Press releases, media appearances and community engagement used to be the sole factors that determined public perception. Companies controlled the message, content and virtually everything known to the public about their operations, leadership and point of view on issues. Today, all of that has changed. Social media has brought incredible transparency to corporate branding, for better or worse. Now, your customers, employees, business partners and suppliers seemingly all have equal influence over your brand image.
Brands must actively manage their online narrative to ensure consistent and positive messaging across all channels where AI learns and surfaces information. This is essential to avoid being defined without their direct input.
The ongoing situation in the tech company mirrors the recent controversy involving the Coldplay concert, highlighting the ramifications of personal relationships within a professional setting.
Building a strong brand means recognizing potential reputation crises and knowing how to handle online articles that misrepresent you or your business. Negative press on Google can erode customer trust and disrupt your operations. Burying negative search results can be complex, time-consuming and cost a fortune that in the long run will negatively affect the financials of your company or your career.
"Arriola's name does not appear on the original publication in the 20 most recent entries on his profile and a university professor confirmed he was not involved."