BY: JACO PIENAAR

Wether you are reading about the Volkswagen emissions scandal, #[insertgrievancehere]mustfall, or another link bait headline by Donald Trump, it becomes clear that crisis communication has changed irrevocably in the age of digital.

Brands (whether personal or at an organisational level) are operating in an environment where reputations are fragile and loyalty is something that is but a fleeting thought. The narratives of traditional and new media define how we, the audience, shift our attitudes and sides depending on whose truth we rely on.

This in itself is not a revelation but it shows that how communicators must change the way they handle crises in the new media cycle. Thanks to the internet, there are a plethora of tools and services providers that can, at the click of a mouse, view content in real-time. However, the nature of business (and the crisis itself) means decision-makers have precious little time to read, analyse, and respond directly in a timely fashion.

Read more here.