Any company is susceptible to a reputation crisis, regardless of its industry, size, or location, and whether it has a social media presence. Companies without a social media presence may find it even harder to manage such crises. The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our lives is a multiplier of the potential effects of such crises, as it lacks ethical control and amplifies biases. When a crisis occurs, it will echo on social media, and if not controlled in time, it will spread to traditional local media and could significantly damage the company’s reputation.
That is on a small scale.
As for large corporations—most of which are present on one or more social media platforms—not all of them understand the inevitable reputation crisis they will face (there are only two types of companies: those that have already had a crisis and those that have yet to face one) must be managed with a digital vision and an online strategy.
Because today, all crises are digital. And if not, just look at $LIBRA, supported by Argentine President Javier Milei, who is facing multiple fraud allegations.
Reputation Crisis in the Digital Age
In a BANI environment, it is not possible to ignore a hyperconnected and hypertransparent world, where our reputation is at stake and where we must begin to rebuild it. Why?
As of February 2025, there were 5.56 billion internet users worldwide. We cannot assume, in consequence, that people won’t talk about us and our brand, whether or not we are on those platforms. On top of this, consumers trust their friends, neighbors, and relatives more than brands.
To make matters worse, each of us carries a weapon- a mobile phone—that can launch a defamation campaign in seconds over a trivial matter.
We cannot underestimate Fake News, and its capacity to manipulate from pictures to anything.
The discrediting of the media, institutions, and political parties is at the root of the problem. Added to this is confirmation bias, which, through recommendation algorithms, traps us in an echo chamber, amplifying the messages we receive—many times directly via Dark Social channels such as WhatsApp or Telegram.
Don’t Forget Your Value Chain
In this scenario, hyperconnectivity has made us hypervulnerable because we have lost control. Any of our stakeholders, starting with employees, can be our best ambassadors or the trigger of a reputation crisis. It’s only a matter of time before a dissatisfied employee—or any other stakeholder—demands that we go beyond mere regulatory compliance.
The battle for a reputation crisis will no longer be fought exclusively in the media, as in the past. The digital sphere is crucial for acknowledging responsibility, apologizing, and explaining what steps will be taken to resolve the issue—always with a focus on people.
You can no longer hide. You don’t have an hour to think about it. Your reputation is at stake in minutes.
That is why it is essential to anticipate risks and, when a crisis occurs, manage it properly from the start to prevent it from reaching the media, which could have negative consequences for both your reputation and business continuity resulting in significant financial losses.
But none of this will work if you don’t anticipate risks and prepare to face the crisis when it comes—because it will come.
