20 strategies to manage your brand's reputation in uncertain times

Fast Company

11-07-2025

In an unpredictable market, your brand's reputation can feel simultaneously more fragile and more important than ever. A single misstep, a poorly handled crisis, or a lack of clear communication can erode trust faster than it's built.
To help you avoid a PR crisis, 20 Fast Company Executive Board members each share their best practices for managing brand reputation. Follow their advice to strengthen and protect your brand, no matter the external circumstances.
1. BE AUTHENTIC AND TRANSPARENT.
Authenticity and transparency are key during uncertain times. Companies that communicate honestly about challenges and demonstrate consistent action aligned with values maintain brand reputation. Double down on your values and communicate them through actions, not just messaging. Your customers and communities can see through corporate-speak. – Joynicole Martinez, The Alchemist Agency
2. IDENTIFY AND FOSTER THE BELIEFS YOU WANT OTHERS TO HAVE ABOUT YOU.
Be intentional. Answer: What beliefs do you want people to have about you, and why? What new information and experiences do you need to provide to shape these beliefs? What are your key responsibilities in creating these beliefs? How will you track whether you're fostering the desired beliefs, and how will you prevent negative slippage? – Shawn Galloway, ProAct Safety, Inc.
3. FOCUS DEEPLY ON YOUR CUSTOMERS' NEEDS.
Stay steadfastly focused on the needs of your customers. In today's world, uncertain times are a constant. Resist chasing shiny objects and avoid reactive decision-making. Always listen to your clients and act deliberately, keeping long-term value instead of short-term noise as your organization's North Star. – Kurt Donnell, Freestar
4. STAY VISIBLE BY SHARING YOUR OPINIONS.
Be visible, engage in debate, and have an opinion on the future of your industry. Those who lead with a willingness to be wrong are appreciated by others and are rewarded with advocacy in the long run. – Richard Swain, DesignStudio
5. PRIORITIZE PLANNING, POLICY, AND MITIGATION.
A three-step practice of planning, policy, and mitigation is key to brand reputation management. Ensure that your company has ethical and robust communications policies in place, with a mechanism to respond quickly to any negative issues. – Deborah Collier, Digital Skills Authority
6. PROVE YOUR ROI CLEARLY.
Focus on clearly demonstrating how your solutions drive measurable value for your clients to strengthen trust and reputation in uncertain markets. During uncertain times, businesses double down on value and prioritize partners who can prove ROI. – Brad Rosenfeld, Allvue Systems
7. COMMUNICATE LIKE A HUMAN, NOT A CORPORATION.
Don't mince words. Lead with facts and say it like a human. Your brand reputation is what you do consistently and how you make people feel when uncertainty strikes. – Pooja Vijay Kumar, Autodesk
8. GENUINELY LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR 'PEOPLE' HAVE TO SAY.
Stay close to your 'people' (customers, employees, and partners) and really listen to what they have to say. In uncertain markets, your reputation is built on how well you reflect their needs and values in real time. Consistent, honest communication builds trust faster than perfection ever will. – Kristin Russel, symplr
9. POSITION UNIQUENESS AS ADVANTAGE.
Position what makes your company unique as a strategic advantage. When we entered the competitive U.S. market, we showcased our European experience managing complex, multi-country operations as a differentiator that domestic players couldn't match. We transformed our foreign background from a potential weakness into one of our strongest selling points for customers seeking global expertise. – Dan Amzallag, Ivalua
10. STAY GROUNDED IN YOUR MISSION.
In uncertain markets, consistency and clarity are your strongest assets. We focus on communicating our core purpose, who we serve, and how we deliver value across every channel. Whether through personalized in-store messaging, thought leadership, or direct customer interaction, staying grounded in your brand's mission builds trust. – Jaime Bettencourt, Mood Media
11. BUILD AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH CONSUMERS.
The first question is: Do you have one (a brand reputation)? Have you established a unique and distinctive brand that evokes emotional attachment with your customers and employees? If not, it may be time to engage in a deep brand refresh, because, in an uncertain marketplace, cautious consumers will place even more stock in the brands that resonate with them the loudest. – Bob Sprague, Yes&
12. OWN THE NARRATIVE (BEFORE OTHERS DO).
Get in front of the story and tell the truth—fast. People don't need perfection—they need honesty. I've learned the hard way that silence is a vacuum that gets filled with doubt. The best thing you can do is own the narrative. Be real about where you are, what you're doing, and why it matters. Trust isn't built in good times—it's built when everything's sideways. That's how brands earn loyalty. – Gregory Vetter, Alta Fresh Foods
13. MITIGATE BIASES BY QUESTIONING ASSUMPTIONS.
Manage the biases inherent in critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision making. In uncertain marketplaces, being overly certain is a liability. Question assumptions. – Jay Steven Levin, WinThinking
14. MONITOR MARKET TRENDS.
Keep a watchful eye on market trends, and consider the behavior of other organizations, both competitors and customers. Talk to analysts, advisors, and influencers to see what they're hearing and compare this with your own team's insights. – Caitlin MacGregor, Plum
15. STAY CONFIDENT AND CONSISTENT IN YOUR MESSAGING.
In uncertain times, people seek stability, so focus on the consistency of your brand experience and the ongoing optimism of your brand message. Don't lose yourself by mimicking marketplace anxiety or chasing social trends, be confident in who you are—and why you matter—to your best customers. – Tim Maleeny, Quad
16. SHARE BOTH WINS AND CHALLENGES OPENLY.
In an uncertain marketplace, the brands that thrive are the ones that communicate openly, even when the news isn't perfect. Share not just your wins, but your challenges, decisions, and what you're doing to adapt. In times of change, trust becomes your brand's currency. Transparency shows you're human, builds credibility, and turns your audience into long-term advocates, not just fair-weather fans. – Alexander Kwapis
17. CREATE STRONG CUSTOMER FEEDBACK LOOPS.
Staying closely attuned to customers is essential. We actively listen via surveys, sales conversations, community forums, and review platforms to understand shifting needs and evolve our offerings. We see ourselves as guardians of their success. A strong feedback loop with service and fulfillment teams ensures quick issue resolution and continuous improvement. – Daniel Lysaught, LegalZoom
18. ACT WITH INTEGRITY AND COHERENCE.
Amid uncertainty, your brand's reputation isn't managed—it's lived. Practice radical coherence. When markets shake, people crave what's real. They smell the gap between who you say you are and who you actually are. Let your actions be your brand. When chaos hits, don't polish your image—deepen your integrity. Trust flows toward truth, especially when everything else wobbles. – Dr. Camille Preston, AIM Leadership, LLC
19. BUILD WITH YOUR COMMUNITY.
Lead with a community-first mindset. Track cultural shifts, social chatter, and unmet needs to spot emerging narratives. Host ideation sessions to co-create, critique, and prioritize. Use feedback loops, beta drops, and storytelling. Rapidly test ideas with your community. Build with them; trust, innovation, and brand fandom will follow. – Val Vacante, dentsu