Amol sabnis
Today
3
min
Going viral can feel like winning the internet. But here’s the other side of the story : One offbeat moment. One poorly timed tweet. One insensitive campaign. That’s all it takes to make your brand famous—for all the wrong reasons.
Welcome to the age of receipts, retweets, and reputational whiplash. If your brand’s only crisis strategy is hoping for the best, this one’s for you.
Insights and Strategies
Bad
virality spreads faster than good news. Online outrage is an algorithm favorite.- Cancel
culture doesn’t care about intent—just optics. Perception is reality.
- Silence
is fuel. When you mess up, respond fast, not perfectly.
- Every
brand is a public figure now. One screenshot can spark global fire.
- Reputation is built before you need it. Goodwill is your insurance.
- Listen
early. Correct quickly. Communicate clearly.
"The internet has a long memory. So build a brand that ages well." – Master Hustle Team
As have to Achieves Always People
Your brand’s biggest test won’t come during a campaign launch.
It’ll come at 2 a.m. when a tweet thread accuses you of something you didn’t see coming.
When someone posts a video of your customer support gone wrong.
When your silence is seen as indifference.
So what can you do?
- You
build trust when no one’s watching.
- You
show receipts when no one’s asking.
- You
create systems to catch tone-deaf content before it launches.
Being proactive isn’t boring. It’s survival.
“If you're not shaping your reputation, the internet will do it for you." – Master Hustle Team
The Fixed Enormity, This Thousands Turner
Let’s break it down like a brand survival guide:
Avoid these viral traps:
- “Edgy”
humor without internal review.
- Jumping
on trends you don’t understand.
- Launching social campaigns without representation or research.
- Ignoring
public feedback loops (aka, you keep posting, they keep roasting).
Do this instead:
- Audit
your brand voice. Would your content sound human in a crisis?
- Set up
social listening tools. Don’t let Twitter/X be the first to inform you.
- Train
your teams. Frontline support can make or break your reputation.
- Draft
crisis playbooks. Decide now who speaks, what tone to take, and when to apologize.
Bonus: Respond like a person, not a press release.
