Summit: brands & the disinformation reality

Disinformation is a very real issue facing brands in 2020. Information has never been more quickly or broadly spread with the chance to go viral at everyone’s fingertips — whatever the content.

Today, disinformation can disrupt and distort the conversation between customer and brand, influencing what consumers believe and what they’re willing to buy. How brands decide to respond, from fighting back to promoting the disinformation, will set norms for how others react. Brands today are in a powerful position to put a stake in the ground that may just change the role disinformation plays in our world.

Summit 2020 investigates how brands and disinformation shape one another from multiple perspectives:

Ezra Englebardt, Expert in brand strategy, planning, and execution

“Stories and content beat myths. You have to outperform the lies, the rumors, and the disinformation.” — brand strategy expert, Ezra Englebardt, during Summit 2020 https://t.co/H3G4QrAFyP @HarvardHBS @ezra802 #diginHBS pic.twitter.com/Fim66dUTvg
— HBS Digital Initiative (@digHBS) April 6, 2020

Renée DiResta, Trust and technical research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory at Stanford University

“What matters is who is talking about your company and why.” — Stanford Internet Observatory manager, Renée DiResta, during Summit 2020 https://t.co/H3G4QrAFyP @noUpside @HarvardHBS @FSIStanford #diginHBS pic.twitter.com/S2XQW22Obx
— HBS Digital Initiative (@digHBS) April 1, 2020

James Mickens, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

“Who should be responsible for verifying the veracity of news? Is it reporters, is it users, is it professional fact-checkers, is it algorithms?” — Harvard computer science prof, James Mickens during Summit 2020 https://t.co/H3G4QrSgqn @HarvardHBS @hseas #diginHBS pic.twitter.com/z4qDLP2HEs
— HBS Digital Initiative (@digHBS) April 3, 2020

Watch the livestream

Read the recap

Last week, we held a virtual summit on brands, trust & disinformation. In case you missed it, here's the recap: https://t.co/NYoDaIdUfy @HarvardHBS #diginhbs pic.twitter.com/5QTVh9NMRT
— HBS Digital Initiative (@digHBS) April 4, 2020

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