How We Shift from Brand Storytelling to Fact-telling

In this industry, we’re often proud to call ourselves storytellers. But the nature of storytelling is changing. And in recent years with the rise of misinformation, we’ve seen how storytelling can even be dangerous. I used to say there is a distinct difference between storytelling and telling stories, but now I question whether we should be “story tellers” at all. It seems unsophisticated and fluffy in the face of critical issues like war, inequality, abortion, climate change, transgender rights and the rising cost of living. 

Think about it. As a communicator, whether you work in agency land for brands, inhouse at a government department, within the armed forces, the emergency services or at an NGO, you have the strategic and technical capabilities to make a story fly in the media – whether factually accurate or not. 

Today, stories containing misinformation can quickly gain momentum and shape public opinion. We saw this during the pandemic, when politicians and public officials debated science and medicine like we’d never seen before. In the U.S., we experienced it following the death of George Floyd when the Black Lives Matter movement became a target of disinformation, and again following the 2020 U.S. election and January 6 insurrection. The election misinformation campaign has continued to evolve since then, most recently involving the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit and Fox News’ firing of Tucker Carlson.  

These events have fueled polarization, not just in politics but in nearly all social justice and cultural issues, and left consumers with abysmally low levels of trust, particularly with the media. Half of Americans believe national news organizations intend to mislead, misinform or persuade the public to adopt a particular point of view through their reporting. 

So, what does this mean for brands and our role as communicators?

A new age of brand purpose

At this year’s Mumbrella CommsCon in Sydney, Australia, I spoke about how the rise of misinformation has shifted the role of brands in our society, and thereby, the role of PR and communications from storytelling to fact-telling. 

Over the last few years, we’ve witnessed the erosion of long-standing defenses against misinformation. And while this is of concern globally, the U.S. — where I have lived and worked as the Global CEO of Red Havas since 2018 — serves as a microcosm of the destructive power of misinformation and unsubstantiated storytelling that destroys trust and almost any chance of bipartisan agreement from different groups.

When it comes to brand communications, there’s far less room today for “creative liberties” and far more responsibility to tell the truth while the concept of corporate purpose is being pressure tested like never before. Fiction might be more exciting, but today and every day, brands need to recognize they have a responsibility in how they present their stories. 

In this new age of purpose, we as communicators must genuinely recognize the power that PR possesses and acknowledge it can be used as a force for good and bad. More than just telling a good story, the onus is on us to tell the right story.

The evolving role of brands

Today’s consumers are increasingly looking to brands as sources of information as well as change-agents and conversation-shapers. Because of this, across industries and sectors, companies are being forced to ask themselves, “What do we stand for?” 

The brands that come out on top are those that answer this question in a way that aligns their institutional values with their business strategy and corporate culture. But it’s not enough for brands to simply talk about doing the right thing. They must act. Some are even going so far as to take matters into their own hands as activists, which can, when done right, positively impact the brand’s reputation for the long haul. 

Chobani is a personal favorite example. Since 2010, its CEO Hamdi Ulukaya has made a point of hiring immigrants and refugees. In 2016, he even founded a nonprofit called Tent Partnership for Refugees that focuses on finding private sector solutions for the refugee crisis. Ulukaya went on to win the Atlantic Council’s Global Citizen Award, and he’s inspired 300 other major companies to commit to hiring and economically integrating refugees in other ways. While this has made Ulukaya the target of fabricated stories, it certainly hasn’t stopped the good work he is doing.

Becoming our brands’ fact-tellers

Brands are in the business of fact-telling today whether they like it or not. And our job as marketers and communicators is to make sure our brands are communicating authentically and meaningfully in everything they do. If the battle is to win the hearts and minds of people from the information they consume, then we need to be the custodians of how that information is presented to key stakeholders, including media. 

An always-on preparedness strategy is key to doing this effectively. We must wear a crisis comms hat even when there isn’t a crisis and constantly monitor the landscape, identifying potential threats and preparing our clients to be proactive rather than reactive if and when a crisis occurs.  

We must also help our clients become active allies to causes they support — even if this means alienating customers, losing sales or attracting the ire of elected officials. Recently, when Bud Light partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, it sparked outrage, causing shares of Bud Light’s parent AB InBev to temporarily plunge. Rather than standing their ground, the company issued a terse statement in response to the controversy. And two weeks later, Anheuser-Busch — the maker of Bud Light — confirmed two of the marketing executives involved were taking a leave of absence. Bud Light’s sales likely will recover but in the meantime, it has alienated itself from consumers on all sides and demonstrated weakness in its brand values.   

On the flip side, as more CEOs are weighing in on controversial topics, many are pointing to their corporate values to support brand advocacy. It’s critical however that these actions be authentic and that a brand’s corporate culture reflects the values it promotes externally. In these instances, it’s our responsibility to lead with integrity and ensure our brands’ communications and actions are genuine and honest.

As culture continues to evolve in this new age of purpose, the importance of clear brand communications and commitments will only grow stronger. Storytelling, while entertaining, will no longer move the needle as it has in the past when it comes to brand loyalty and trust. Leading with the facts is how brands will break through today’s sea of misinformation and it’s up to us to guide them through.