In today's Agency Pulse, gain insight into how:

• Member-run organizations can crisis-proof communications before conflict erupts, especially when challenges come from inside the membership.

• The two-hour crisis window is forcing brands to respond fast with credible holding statements, not slow approval chains.

• In an AI-shaped search landscape, Online Reputation Management (ORM) teams can protect reputation beyond page one by tracking AI summaries and strengthening authoritative sources.

For the uninitiated: Agency Pulse is a free, biweekly newsletter designed for the innovative agency leaders of today and tomorrow. Each article featured below is penned by a member of Forbes Agency Council, a community of successful agency owners and executives on a mission to inspire.

Let’s dive in!

Stop Collecting Customers. Build Superfans.

Forbes Councils Sessions is a series built around real conversations with real practitioners. People like you, sharing what you actually know instead of polished talking points.

In this Forbes Councils Sessions clip, Ryan Paugh, President of Forbes Councils, asks Brittany Hodak, author of Creating Superfans, why so many brands struggle to turn customers into enthusiastic advocates.

Brittany shares why brands should look beyond acquisition and retention and pay closer attention to earned growth: how many new customers are coming from referrals, recommendations, and existing customers who actively bring others along.

Crisis-Proofing Member-Run Organizations Starts Before the First Spark

Member-led groups like co-ops, commodity checkoffs and mutual insurers often know how to handle outside criticism. The harder crises can come from within, when a small group of dissatisfied members amplifies concerns about policy, programs or spending. A proactive crisis communications plan lowers stress, clarifies decision-making and helps leaders respond quickly without losing control of the narrative.

Key moves to bake into your plan: 

🧭 Define the Process: Lock in who’s in the room, what questions get asked first, and who owns each part of the response.

⏱️ Set Trigger Points: Decide when to speak up vs. stay quiet by weighing critics’ platforms, potential impact, broader trends, and private-resolution options.

🧱 Anchor to Shared Values: Identify what members must believe in a crisis (stewardship, industry commitment, member value) and reinforce it before trouble starts.

🛠️ Pre-Build Assets: Draft templates, channel plans, audience lists, spokesperson guidance, scenarios, fact sheets, and even crisis webpage mock-ups.

Read The Full Article >

The Two-Hour Rule: Crisis Response Is Now a Race, Not a Review Cycle

The gap between a crisis starting and the public narrative hardening has collapsed to roughly two hours, often less. Old approval-heavy playbooks built for print deadlines cannot keep up with TikTok-speed escalation, where silence gets interpreted as guilt and outside voices write the story first.

What to change now: 

⏳ Prioritize Speed With Honesty: A short, accurate first response can beat a perfect statement that arrives after the narrative sets.

📣 Use a Ready Holding Statement: Acknowledge the issue, say you’re investigating, share when updates are coming, and put a name to it. Research points to responding within the first hour.

🕵️ Assume Internal Becomes External: Leaked memos and Slack messages often become the story, especially if they conflict with public messaging.

📡 Listen Continuously, Not Daily: Monitor where crises surface first (TikTok, X, Reddit, local aggregators).

🧭 Pre-Approve a Decision Tree: Empower mid-level leaders to act in the first 60 minutes.

Read The Full Article >

Online Reputation Crises in the AI Era: Page 1 Is Only the Start

An online reputation crisis no longer lives only in Google rankings. AI-generated summaries can shape perception before someone clicks a result, so ORM teams need to manage both traditional search and the sources AI systems rely on.

The goal isn't just better PR messaging; it's ensuring accurate, authoritative information stays visible and discoverable across the web.

Here’s a brief look at the multi-step ORM response playbook: 

🧪 Set a Baseline: Document branded search results and AI answers for the company and key execs, including cited sources when available.

🔎 Track New Search Behavior: Watch emerging queries that pair names with allegations, complaints, or lawsuits.

🧷 Identify Narrative Sources: Map which pages sparked the story and which authoritative domains are amplifying it.

🧠 Publish to Match Intent: Build clear, factual assets that answer what people are actually trying to learn.

🧩 Strengthen the Full Footprint: Audit third-party profiles, references, and coverage for consistency and accuracy.

Read The Full Article >

Wrapping Up

If these articles sparked your interest, we have a network that you will love: Forbes Agency Council.

This exclusive, highly vetted community brings together the brightest agency owners, founders, and executive leaders.

Put yourself at the forefront of the agency landscape with access to publishing opportunities on Forbes.com, a personalized, SEO-friendly Executive Profile, and the chance to network with other respected leaders in the field.

Join Forbes Agency Council today, and become part of a group driving transformation in this field.