The Art of Business War: Marketing in the Age of Misinformation

Life moves so fast. But take a moment and reflect on the past. We are barely halfway through the 21st Century journey. Yet, it has already been so eventful. Several new trends have emerged in virtually all industries. Some of the notable ones in the business sector include: e-commerce, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, green energy, cloud computing, the internet of things (IoT), and cybersecurity among many others. Most of these advances have positively impacted our daily lives. For instance, you can now order and receive your favourite dish from the restaurant located in the central business district without leaving your home with just a click of a button. Decades ago, this would have unimaginable. The strides we’ve made, as humanity, are incredible and utterly life-changing.

Even as we celebrate the wins in the 21st Century, so far, numerous challenges have also accompanied the inventions and innovations that we all enjoy dearly. For businesses, and particularly marketing and public relations practitioners whose work diet is mostly comprised of information dissemination, the landscape evolved for better and for worse. They must contend with the best and worst of both worlds. The art of business war has changed from sly, covert operations to a fully-fledged battle of smokes and mirrors. Gone are the good old days when people would simply plant a trojan horse in their competitors’ establishments to commit acts of espionage. Today, jilted companies who wouldn’t want to compete fairly are now sinking their arch enemies in a barrage of misinformation. Consequently, organizations that have been under savage attack have ended up losing customers and all the good that they bring forth.

Although misinformation, commonly referred to as fake news, is not a new phenomenon. In the past decades, it used to go by the name propaganda and was widely used in political machinations. While the motive remains true as ever, it has taken a new name. The form and tactics, on the other hand, have greatly changed as well due to shifting conditions. Marketers, and their counterparts in public relations, have found themselves fighting an old battle with new modern-day guerrilla propaganda tactics. From false statements to blatantly manipulated images, reputations have been ruined. Trust levels in organizations, both public and private, have plummeted. Every piece of information is now treated with a lot of scepticism. Undeniably, trust is now a rare and valuable commodity. Now, the question is: how can professionals in the business of information dissemination cope in such a poisoned operating environment? Here are a few ideas on how your business marketing can cope in the age of misinformation:

1. Conduct Brand Surveillance
The world of business, and society at large, are now prone to conflicts. At any given time, someone is always annoyed at something. You may not know who is angling for your lucrative market share and is planning to take you down through misinformation. Inadvertently, you are engaged in invisible warfare. As any war strategist will tell you, the key to fending off attacks from the enemy is to conduct constant surveillance. In business combat, you need to constantly monitor the information space and flag any transgressions against your brand. Set up an internal review team to scour the information space and identify the sources of disinformation. When you note any fake news, intervene immediately and provide a proper statement addressing the misinformation. Nip it in the bud before further damage is caused.

2. Have A Clear Response Plan
“Failing to plan is planning to fail,” goes a popular adage in business circles. You are most probably familiar with this quote. Certainly, the saying may sound like a cliché. But the wisdom it contains is priceless as much as it is timeless. In any case, it doesn’t hurt to remind ourselves of important things from time to time. Indeed, the best defence against enemy attack is a robust response blueprint. Put in place a clear plan that details how you will handle business disinformation campaigns that may be waged against your brand. The plan should highlight key levers like the person in charge, risk analysis, the tools to be used, the messaging for different scenarios, and intervention options among other details.

3. Build Trust Through Authentic Messaging & Transparency
As pointed earlier, trust is now a rare and treasured commodity. It is in short supply. Thus, people, as well as entities that possess it, can be truly outstanding in the eyes of the public. With much of the media dotted with bits and pieces of misinformation, consumers have become especially sceptical of what they consume. However, even in a dishonest environment, it is still possible to build trust among your target audience. All you need to do is consistently communicate authentic messages and be transparent in all your operations. For example, if there is a product defect, come clean and admit the mistake then work on resolving it. These small acts of trust and transparency will incrementally culminate into a rock-solid reputation that cannot be easily shaken even by a guided missile of misinformation from naysayers.

4. Control The Narrative
One of the greatest tragedies in public relations practice is letting go of the narrative. It is usually downhill from thereon. Chances are normally very slim that you will take back control and successfully sway the public thereafter. Any experienced practitioner will tell you: always be in control of your story. This is a privilege that should not be left to its own devices or worse, the enemy. Through your brand surveillance, you should be able to remain on top of things as soon as you spot them. It is usually a bad move to keep mum when a scathing accusation has been made against you or your organization. Don’t bury your head in the sand hoping that the storm will pass. Denial or silence only leads to more speculation that eventually makes things worse for your brand. The onus is on you to fix things. Reputational damages may be irreparable if you keep engaging in ostrich manoeuvres. In this day and age, reputation is everything.

5. Be Present in All Major Channels
The way the current landscape of communication channels is set up, you can be easily blindsided whenever business misinformation warfare occurs. As emphasized earlier, preparation and planning are the keys to success. Nevertheless, given the fragmented nature of the media, we cannot be present in all of them, all the time. Doing so will be spreading yourself too thin and will result in increased overhead cost. You wouldn't like that happening. And as they say on battlefields, engaging in many crusades concurrently, often leads to a resounding defeat. Undeniably, it is difficult to put all fires when they come from different saboteurs. But you can still handle it successfully. Analyze the platforms and determine those that have great influence. Be present in those that you find relevant and influential. Still, when a scandal breaks out, respond across as many channels as possible.

Final Thoughts
The art of business war is undergoing an intense paradigm shift. Various pundits have argued that the surge in misinformation and cyber terrorism have been largely buoyed by hyperconnectivity and digital inclusion. Currently, organizations are dealing with increased cyberattacks with saboteurs infecting networks with ransomware. At the same time, others are finding their reputations being besmirched on the internet with fake information. Organizations operating in controversial sectors like oil and gas, fast food, and pharmaceutical among others have particularly found themselves in a constant line of fire. In full analysis measure, you can say that digitalization has been both a curse and a blessing. Even so, misinformation is not going to stop, not by a long shot. As a matter of fact, it will only get worse as match into the future where natural resources will be scarce. Subsequently, we will be forced to fight each other for the few that will be remaining. However, as a marketer or public relations practitioner, you can stay ahead of the disinformation wars by being consistently proactive in allaying smear campaigns and cancel cultures.

Stephen Osomba currently serves as the Lead Partner, Communication & Marketing at SMD Consulting Associates where he helps SME clients deliver value by adjusting the solutions to each company's mission, product, strategy, and industry.