What if the misrepresentation is not a small factual error, but a systematic, negative or outright damaging portrayal of your brand by AI systems? Then a crisis protocol is needed.
When do we speak of a crisis?
- An AI system makes factually incorrect and damaging claims about your brand
- A competitor is systematically positioned as “better” based on demonstrably incorrect information
- An AI system fabricates statements or actions attributed to your brand
- The misrepresentation reaches a broad user group via a dominant platform (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews)
Crisis protocol
Phase 1: Documentation (day 1-2)
Document all found misrepresentations fully: screenshot, date, platform, prompt phrasing, complete answer. This is your evidence file — essential for all subsequent steps.
Phase 2: Internal escalation (day 1-3)
Inform marketing, communications, compliance and legal. Determine the severity and potential impact. Establish a crisis team.
Phase 3: Direct correction of own sources (day 2-5)
Immediately update all own channels where incorrect information is or could be present. Publish a clear, factual correction page or statement that is directly indexable.
Phase 4: External outreach (day 3-10)
Contact the AI provider via official channels. Contact external publishers whose content serves as a source for the incorrect information. Activate PR contacts for corrective coverage in relevant media.
Phase 5: Monitoring and follow-up (week 2-8)
Monitor intensively whether the corrections are having an effect. Track on which platforms the incorrect information still appears. Repeat corrective measures if necessary.
Prevention is the best strategy
A crisis protocol is necessary, but prevention is better. Organisations that structurally invest in GEO monitoring, correct external presence and systematic content updates are confronted with serious AI misrepresentation less quickly — and detect it faster when it does occur.
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