"The Associated Press witnessed first-hand the growth of a digital phenomenon – brand identity theft. On Wednesday the AP printed a story based on a fake press release sent from a site designed to mirror the look and feel of a real corporate newsroom, even down to the logo."
- It’s Ten O’clock: Do You Know Where Your Brand Is? / Forbes.com

Never before has it been so important to use the "listen" mode in public relations and reputation management. Your antennae have to be finely tuned to pick up the first signs of a hoax or negative posting. As for any crisis, the worst way to find out about a problem is from a reporter, calling to ask what the company plans to do.

Use alerts, Twitter searches and the myriad more sophisticated ways to monitor the chatter that might be a threat -- it's the best time investment an organization can make in crisis communications!