Public Communication after a Brand Incident

After an incident affecting the brand, such as a data leak or mass impersonation, the way the company communicates what happened to the public largely determines how its reputation recovers. A late, ambiguous message or one that downplays the problem usually generates more distrust than the original incident, while clear, timely and honest communication about what happened, whom it affected and what's being done to resolve it helps maintain credibility. For example, explaining in plain language what data was exposed and what concrete steps the affected customer should take generates more trust than a generic statement full of legal jargon that nobody understands and that seems written only to protect the company.