Is AI technology the answer for brands to tackle a societal crisis?

You will never find a shortage of organizations dealing with a crisis that is spread out throughout the news. Recently, Levi Strauss took a stand against gun control and gun violence (washington post, 2018), Nike sponsorship of Colin Kaepernick became a trending hashtag on Twitter – #BoycottNike and #JustBurnIt, and McDonalds’s is embroiled in a sexual harassment suit in which workers went on strike to protest alleged widespread sexual harassment at the fast food chain (market insider, 2018). McDonald’s latest debacle is a reminder that all brands must consider the severe risks of societal crisis impacting their organizations.

But how should brands prepare to take a stand on key issues their stakeholders are passionate about? For instance, should an organization that values diversity and inclusion support protesting NFL players? Should a brand with a customer base of Trump voters back the president’s criticism of the league and players? (market insider, 2018). In today’s cultural climate, these are critical business challenges that every organization must face. Research indicates that “80 percent of consumers and 60 percent of employees expect companies to take action on important societal matters and two-thirds of CMOs and COOs said they aren’t prepared to take such a stand” (Market Insider, 2018).

If an organization is prepared for a societal crisis, it can mean the difference between managing its impact effectively or having it disrupt operations and damage the brand. Communications and marketing agency Peppercomm has developed a program called StandSmart to help organizations prepare for inevitable societal crisis. StandSmart, is a predictive analytics tool, that acts as an early warning system for predicting when a crises might hit and will help an organization to respond accordingly (Market Insider, 2018).

Using a data-driven approach, StandSmart takes the guesswork out of when and how an organization should communicate about controversial topics. The tool was created in response to a millennial generation looking to support brands that are transparent and brands that will aid in environmental and socioeconomic issues. StandSmart seems smart and a perfect solution to solving a challenging problem. But will a predictive analytics tool be beneficial to an organization or will it hinder a brands ability to connect to a generation that is looking for brand authenticity? Will they care? Will it matter?