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On 4 December 2024, I had the opportunity to participate in a webinar on ‘Brands under fire‘. Together with my old companion Gerald Hensel of Superspring, Markus Mayr of Storypark and Lars Niggemann of PREVENCY, we discussed how companies can strengthen their brand resilience in an increasingly volatile world.
I focused on one aspect that is often overlooked in discussions of brand resilience: the role of future narratives.
From Reacting to Acting
Too often we see brands simply reacting to shitstorms, to criticism, to orchestrated attacks on social media. But this purely defensive stance overlooks something crucial: behind many of these attacks are actors with very specific visions of the future.
Take the example of Robby Starbuck, who systematically attacks companies in the US for their inclusion criteria. He does not do this out of boredom or pure destructiveness. He has a clear vision of how society should be – and is actively working to make that future a reality.
If brands only counter such players with damage control and rapid crisis communication, they have already lost. Because then they are fighting a vision with… nothing.
The Power of your own Future Narrative
What brands need instead is their own positive narrative for the future. A concrete vision of the world they want to contribute to. This not only provides external orientation, but also a powerful internal compass.
I experienced an impressive example of this in a project with the city of Karlsruhe. Instead of abstract vision statements, we worked with the entire leadership team, including the mayor, to develop a detailed picture of their ideal city in 2030. This shared image of the future became an internal compass – not as a PR tool, but as a guide for daily decisions and as a source of motivation for employees.
Meta (formerly Facebook) has demonstrated a similar approach. Instead of getting bogged down in endless defensive battles, Mark Zuckerberg used “the metaverse” to create his own vision of the future. Whether you share this vision or not, it gave the company the opportunity to proactively tell its story rather than just react to it.
Brand Resilience starts with a Vision of the Future
“Resilient brands create their own image of the future in order to have a clear orientation for their communications. And they don’t just do this when shit hits the fan, but ideally before that.”
True brand resilience does not come from faster response times or better crisis communications alone. It needs a foundation – a clear idea of what the brand stands for and what future it wants to actively shape.
These future narratives must be more specific than typical corporate visions. It’s not just about catchy slogans, but about tangible images: What will everyday life be like in this future? What’s different? Why is it desirable?
A narrative like this not only provides brands with orientation in times of crisis. Above all, it provides the energy and motivation needed to get through difficult times. Because people – whether employees or customers – are more likely to work for a positive vision than against a threat.
Bottom line: brand resilience requires more than quick responses
In an era of increasing polarisation and targeted attacks on brands, it is no longer enough just to ‘avoid being targeted’ or to respond quickly to crises. A positive future narrative is the key to true brand resilience.
The good news for anyone looking to build brand resilience is that, unlike in a crisis, brands have the power to shape their own destiny. They can and should actively develop the images of the future that they want to bring into the world. Not as a PR exercise, but as a genuine compass for the organisation.
Because in the end, it is not the quickest to react that wins, but the one who tells the most compelling stories about the future.