What the Brooklyn Beckham saga tells us about crisis communications and reputation management

Anyone who has ever helped an organisation through a public crisis or has worked in reputation management consumed Brooklyn Beckham’s Instagram stories last night through a very particular lens. This much-anticipated family fallout is huge news for celebrity watchers, but it’s more than just that. It’s a real-time study in how modern reputations are curated, contested and sometimes irreparably fractured online.

The Beckhams aren’t just a famous family – they’re a global brand. They are instantly recognisable to millions of people, associated with sport, fashion, philanthropy and celebrity, and it makes sense that people are acutely interested in their private lives. What started as tabloid rumours, whispers of tension, a sense of estrangement between Brooklyn and his parents has now rapidly evolved into a full-blown public crisis playing out across social media and international news outlets.

We’ve all read the Instagram stories at this stage, but the crux of Brooklyn’s accusation is that he has lived a life under the control and manipulation of his parents. Ultimately, he no longer wants to reconcile with them and has positioned himself as taking back control of his own narrative. Unsurprisingly, it was an emotional statement. He is 26 years of age and has just thrown a grenade at the life he’s known so far.

So, what, if anything, does this tell us about crisis communications and reputation management?

Personal vs Brand

Narrative control has shifted from traditional PR to personal platforms. Speculation about this fallout has been rife for months but when Brooklyn Beckham decided it was time to go public about the rift, he went straight to Instagram. The result? Millions of headlines, global attention and importantly, a narrative largely controlled by him. Personal and professional identities overlap all the time. When a personal crisis becomes a brand crisis it is extra complicated. This requires a very specific type of strategy that can separate the facts of the situation from the narrative and perception from reputation.

Silence is rarely neutral

In traditional crisis communications, a vow of silence is sometimes recommended as a strategic move but it’s not without risk. Silence can sometimes protect an organisation, but it can also exacerbate the crisis. At the time of writing, neither parent has issued a public rebuttal to Brooklyn’s claims. Silence may be the best course of action when a response could escalate the situation, but it can also be perceived as weakness or avoidance. David and Victoria’s world-class PR operation has not yet been visible which does create a vacuum that media, commentators and social media are more than happy to fill.

The age of oversharing

There is a definite line between transparency and oversharing and it is important businesses and organisations identify it when dealing with a crisis. Brooklyn’s statement is very detailed and includes specific allegations. This level of detail will impress some audiences who will view it as transparency, laying your cards on the table. To other audiences, it will be too much and may be perceived as exaggerated or unnecessarily vindictive. Effective crisis communications involve finding the right balance.

Reputations are earned

Crisis communications and reputation management isn’t just about damage control. It’s about restoring trust. When trust in a brand is lost it can be very hard to win it back. To repair trust, brands and organisations must establish a clear and credible narrative that is grounded in accountability. Empathy is also important, but it must be authentic. Think long-term values and not just immediate defence.

In summary – crisis communications is not optional. Every organisation faces moments in time that could potentially escalate into a public crisis. These days, messages travel faster than ever before. Audiences are more sceptical and fragmented and narrative control can be lost in a single post. Without careful crisis communications planning, even something you thought would always stay private can become a brand defining moment that will change your business forever.

Strip away the headlines and analysis, at its core, this story is a really sad one – the breakdown of a family unit, potentially forever. If it proves anything, it’s that money really can’t buy you happiness. But it can buy you good advice! If you’d like to discuss how we can best prepare you in the event of a crisis or reputational issue, please do get in touch here.