Brand management in the era of fake news: narrative response as a strategy to insulate brand value

Abstract

Purpose Brand value is increasingly threatened by fake news stories; the purpose of this paper is to explain how narrative response can be used to mitigate this threat, especially in situations where the crisis is severe and consumers are highly involved. Design/methods This conceptual paper derives recommendations and guidance for the use of narrative response based on storytelling and brand management literature. Findings This paper highlights authenticity and emotional engagement as keys to effective storytelling. Practical implications Current managerial approaches to dealing with misinformation are insufficient, as they presuppose an audience that can be convinced based on facts; this paper can be used to help brand managers respond to fake news stories when rational appeals fail. Originality/value This paper provides insight into brand management strategies in the era of fake news.

Fake news or true lies? Reflections about problematic contents in marketing

“…To date, few marketing studies focus on the negative effect of social media misinformation on brands (e.g., Berduygina et al, 2019; Berthon & Pitt, 2018). Recent research evaluated the possible consequences of fake news on brands, proposing different response strategies for companies (Mills & Robson, 2019; Vafeiadis et al, 2019). Some authors suggest the need to provide tools to improve fact-checking, assuming that individuals might change their mind when confronted with the evidence of facts (Talwar et al, 2019; Wang, 2017).…”

Arresting fake news sharing on social media: a theory of planned behavior approach

“…There is a surge of recent cases where fake news has significantly affected popular brands (such as Starbucks, Pepsi and New Balance) and damaged their reputation (Mills and Robson, 2019;Tschiatschek et al, 2018;Chen and Cheng, 2019). Social media platforms such as Facebook have also come under criticism because of fake news (Wells and Winkler, 2017).…”

Defending against fake news

“…The review is based on “Brand management in the era of fake news: narrative response as a strategy to insulate brand value” by Mills and Robson (2019), published in the Journal of Product & Brand Management .…”