When your big brand gets attacked by smaller ones,  do not sit still. Instead, manage your brand’s reputation with proactive steps, says Mark Penn, CEO Worldwide, Burson-Marsteller. Penn was addressing the  Thunderbird Global Business Dialogue held in Glendale, AZ on November 11, 2011. 

Penn gave the audience a simple equation. Numbers + Creativity = Strategy. A solid grasp of numbers (data) will enable you to target key audiences and communicate your messages creatively. Identify and reposition your target backed by solid data.

Here are a few of Penn’s tips:

1. Get  clients to see the worst that can happen to them
2. After a crisis, tell people the “essence” of who you are
3. Use disruptive technology, use the Internet to disseminate messages
4. Explore new targeted audiences
5. Sometimes, you have to make a choice
6. Always make it about your customers, not about you
7. Correct misperceptions about your brand
8. Renew your brand for today’s times and technology
9. And the most important piece of advice: Have an adequate understanding of the present.