We understand the social psychology and anthropology of rumor transmission. We help clients recognize the objective and subjective factors that can neutralize or eliminate a false rumor, and diminish the impact of a true rumor.

Most crises involve rumors that, left to their own devices, can become self-fulfilling and cause unnecessary reputational harm. But most organizations in crisis feel powerless to avoid and contain rumors.

Thankfully, rumors follow predictable patterns, and it is possible to prevent, contain, and even to kill false rumors. Success requires both counter-instinctive behavior and speed. And the longer a rumor goes unaddressed, the more people become invested in it and the more versions of the rumor spring up. The most effective time to kill a rumor is in its earliest phases, precisely when most organizations are least likely to be able to take the actions necessary to prevent the rumor from spreading.

We help clients:

• Recognize the need to make decisions that may be counter-instinctive but predictably cause rumors to dissipate
• Understand the specific windows of time in which to influence transmission of rumors and beyond which it is too late to do so
• Establish issue and rumor tracking and early warning mechanisms
• Mobilize resources and make decisions quickly
• Draft stand-by language and thresholds for triggering release of such language
• Establish ongoing issue management/crisis management teams to habituate an enterprise to responding early and managing rumors
• Train spokespeople to speak in ways that can contain and kill rumors

For more information, see our Preventing and Overcoming Rumors Best Practice Guide.