Corey duBrowa spent much of his career advising some of the world's most scrutinized leaders-from Marc Benioff at Salesforce to Sundar Pichai at Google. Now, as CEO of global communications firm Burson, he's helping executives navigate a charged marketplace shaped by AI disruption, ICE activity, and nonstop reputational risk. He explains why reputation remains one of the most powerful (and most misunderstood) assets in business, and how leaders should decide whether, when, and how to speak up.
"When crisis messages on social network sites are managed correctly with straightforward directness rather than coming across as insincere, thanks to the democratic nature of social networking a company's stance can be appreciated. Everyone has said that the great saviour of brands in a bit of a pickle is social networking, in order to get across your message. It is true that you can use it to communicate with people but it's about how you communicate and the structure of communications."
A Verizon outage started a few hours ago and has led to customers seeing nothing but an SOS option if they are trying to use the cellular service. In response, a post by T-Mobile went viral because it doesn't mince words: "T-Mobile's network is keeping our customers connected, and we've confirmed that our network is operating normally and as expected. However, due to Verizon's reported outage, our customers may not be able to reach someone with Verizon service at this time."
In the past week, chaos ensued at short-term rental company Sonder's properties after Marriott ended their licensing agreement on Sunday. A day later, Sonder announced that it would file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Guests staying at Sonder properties were given notice at the eleventh hour to vacate their rooms, forcing them to book alternative accommodations at sometimes- exorbitant prices. A pair of crisis communications experts say Marriott's biggest mistake was losing control of the narrative.
Not long ago, hackers claimed to have stolen nearly 19 million customer records from TalkTalk. Within hours, that number appeared in headlines across the U.K. and beyond. The problem was that it was not true. TalkTalk later pushed back, calling the claim "wholly inaccurate" and "very significantly overstated." But by then, the damage was done. Customers, regulators, and journalists had already absorbed the hacker's story as fact, and TalkTalk's correction barely registered in comparison.
When an attack hits one organization, the ripple effects can quickly spread across industries, partners, and professional associations. In many cases, the company at the center of the breach is not the only one facing scrutiny. Others connected by name, sector, or even loose affiliation may suddenly find themselves fielding tough questions, monitoring headlines, and scrambling to reassure stakeholders. This phenomenon is known as association risk, and for communications leaders, it represents a growing challenge.
