So this week with Will and I get ready to navigate the unknown and somewhat frightening realm of false information related to brands with my good friend Ant Cousins. In this episode of Socially Unacceptable, we explore effective strategies to protect your brand’s reputation. Our guest, Ant Cousins, is a seasoned professional in the IT and defence industries, and he shares his valuable insights with us. He guides us through the intricate web of false information that poses a threat to all marketing campaigns and brand credibility in the year 2024. Tune in as we carefully examine the structure of fake information, from political manipulation to artificially generated content, and discover ways to strengthen your brand against the barrage of misinformation.
The dialogue then shifts towards technology, emphasizing the impact of AI in transforming social listening and media monitoring. The advancements made by CISION, such as their acquisition of Fact Matter, are explored to understand the potential of modern tools in filtering through massive volumes of social media content. Our conversation uncovers how AI has evolved to understand complex discussions, offering precise evaluations of public opinion crucial for managing a brand. Ant shares his experience, reflecting on the evolution of social media and its significant influence on communication and data utilization, giving us a glimpse into the future of brand protection strategies.
But best of all Ant shares some amazing stories including a story of when he had to pretend to be David Cameron in front of the entire world’s media. You can catch the episode here.
In this segment, we investigate the tangible impacts of false information on well-known companies and their strategies for handling crises, such as the Disney World drinking age issue and the misrepresentation of COVID-19 vaccine statistics. We analyse the significance of proactively shaping narratives and implementing responsive action plans to minimize the damage to a brand’s reputation caused by misinformation. Additionally, we delve into Ant’s personal encounters, including the formidable obstacles of leading FactMatter, to illustrate the importance of resilience during times of turmoil. Tune in to this episode to gain valuable insights for navigating your brand through the constantly changing landscape of digital communication and misinformation.
Chris Norton is the founder of Prohibition and an award winning communications consultant with more than twenty years’ experience. He was a lecturer at Leeds Beckett University and has had a varied PR career having worked both in-house and in a number of large consultancies. He is an Integrated PR and social media blogger and writes on a wide variety of blogs across a huge amount of topics from digital marketing, social media marketing right through to technology and crisis management.
