In 2026, large companies such as Standard Bank Group face reputational pressures that would have been almost unimaginable to corporate communications professionals a decade ago.

Social media has fundamentally changed the relationship between companies and their customers.

On the positive side, it has empowered consumers to express frustrations directly and to connect with others who may share similar experiences. In many ways this has strengthened accountability and given consumers a stronger voice.

But the downside is equally clear: there is often little verification of claims and no meaningful filter on credibility. As a result, a single aggrieved customer can now trigger a viral reputational storm that demands the same level of executive attention as a major operational disruption.

When this happens, companies often fall into one of two traps. Some stay silent, hoping the story will burn itself out. Others respond defensively or with overly technical explanations.

Neither approach usually works.

For financial institutions — whose brands are built on trust — narrative control is essential. That means moving directly into the conversation with three things: empathy, clarity and reassurance.

Customers need to hear, quickly and clearly, that their money is safe. They need a simple explanation of the facts. And they need to hear it from visible leadership.

What they do not want is a stream of generic responses from a corporate social media account alternating between crisis replies and routine posts about corporate golf days.

Speed matters. Visibility matters. Leadership matters.

Several days after the story began circulating widely online, it remains surprising that Standard Bank took its time to issue a clear public statement or establish a robust digital engagement strategy, positioning the bank as a leader in protecting customers against fraud.

The lesson is simple.

In today’s communications environment the fundamentals of crisis communication have not changed — but the speed at which institutions must act has.

When trust is at stake, companies need to be simpler in their messaging, faster in their response, and more visible in their leadership.

Those that fail to do so risk losing control of the narrative long before the facts have had a chance to catch up.

– Paul Boughey
Chief Executive Officer