Storytelling Begins With Action.
To build credibility in an age of crisis, brands must flip the pyramid from narrative to impact.
Action as the Foundation of Trust
During the overlapping crises of recent years, from a global pandemic to racial justice uprisings, corporate storytelling was put on trial. Public patience for empty messaging collapsed as trust in institutions became increasingly fragile. One leader from a global payments brand, Visa, responded to this challenge by asking a sharper question: “Where are we uniquely able to partner and help?”
This reframing grounded the company’s actions in clarity. Before issuing a single public statement, Visa committed resources to first responders, partnered with governments to deliver stimulus payments to unbanked Americans, launched an internal intranet to support employees, and funded grants for small businesses struggling to reopen. The message the company eventually put out carried weight because it followed these concrete interventions.
Flipping the Pyramid
This approach is what the company calls “flipping the pyramid.” Traditional reputation management starts with perceptions and messaging, building a narrative and hoping that action will follow. In this new model, the process begins with impact.
By clarifying themes where the brand had both unique credibility and capacity, financial empowerment for women, network innovation, payment security, and community engagement, the company set a clear framework for both decision-making and storytelling.
This focus kept the brand grounded and disciplined, even as global crises pressured leaders to “say something” on every issue. This approach proves that actions, not words, define a brand’s narrative.
From Immediate Response to Enduring Purpose
The COVID era produced a wave of improvisation that revealed what truly purposeful action looks like. A global hotel company, Hilton, turned its properties into field hospitals. Dyson repurposed its engineering lines to produce ventilators, and LVMH converted its perfume facilities to make hand sanitizer. In the United States, a grocery chain, Publix, redirected unsold produce and dairy to food banks. These actions met immediate needs while showing how corporate assets could be redeployed in service of societal resilience.
The strategic challenge now is to extend this momentum beyond a moment of crisis. For example, Apple’s Creativity Goes On campaign reframed its core purpose around human expression under lockdown. In another instance, Zappos created a Customer Service for Anything hotline, stretching its identity from retail into everyday utility. Both examples show how a brand’s purpose can be adapted to new contexts without losing its core coherence.
Designing for What Endures
A brand’s purpose is most powerful when it outlives a crisis. The central lesson from this era is that action must precede a narrative.
Storytelling then amplifies credibility instead of compensating for its absence. As a leader from P&G has stated, the challenge is to be “a force for good and a force for growth” at the same time.
This requires aligning assets, partnerships, and communication around a long-term contribution, not short-term public relations.
Bottom Line
In times of upheaval, a brand’s reputation is fragile.
Actions that create real value are the only foundation for trust. Storytelling that follows those actions gives companies the chance not just to weather a crisis, but to redefine their role in society’s recovery.
