Storytelling for brand reputation protection: a strategy against fake news
Jurgita Stravinskiene, Rimante Hopeniene, Deividas SkaviciusPurpose
This study investigates how brands can effectively respond to fake news to protect their reputation and preserve consumer trust. It compares the effects of three brand response strategies attack, rebuttal, and storytelling, and investigates whether consumer-brand identification moderates the relationship between brand response and brand trust.
Design/methodology/approach
A scenario-based online survey was conducted with 400 Lithuanian consumers representing three automotive brands: Volkswagen, BMW and Audi. Respondents were exposed to simulated fake news scenario followed by brand responses employing each of the three strategies. Regression and moderation analyses were used to test the proposed relationships.
Findings
All three brand response strategies positively influence brand trust, with storytelling showing the highest perceived credibility and emotional resonance, although differences between strategies were not statistically significant. The moderating effect of consumer-brand identification (CBI) was non-significant under low-severity misinformation conditions, indicating that message authenticity and emotional resonance may outweigh pre-existing brand attachment in shaping trust responses to fake news.
Research limitations/implications
The study focuses on low-severity misinformation in the automotive sector and a single national context. The findings identify boundary conditions for crisis response effectiveness and highlight the need for future research across different industries, crisis intensities, and cultural environments.
Practical implications
The findings offer guidance for communication managers on responding to misinformation through credible, transparent and emotionally authentic communication. Storytelling can support trust restoration even when reputational threat is limited.
Originality/value
This study contributes to brand and corporate communication research by refining crisis communication theory through the identification of contextual boundary conditions. It demonstrates how storytelling can enhance trust related perceptions in fake news contexts, including situations of low perceived crisis severity.