[DECODED] Read this before your next brand crisis hits

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

'The reality is that disinformation has become a systemic risk for any brand with a public presence, not just in politics or media, but in every sector that relies on trust'

After years in the world of data, mapping networks and decoding tactics, I believe this is the moment brands need to start thinking differently about crisis.

Over the past few years, I’ve watched the information landscape in the Philippines change in ways that many of us didn’t fully anticipate. We expected the internet to democratize knowledge and connect us more deeply. And it did, but it also became a fertile ground for manipulation.

Now, brands don’t just operate in a competitive marketplace. They operate in an environment where false narratives can be created, amplified, and monetized at remarkable speed. Sometimes, these campaigns are blunt and obvious. Other times, they slip into spaces we rarely expect: showbiz channels, lifestyle pages, or influencer accounts that look “authentic.”

At The Nerve, we’ve seen paid networks quietly coordinating smear campaigns against individuals and companies, micro-influencers seeding copy-paste content to test which narratives go viral, and AI-generated videos and deepfakes blurring the line between fact and fiction.

The reality is that disinformation has become a systemic risk for any brand with a public presence, not just in politics or media, but in every sector that relies on trust.

What I find most challenging is that these attacks don’t always look like a coordinated operation. Sometimes, they appear as ordinary customer complaints or viral rumors. By the time you realize what’s happening, the narrative has often taken on a life of its own.

But as Rappler’s case would demonstrate, there are ways to respond, and even to get ahead of the problem.

At The Nerve, we’ve spent years studying how influence operations work in the Philippines. We’ve mapped networks of bad actors, dissected how stories travel, and helped brands navigate moments when their credibility was under attack.

Recently, our team put together a comprehensive report to bring all of that learning into one place. It doesn’t just lay out the threats, but offers a practical framework you can use to:

• Define whether a crisis is real or manufactured.
• Map where it’s spreading and who’s amplifying it.
• Decode the narratives and emotional triggers at play.
• Respond with speed, credibility, and transparency.

If you work in communications, marketing, risk, or leadership, I believe you’ll find it illuminating. Even if you haven’t yet faced a disinformation attack, it’s worth understanding how quickly perceptions can shift, and how prepared you are to protect the trust you’ve built.

You can read the full report here.

I hope it gives you clarity and some peace of mind in a noisy digital world. If you’d like to explore how to put these ideas into practice for your organization, I’d be glad to connect. – Rappler.com

The Nerve is a data forensics company that enables changemakers to navigate real-world trends and issues through narrative and network investigations. Taking the best of human and machine, we enable partners to unlock powerful insights that shape informed decisions. Composed of a team of data scientists, strategists, award-winning storytellers, and designers, the company is on a mission to deliver data with real-world impact.