Karrie is a thought leader in Digital Journal’s Insight Forum (become a member).
In today’s fast-moving digital world, controlling your company’s message isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for survival.
If you don’t tell your own story, the media, competitors, or even public opinion will fill that void.
And trust me, they might not paint the picture you want.
Every company—whether you’re a startup navigating your first few years or a corporate giant—needs to be proactive, clear, and consistent with its communications and messaging.
If you’re not owning your voice, you’re leaving your reputation in someone else’s hands.
The importance of moving from being reactive to proactive
Too many companies only engage with the media or public when they’re forced to react. Maybe it’s in response to a crisis, a market dip, or a negative news story. This approach is dangerous. While you might feel safer to be silent you will find yourself always playing defense. And playing defense means you’ve lost control.
For example, a company I was providing guidance to had retreated from media engagement entirely after a series of negative headlines. Their executive team decided it was safer to avoid press interviews rather than face more criticism.
But that left the company vulnerable and others were starting to shape their story for them. The company had been relying on one business line message continually and was not updating the market with all the other things it was doing.
By focusing on the one thing they believed to be positive they were avoiding telling their story of their firm’s strategy. The market was looking for clarity on their future and their focus where one was not being provided.
The solution? We flipped the approach.
Rather than running from the conversation, we started small by shaping the broader firm’s narrative and sharing positive stories with trusted outlets, building back confidence not only in the message but in the spokespersons themselves.
We focused on small, tangible stories that showed how innovation was at work, and new customers were being brought to the table. The market that followed this business had no idea the company was doing these things, so our stories prompted new questions, more proactive news stories and better headlines from the media.
Once we had momentum, we expanded to larger platforms, taking control of the narrative and shaping public perception on our terms. The result was a noticeable shift in how the media covered the company—moving from negative to more balanced and even positive coverage.
This proactive strategy allowed the company to reclaim its identity and guide the conversation.
Proactive outreach doesn’t just mean press releases or interviews.
Digital platforms like LinkedIn are invaluable for controlling your message. You don’t need to wait for a journalist to write your story—you can create it.
This includes leveraging thought leadership from your executives and subject matter experts to position them as industry leaders, building credibility for your company through direct channels. When your spokespeople are consistently seen as authoritative voices in their fields, you’re controlling the narrative instead of reacting to it.
Think about your search footprint
A critical part of owning the message in today’s world is SEO management. The first place people go to learn about your company is the Internet. What comes up when they search your name? If the top results are negative or outdated, they can shape perceptions before you’ve had a chance to say a word.
I was working with a company who was in this exact position and every search brought up old, negative articles even though the company had moved past that phase.
To fix this, we flooded the digital space with positive content, including press coverage, blogs, and thought leadership pieces, all designed to push the old headlines down.
Managing SEO is not about manipulating the truth — it’s about making sure that when someone looks up your company, they see who you are today, not who you were five years ago.
This is particularly important when your company is recovering from a crisis or a tough period. By taking ownership of the digital conversation, you can ensure that your side of the story is seen. It’s a proactive way to build credibility and protect your reputation over time.
Be consistent, credible and relevant
Once you’re in control of the message, consistency is key. Every piece of communication should reflect your company’s mission, vision, and values, but it also needs to be adaptable to different channels and audiences.
For example, what works for a press release won’t work for a LinkedIn post or an investor presentation. But no matter the platform, the core message should be the same.
Credibility is equally important. If you’re talking about financial markets, the message should come from someone who has expertise in that area, like a CIO.
If the topic is employee engagement, your HR leader should be the voice.
Tailoring the spokesperson to the subject ensures your message is not only consistent but also trustworthy.
One often overlooked but incredibly powerful resource is your employees. They are the most authentic brand ambassadors you have. Empowering them to share company messages on their own networks amplifies your reach far beyond what corporate channels alone can achieve.
Studies consistently show that employee-shared content performs better than paid media. And when employees are engaged in telling the company’s story, it fosters a sense of ownership and pride within the organization.
In one instance, a company I was guiding saw dramatically better engagement rates on employee-driven social posts than on their corporate posts or even paid ads. Employees have networks that are more likely to trust and engage with them, and by providing clear guidelines and empowering them with compliant, pre-approved content, the company multiplied its messaging reach.
Always over prepare
Good communication isn’t just about saying the right things—it’s about being prepared for every possible question or scenario. This is where a comprehensive communications playbook becomes essential.
A playbook ensures that every spokesperson is ready to handle not only the easy, positive questions but also the tough ones. Every major announcement should be backed by a detailed playbook that covers potential pitfalls, negative spins, and difficult questions as well as the key messages. With this preparation, your spokespeople will never be caught off guard because they have been prepped for anything that might come their way.
This level of preparation is especially critical during times of crisis. When things go wrong, whether it’s a market disruption or internal turmoil, your company’s ability to maintain credibility hinges on how well you manage the narrative.
Without preparation, spokespeople can feel nervous, defensive, or unsure in their responses, which only exacerbates the issue. But with a robust playbook, they can confidently deliver the message, knowing they’re prepared for any outcome.
The key to successful crisis management is not just external — it’s also about internal communications. Your employees should never learn about major company news from the media.
Keeping your internal audience informed builds trust and ensures they feel like part of the solution rather than passive observers.
During a particularly uncertain period, I advised a company to maintain regular, transparent communication with employees—even when the news wasn’t perfect or when there was nothing new to say. This level of transparency meant they were not left feeling in the dark.The result was that the employees stayed engaged and loyal, knowing leadership was doing their best to navigate a tough situation. Why all this matters for comms and marketing teams
Owning your message is about more than just controlling the narrative—it’s about building credibility, trust, and consistency in every interaction.
By being proactive, managing your SEO, empowering your employees, and always over-preparing, you can ensure that your company’s story is told on your terms. If you don’t own your message, someone else will.
Companies that invest in strategic communication—whether they’re startups, scaleups, or large corporations—are the ones that succeed in shaping public perception and building lasting trust.
Owning the message is not just about managing the media — it’s about owning your reputation, your brand, and your future.
This article was created with the assistance of AI. Learn more about our AI ethics policy here.
