From light-hearted Harmbe Harambeface to more alarming tales of election rigging and conspiracy leading to armed attacks, fake news is everywhere. Yet the repercussions can be disastrous if your brand is swept up in the furore surrounding one of these click-bait stories. Whilst social sites and news outlets are talking about how to prevent fake news getting picked up, it doesn't look likely we'll have a vaccine anytime soon (despite what Cambridge says).
So how can you protect yourself in the "post-truth" world?
Our Peppercomm colleague has written an excellent 4-tip article about how brands should be prepared for fake news. Take note, and be ready to defend your brand.
Fake news is like a wildfire that erupts in a drought-ridden area during a wicked windstorm; be ready to respond fast with the right equipment and personnel or face the reality of scorched earth. All of which is made worse by the fact that so many now rely almost exclusively on Facebook and Google for their "news." And the very nature of the beast is the spreadibility factor: these platforms are inherently designed to spread controversial or salacious content fast. Real fast. Being prepared, knowing how to respond and successfully killing or mitigating the damage done by a fake news story is changing the rules of how, when and where we respond and engage.
http://www.inc.com/ted-birkhahn/4-tips-for-protecting-your-brand-from-fake-news.html
