Navigating the New Digital Reality: Protecting Brand Reputation in 2025

Greetings from Brodeur Partners. In this edition, we're discussing how, in the early stages of President Donald Trump's second term, significant shifts in social media policies and federal regulations are influencing how brands manage and protect their reputations online.

Developments Impacting Brand Reputation

Executive order on free speech

In the first hours of his presidency, President Trump signed Executive Order 14149, titled "Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship." This order restricts federal agencies from engaging in activities perceived as censoring online content. The order aims to reduce governmental influence over social media content moderation, potentially leading to a more open but less regulated online environment.

Social media platform changes

Major platforms are already adjusting their policies in response to the new administration. Meta announced that it has replaced internal fact-checking with a "Community Notes" system, allowing users to add context to posts. Additionally, Meta has relaxed some content moderation policies, which follow similar ones at X.

These changes, combined with a reduction in regulatory scrutiny, may also increase the spread of controversial content and cause a surge in disinformation. Here are some strategies for brands.

Strategies For Brands

In this dynamic environment, brands must be agile and responsive, employing comprehensive strategies to safeguard their reputation amidst the changing social media and political landscape.

Strengthen social listening and crisis monitoring

With platforms reducing content moderation, brands must actively monitor social media for misinformation or negative brand-related narratives that could harm their reputation. It is essential to utilize advanced tools to detect and address disinformation promptly.

• Invest in social listening tools to track brand mentions, emerging crises, and potential misinformation.
• Set up real-time alerts for keywords related to your brand, industry, and executives to catch issues early.
• Develop clear escalation protocols for handling misinformation, customer complaints, and social media crises.
• Train teams on rapid-response tactics, including when to engage vs. ignore hostile narratives.
• Create pre-approved messaging for potential crises to ensure a swift, unified response.

Reassess content and advertising guidelines

With potentially fewer content restrictions on platforms, brands must ensure that their ads and organic content do not appear alongside harmful or misleading material.

• Reassess your brand safety controls in ad placements on Meta, X (Twitter), YouTube, and other platforms.
• Use blocklists and allowlists to prevent your social ads from appearing next to harmful content.
• Customize social ad placement settings that align with your brand's reputation strategy.

Adapt to evolving platform policies

It is crucial to understand and adapt to social media platforms' evolving policies. Brands should stay informed about policy shifts to navigate the digital landscape effectively and maintain a positive online presence.

• Stay informed about new laws affecting digital communication, advertising, and brand liability for online speech.
• Engage legal and PR teams to ensure compliance with evolving platform policies.

Questions? Reach out to Brodeur's Director of Digital Strategy, Ellie Philbrick [email protected]