Want to save your brand from ‘cancel culture’? Here’s your best bet!

New Delhi: India has an extremely volatile brand landscape. A surface-level dive into the hotpot will reveal myriad campaigns that garnered attention only to end up in the graveyard, torched by public outrage. In a scenario where social media has become the judge, jury, and executioner, brands can no longer afford to be just reactive to the heightened scrutiny. 

An intricate and meticulous finesse is the need of the hour to navigate this complex world of brand perception—it is no longer just about traditional public relations. This paves the way for a new realm—Digital Reputation Management (DRM). 

Digital reputation management is a multi-faceted approach towards a crisis and requires active listening, monitoring, predicting, and then engaging with the epicentre of the tornado. The gravitas of this service is such that brands today are ready to shell out anywhere between Rs 10 lakh a month (during a non-crisis period) to Rs 1 crore a day. 

Decoding digital demography

Brands have a much more transparent relationship with their audience, which means they must be proactive, agile, and authentic. The transformation to digital and its impact is so profound that a single tweet or post can make or break a brand overnight.

Packing this in a nice perspective, Shan Jain, brand strategist and marketing transformation advisor, stated, “Reputation isn’t built in press releases anymore; it’s shaped in the comment sections.” Jain is accurate in saying this since today, it's not the brands but the consumers who have the mic in their hands. 

 Another nail in the coffin for traditional reputation management is that in contemporary times, roughly 35-40% of crises are either fabricated, staged, or competitive attacks, as highlighted by Danish Malik, Founder and CEO, Boomlet. 

Biggest banes for brands

Misinformation, virality, deepfakes, cancel culture, and fake news aren’t just buzzwords in these rapidly changing times. These are some of the biggest social vices brands have to deal with. 

According to Jain, a tweet can turn into a movement against you overnight. Elegantly conveying the point, she said, “A lie can go viral before the truth finishes its morning coffee.” Jain continued saying that this furnace is further fuelled with deepfake and AI-generated misinformation, “making people believe what they see, even if it is manipulated.”

According to Megha Ahuja, SVP - Account Management, Monks India, user-generated content also plays a pivotal role in making it tough for brands to steer in rough waters. “A poorly handled crisis can escalate within hours, affecting not just a brand’s image but also consumer trust,” she told BestMediaInfo.com. 

SoCheers’ co-founder and director, Siddharth Devnani, highlighted the ill effects of social media algorithms, “which have proven to favour outrage, data breaches, privacy violations, fake news, reviews, and much more.”

 Malik explained how brands, upon finding themselves in a sticky situation, might resort to an overreaction. For example, a sudden spike in negative mentions, say 300 posts, might trigger a premature press release. The issue can be amplified unnecessarily if the brand fails to distinguish between a localised, cohort-specific issue and a widespread crisis.

In a situation where a crisis is at the doorstep, brands generally find themselves on a tightrope between engaging with the controversy or staying silent. 

Speaking her mind, Ahuja said, “When deciding whether to engage or stay silent, brands should assess public sentiment. “

She weighed her argument with the example of Bangalore-based Meesho, who handled the negative backlash over seller misconduct by engaging with transparency—responding directly to customers and ensuring improvements were made. 

“Silence can sometimes backfire, but careful, measured engagement can turn a controversy into an opportunity,” she said. 

“Not every fire needs water; some need patience to let the fire die out,” said Jain. Establishing her thoughts, she said, “The general Rule of Thumb is to know that Silence is strategy, not surrender. Hence, choosing your battles wisely is important; if you choose to speak, do so with conviction. Weak, corporate non-apologies only fuel the fire.” 

Devnani suggested navigating the controversy delicately. “Remaining silent isn't an option, and reckless communication can bolster negativity. In case of mistakes, brands must take ownership and accountability, and a sincere apology must be demonstrated while committing to corrective actions,” he said.

Alchemy of Reputation Management (ARM)

Just like the ancient alchemy was based on four elements—earth, air, fire, and water—today’s brand reputation management, too, is based on four key ingredients. Now, more than ever, every brand has to have a digital task force that works with these four ingredients and manages crises strategically. 

Social listening

Social listening acts like a “pathology lab” that diagnoses the true nature and scope of a crisis, making way for targeted mitigation within an affected group. It helps determine if it is a full-blown crisis or if it is confined to a specific group. 

To have robust social listening skills, it is important to have a robust notification system to track the origin of negative content, explained Malik. In addition, it is crucial to have audience analysis to understand the virality of the content. This is the stage where brands need to establish whether to counter, engage, or avoid the conversation floating on social media. 

During a crisis, concise reporting of the social listening data is also a key factor in making it a success. 

Malik also mentioned that the corporate communication or PR teams of a brand need to be closely associated with the social listening activity of a brand. If a brand integrates social listening tools and digital channels, then real-time response and engagement become a cakewalk. 

Adding to this, Devnani from SoCheers mentioned having on-ground ears beyond the listening tools. 

Social advocates

In the words of Jain, people trust people, not press releases. People will always choose “humans over corporate speak.” Hence, brands need to have a readily available network of advocates. 

Explaining the functionality of this network, Malik said, “This network comprises both large and small influencers. They should be pre-briefed on the brand's values and messaging. During a crisis, time is of the essence, and there's no time to educate or negotiate with potential advocates.”

This network also helps counter coordinated digital attacks that are orchestrated using “sponsored influencers” to run disinformation campaigns. As a result, Malik said, brands are increasingly investing in "proxy advocates," even acquiring "proxy influencer properties." These pre-established networks provide rapid response during a crisis saving both time and resources. 

Command centre

A command centre is not what it sounds like. It is not a dark room covered in screens, hustle, and chatter. It is a comprehensive system that gathers and analyses insights and then implements actionable strategies. 

Social listening is a key part of a command centre. Then comes the tracking of traditional media platforms and other channels of media, including digital platforms. 

Following this are the research and analytical tools that capture brand mentions and the narratives that are associated with those mentions. Lastly, an on-ground presence has to be present to gather real-time, on-ground intelligence. 

An example of this, Malik shared, is the Dharavi Redevelopment Project by Adani. He told BestMediaInfo.com that Adani not only tracks social media and news verticals through its command centres but also deploys teams on the ground to conduct surveys and gauge public perception about the project. Even WhatsApp groups play an integral part in this command centre, Malik said. 

Predictive prowess

Monks India’s Ahuja calls it a must for brands to anticipate potential crises before they even erupt. Hence, predictive analytics is a must-have tool for brands to understand shifting consumer sentiments. “Building a crisis preparedness framework, including pre-approved responses and media training, helps brands stay ahead of the curve during network issues or public dissatisfaction,” she said.

What predictive analytical tools do is monitor conversations, trends, and emerging issues constantly.

However, an over-reliance on these tools also needs to be measured. As advised by Devnani from SoCheers, over-reliance poses the risk of misinterpretation of context, unnecessary amplification of minor commotions, or missing out on nuanced sentiments.

Having these four elements of “ARM” in your hands can make a brand have an efficient digital reputation management system.

Coming to a question that is yet to be answered: How does DRM differ from traditional PR? After all, brands have been dealing with societal scrutiny for years with traditional PR practices. Then why is DRM a thing?

PR vs DRM

Answering this question, Ahuja from Monks India described that traditional PR is largely focused on media relations—crafting the right message and broadcasting it through the right outlets. DRM, on the other hand, is much more dynamic and goes beyond just reacting to crises. DRM offers brands a blend of technology, creativity, and media expertise. 

According to Jain, while PR manages stories, press, and media relations to create a controlled narrative, DRMs work towards managing perception 24x7.

Unlike PR’s one-way communication, DRM is a personalised approach where brands get to connect and engage with their audience on a real-time basis. 

Devnani found it essential that a proactive and positive online presence is effective rather than a reactive crisis response. “Consistency, authenticity, and community engagement are the keys,” he told BestMediaInfo.com.

DRM: An evolving landscape

According to the Boomlet founder, DRM is no longer optional. Brands, going forward, will either have an in-house team for DRM or outsource it. 

Having an in-house DRM team is more prevalent in legacy brands and unicorns. This choice is driven by concerns about confidentiality, privacy, and the need for consistent trend analysis and customer behaviour understanding on social media, which is difficult with frequent agency changes.

Some companies have acquired small DRM agencies to bring this function in-house. While they may still rely on external experts for specific analyses, they retain control of historical data, trend analysis, and DRM strategy.

A third category is companies that specialise solely in DRM, serving large brands with multiple PR, digital creative, and other agencies. Boomlet itself is one such agency that focuses on strategic communication, working specifically with legacy brands, unicorns, and government bodies.

The work of these specialised agencies relies on the support of PR agencies already associated with a brand. This highlights a co-existence of the two worlds rather than one existing at the expense of the other.

Brand strategist Jain also seconded this, saying, “Specialised DRM firms are booming because Google Search defines your reputation before your brand narrative does. And today, fake news spreads faster than facts; brands need experts to watch their backs while they build their fronts.”

Concluding the case, digital reputation management is no longer optional for brands—it is a necessity. The rapid spread of information online makes it imperative for companies to invest in social listening, social advocates, and crisis anticipation strategies. While traditional PR still holds value in establishing credibility, digital-first strategies dominate reputation management today. The two need to collaborate to build a robust wall of defence.