Brand Risk

In a world in which brand matters more than ever, brand damage can be devastating. Unfortunately, not all is safe on the brand front. Risks abound, ranging from ill-conceived employee-generated videos that go viral to disgruntled customers expressing their frustrations through vituperative social media reviews. The result is a high-velocity environment having a high potential for collateral damage. Leading organizations now recognize that brand risk management is a core component of any robust enterprise risk management program and requires proactive, continuous planning and sensing in addition to working closely with key internal and external brand influencers. Brand stewards can take a page from the textbook on counterinsurgency theory: Begin with a compelling brand narrative, relentlessly train employees, assiduously cultivate key influencers, continuously assess vulnerabilities, deploy robust sensing capabilities, and vigorously rehearse responses to brand-damaging incidents before they occur.