Deepfakes: The Hidden Threat CMOs Can’t Ignore
AI advancements have caused deepfakes to emerge as a significant threat that B2B CMOs and brand leaders cannot afford to ignore. These synthetic audio-visual impersonations can mimic real individuals with alarming accuracy. As this technology becomes more accessible, the potential for misuse grows, posing risks to businesses’ reputations, stock prices, and overall trust.
The Immediate And Long-Term Impact Of Deepfakes
Deepfakes are not just a distant threat; they are a present danger with the potential for long-lasting repercussions, as they can target corporate executives, disrupt business operations, and erode stakeholder confidence. To mitigate deepfake risks, marketing leaders must understand the following factors:
- Common nefarious motivations. Deepfake creation is often driven by malicious motivations. Disgruntled employees may use deepfakes to seek revenge, leveraging their insider knowledge to make the fakes particularly convincing. Competitors and business partners might deploy deepfakes to gain leverage in negotiations or undermine the other party, leading to mistrust and strained relationships. Cybercriminals may create deepfakes for financial gain, threatening to release damaging fake videos or impersonating executives to authorize fraudulent transactions.
- Blurred lines between truth and believability. The illusory truth effect and the reiteration effect are psychological phenomena that play a crucial role in how deepfakes can deceive audiences. These effects refer to people believing false information to be true after repeated exposure, regardless of their actual veracity. A well-crafted fake, if seen multiple times, can start to be accepted as genuine. Social media platforms amplify this problem by rapidly spreading misinformation, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. A strong brand reputation can help combat the believability of deepfakes, but companies with lesser-known executives are more vulnerable to these risks because the fact-from-fiction challenge is amplified given their relative obscurity.
- Positive deepfakes and ethical dilemmas. Deepfakes can also be used positively in business contexts. AI agents and executive clones can serve as hyper-realistic customer service representatives or deliver speeches and attend meetings on behalf of the real executives themselves. Without adequate transparency and disclosure, these positive deepfakes can mislead customers and stakeholders, undermining trust.
The Urgent Need For Preparedness
Despite the clear risks, many B2B marketing leaders are not adequately prepared for deepfake threats. Forrester’s 2024 B2B Brand And Communications Survey reveals that a significant percentage of marketing leaders are concerned about deepfakes, yet few have implemented robust strategies to monitor for and counter them. To protect their organizations, CMOs must:
- Prioritize the threat. Recognize deepfakes as a critical risk, and allocate resources to mitigate them. Evaluate the risks, and partner with functional leaders, the CISO, and legal teams to combat any threats.
- Build a robust crisis response plan. Develop and practice crisis communication strategies that include deepfake scenarios. Regularly conduct simulations to ensure readiness and identify gaps in the response strategy.
- Establish and maintain a strong brand. Not only do brands have to navigate deepfake threats, but they must build trust in an era of increasing “deep doubt,” where there is skepticism toward all media. A strong, trusted brand will have greater believability and recover more quickly from a negative deepfake event.
By prioritizing deepfake preparedness, building robust response plans, and fostering strong internal partnerships, CMOs can safeguard their brands against this emerging threat. The time to act is now, before a deepfake incident causes irreparable damage. Forrester clients can access the report, Deepfakes: The Hidden Threat CMOs Can’t Ignore, and schedule a call with us.