Fire on the Hill puts mis- and disinformation on the corporate agenda in Washington DC

fire on the hill puts mis and disinformation on the corporate agenda in DC
It’s such a privilege to see ideas come to life.
 

Earlier this year a Foreign Policy article by Elisabeth Braw piqued the interest of the team here at Fire on the Hill. In the piece, Braw argued that corporations are increasingly likely targets for foreign disinformation campaigns and that online slanders may even become a ‘new vector for economic warfare’.

With a keen interest in the development, maintenance and protection of corporate reputations, we decided to investigate further.

Skip forward a few weeks and our co-founder, Chris Clarke, hosted a fascinating discussion in Washington DC, exploring the emerging topic and how the threat of mis- and disinformation can impact corporate reputation.

A new frontier opening up when it comes to corporate reputation

This is an area of growing resonance in corporate boardrooms around the world.

Ahead of the event, we worked with our research partner Mercury Analytics, a full-service research firm, to better understand opinions and concerns among senior decision-makers within US companies.

They found that more than half of companies have been negatively impacted by mis- and disinformation – with one in ten branding the damage “substantial”.

This is reflected in our work with companies of different sizes and across many different sectors – technology, renewable energy, travel and education. Everywhere, the concern about mis- and disinformation is increasing.

When we talk to CEOs, board members, those in the business of reputation it is a major concern. Trust in companies. Trust in information. Trust in Politics. Trust in Leaders seems to be a diminishing currency. This has many implications, not least in our ability as a society to progress, to advance, to innovate, to collaborate with others, to communicate with integrity.

How is the landscape changing  

To help us explore the topic, we were joined in Washington by Kyle Walter, Global Head of Investigative Research and Innovation, and Holly Mercer, Global Head of Communications, at Logically; Hany Ghanem, Associate Director, Client Intelligence Group at UBS; and Elisabeth Braw herself.

We heard how quickly the landscape is changing.

Mis- and disinformation, so often targeted towards politics, foreign affairs and elections in the past, is increasingly a concern for corporations.

Global companies and economic interests run the risk of being targets of co-ordinated campaigns that threaten their social license to operate.

As Braw explained to the audience: “It is totally unpredictable which company may be targeted for a disinformation campaign – it usually has nothing to do with their own behaviour or actions. They are selected as a representative of a state such as Budweiser in the United States.

“This is a new experience for business leaders, being drawn into this geopolitical game. Corporate leaders have previously seen themselves as ‘citizens of nowhere’ – but now state actors target them as proxies for their home states.”

At the same time, organisations operate in an increasingly complex and globally interconnected landscape. Information is impossible to control. What starts in one market can quickly cross borders.

Today, we are in a world where a diminishing level of trust is placed in ‘official’ information. It seems harder than ever to identify reputable and reliable sources of information. With the fragmentation of the media, with pressure on traditional news outlets, with the proliferation of new and varied social channels, accessing reliable information is not always easy. Opinion is often presented as fact, and facts are distorted to validate opinions as society becomes more polarized.

Companies must be aware of the potentially challenging waters they are entering.

Mercer added: “As social media has enabled brands to build a profile and engage, they are increasingly connecting to consumers on wider social and cultural issues. But it’s important to consider where we stand, what are our opinions and where might we come up against opposition to those positions. Because it is on these issues that we can become vulnerable to mis- and disinformation.”

We need to focus on building trust and protect the freedom of ideas

Washington DC was a great chance to set the scene and unpick the challenge. We discussed how the landscape is evolving. Now, we are focused on how approaches to corporate reputation need to change in response.

We need to encourage and strengthen our social and political discourse, build greater trust in our companies, and encourage greater access to reliable information. Only by doing so can we protect the freedom of ideas, removed from interference either accidental or intentional.

There is a wealth of information in the research carried out by our partners at Mercury Analytics – which can be seen here.

 
 
Image: Fire on the Hill 

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Chris O’Toole Head of Content