We completed our eighth year in an unsettling time. Since our last update, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, COVID ended (sort of since I had it twice last year), regional banks failed, ChatGPT and other generative AI tools came to market, Elon Musk acquired Twitter, a former president was indicted, Hollywood and auto industry unions led extended strikes, and now Israel declared war on Hamas. On the brighter side, we’ve had the Taylor Swift and Barbie phenomenon.
We completed our seventh year during a time that may one day be considered the beginning of an era of unprecedented activism. A large and growing number of companies have taken high-profile stands on a variety of political and social issues. And employees are increasingly empowered to go public about a host workplace or social issues. This activism can have both positive and negative corporate reputation implications.
Over the past two years, CCO’s have been at the center of helping their organizations manage a host of extraordinarily complex business, social and political issues. Everything from a global pandemic, social unrest, employee activism, to return to work policies, creating a distinctive corporate culture, debilitating polarization, and the growing dissemination of misinformation.
One of the greatest threats to a company’s reputation is the growing trend of employee activism. Companies can instantaneously find themselves in the headlines or the crosshairs of Congress when employees go public about business decisions or social issues. Particularly when an issue runs counter to their personal beliefs or what they believe are the company’s values or are in opposition to a stand their employer has taken.
We completed our sixth year as the global pandemic, at least in most parts of the U.S., was slowly coming to an end. But as it turns out, this past year our nation was perhaps impacted to an even greater degree by the multiplying incidents of social injustice, resulting in several murders, most notably George Floyd’s. These incidents sparked a nationwide groundswell of protests, energizing a host of companies, athletes, celebrities, and others to take stands on important social issues for the very first time.
We completed our fifth year amidst a global pandemic and widespread protests against racial injustice. To say these unsettling times is an understatement, but they also present us with an opportunity to build a better future. The need for candid, accurate, transparent, compassionate and honest communication has never been greater. We all have a role to play.
The old proverb, “seeing is believing,” is in serious jeopardy of becoming outdated.
With the advent of the latest AI deep learning technology, it is becoming easier and easier for any computer-literate content creator to produce and distribute increasingly hard-to-detect fake videos that have people doing and saying things they didn’t really do or say.
As we conclude our fourth year at KTStewart, we want to again thank all of our clients for relying on us to help them build and protect their reputations in these tumultuous times. One thing remains clear. The challenges faced by all organizations are growing exponentially and the need for a communications partner that can provide a clear perspective and path forward has never been greater.
