what voices they find to be credible.
4. Engage algorithms to boost your online immune system.
Like it or not, large language models (LLMs), generative AI, search engines, and chatbots shape public perception of your company. Increasingly, they’re not pointing people to information, they are generating it. As many as 60% of all online searches are now “zero click.”
These algorithms often draw from corporate websites, but your content is of little use if it’s outdated, inconsistent, or unreadable by machines. Conduct regular audits of how you show up in AI responses, and ensure your owned channels are structured, current, and easily indexed. This kind of content acts as a digital antibody, one primed to counter falsehoods and misinformation the moment someone searches on issues that matter to you.
5. Take your narratives to new and unexpected places.
According to Pew research, 1 in 5 Americans report getting their news from influencers, and 65% of them say news influencers have helped shape their opinions. Companies wanting to tap into engaged audiences must be willing to take their message to nontraditional media sources and content creators who are trusted to filter the news. The Brunswick Review has written on the “news influencer” movement and the upside for organizations that take the time to understand where their audiences are and meet them in the places they trust.
The Truth Alone is Not Sufficient
Perhaps there was a time when a well-crafted statement or detailed fact sheet might have been enough to set the record straight. But today is not that time. Winning over skeptics and mobilizing advocates requires a much more sophisticated, longer-term playbook. The companies that commit to this work will be better positioned to counter misinformation and share the best version of their story.