How to protect your brand in an era of misinformation

Thanks to generative AI and the internet’s insatiable appetite for content, brand misinformation is multiplying faster than you can say “ChatGPT.”

According to the 2023 State of the Media Report, “maintaining credibility as a trusted news source and combating accusations of ‘fake news’” was the biggest challenge for the media that year. I’m sure it’s no surprise to you, dear marketers, that problem has not only gotten worse, but now extends to us (yaaaaay.)

And no, it’s not just conspiracy theories and fake celeb quotes anymore. We’re talking about doctored press releases, fake screenshots of customer service chats, and AI-generated videos with your logo slapped on top. All things that can significantly harm your brand's reputation.

And in this era of misinformation, marketers have to work hard to protect those reputations. So, let’s break down why this is happening, how it’s impacting brands, and what smart marketers can do to stay ahead of the chaos.

First, why is brand misinformation spinning out of control?

• AI makes lies look real. It used to take a team of trolls and a Photoshop license to spread a good fake. Now? All it takes is a prompt and 10 seconds. Tools like Sora, ElevenLabs, and image generators can produce incredibly realistic “brand” content. This could be ads that never aired, logos on fake products, or images of influencers praising something they’ve never touched.

• The internet doesn’t check sources. A juicy fake ad travels way faster than your official press release ever will. People want to believe the wild stuff (it’s more entertaining, duh). Platforms reward engagement, not accuracy.

• Your brand is part of a bigger narrative. Brands aren’t just brands anymore. You’re a political symbol, a cultural flashpoint, a meme. Whether you like it or not, you’re in the discourse (and misinformation loves a familiar name).

The real-world impact:

• Consumer confusion. A fake sustainability claim goes viral, and suddenly your DMs are an angry mob, pitchforks and all. You didn’t make the claim, BUT good luck explaining that in 240 characters.

• Loss of trust. Even if you debunk it, the damage might be done. If audiences start questioning whether your messaging is real, you’re in reputation debt.

• Hijacked brand stories. Once misinformation becomes part of your brand’s search results or meme identity, you’re no longer in control of your narrative. The internet is. And that, my friends, is scary as hell.

Ok, enough doom and gloom. Here's how marketers can fight back (without losing their minds):

• Monitor smarter, not harder. Traditional social listening tools aren’t enough anymore. Use tools that can detect AI-generated content, track brand mentions across video, image, and audio platforms, and identify deepfakes or lookalike URLs. (Think: adversarial brand tracking.)

• Have a response playbook ready. You can’t control the chaos, but you can control your response. Draft templates for misinformation response, line up legal and comms teams in advance, and assign clear roles for fact-checking and escalation.

• Own your narrative everywhere. If you don’t tell your story, someone else (or something else) will. Build a strong presence across multiple platform so your audience knows where to find the truth.

• Lean into radical transparency. In an age where everything can be faked, honesty is your superpower. Show your process. Admit mistakes. Share real behind-the-scenes. Trust is built through vulnerability, not polish.

• Educate your audience. Show them how to spot fakes. Let them in on how your real ads are made. If your brand has clout, use it to teach media literacy. (Yes, that’s part of marketing now.)

• Speak like a human. If your official statement reads like it was written by a lawyerbot in a PR bunker, no one’s going to believe you. You’re fighting AI-generated content. Don’t sound AI-generated yourself. Clarity and authenticity beat “brand voice” every time.

The AI era demands that marketers do more than advertise. We have to actively defend reality. And while you can’t control what gets made in someone’s basement on Midjourney, you can control how agile, transparent, and human your brand shows up in response.

-Sophie Randell, Writer