In a world drowning in spin, shouting back isn't strategy. It's surrender. It's exactly what your opponents want.
Every day, organizations, activists, and even entire governments waste time and resources reacting to the latest falsehood, attack, or controversy. They issue statements. They fact-check. They clarify. And in doing so, they reinforce the very narratives they were trying to dismantle.
Let's be clear: countering isn't the same as winning.
At StratComLab, we've seen this pattern play out in crisis zones, in digital campaigns, in political movements — especially in information-hostile environments like Belarus, where propaganda moves faster than truth. And we tell our clients the same thing, every time: Stop chasing the narrative. Start advancing your own.
Rebuttals Reinforce. Agendas Reshape.
When you correct a lie, you repeat it. When you fight disinformation head-on, you give it oxygen. And when you let your opponents define the terrain — you've already lost half the battle.
The real work isn't in correcting the record. It's in creating a new record — one that reframes the issue entirely. Don't say: "That's not true." Say: "Here's what actually matters — and here's what we're doing about it."
We've seen this in action: When a Belarusian opposition group shifted from countering state propaganda to consistently showcasing citizen-led solutions, their message penetration increased by 40%. Same audience. Same resources. Different approach.
Why Reactive Comms Fail (Even When You're Right)
Reactive communications operate on your opponent's timeline. They force you to respond fast, often without strategic clarity. They drain resources. They flatten your voice.
Worse, they signal to your audience that the other side is in charge of the conversation.
In polarized, fast-moving media environments — the ones we specialize in — being right isn't enough. You need to be first, clear, and consistently values-driven. That's how you build trust. That's how you shift perception. That's how you drive action. And that's where most organizations fail: they mistake accuracy for effectiveness.
The Evidence: When Reframing Outperforms Rebuttal
This isn't just theory — it's measurable reality. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vaccine Confidence Project found that directly debunking anti-vaccine claims often reinforced them through repetition. Their research showed that regions using positive, forward-looking vaccine messaging (like the UK's "Every Vaccination Gives Us Hope" campaign) saw approximately 15% higher uptake rates compared to areas using myth-busting approaches.
The contrast is striking: when you fight falsehoods head-on, you often strengthen them. When you build a compelling alternative narrative, you make them irrelevant.
What Driving the Narrative Looks Like
Proactive, agenda-setting communication means:
✦ LEAD with your values, not their talking points
✦ CREATE stories that center your audience's needs — not your opponent's claims
✦ DEPLOY formats and platforms that pull people in, rather than push them back
✦ BUILD campaigns that repeat, reinforce, and evolve your core message
Whether you're fighting for democratic reform, building trust in a new policy, or reshaping public understanding of a complex issue — your message deserves its own lane, not a defensive trench.
Real-world Example: Humor Over Rumor
When COVID misinformation began spreading in Taiwan during 2020, Digital Minister Audrey Tang didn't waste resources on endless fact-checking. Instead, the government launched "Humor Over Rumor" — a campaign that proactively presented accurate information in entertaining, shareable formats.
When panic buying of toilet paper erupted based on a rumor, rather than just saying "this isn't true," the government released a cartoon of Taiwan's premier showing his bottom with the caption: "We only have one pair of buttocks." This humorous approach, paired with clear information about supply chains, diffused the situation.
The results were remarkable: Taiwan had among the most successful early pandemic responses globally, with misinformation effectively contained and public compliance with health measures remaining consistently high.
Build the Story You Want to Be In
Influence is not about being louder. It's about being clearer — and more consistent — than your opponents.
Ukraine demonstrated this principle masterfully following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Rather than solely countering Russian propaganda claims, they established their own narrative framework around themes of sovereignty, resilience, and European identity. The "I Am Ukraine" campaign amplified Ukrainian voices and showcased Ukrainian resolve, shifting international discourse from viewing them as victims to seeing them as determined European allies fighting for democratic values.
So next time you're tempted to jump into a rebuttal war, ask yourself: Are we reinforcing their world — or building our own?
Major organizations have learned this lesson the hard way. When Susan G. Komen faced criticism about "pinkwashing" in 2021, they stopped defending past approaches and completely reframed their message with the "More Than Pink" campaign. By shifting focus to concrete action beyond awareness, they saw a 23% increase in non-ribbon merchandise sales and a 17% increase in higher-value donations within a year.
At StratComLab, we help mission-driven organizations and campaigns do exactly that: Cut through the noise. Shape the narrative. Drive the agenda.
Because if you're always responding, you're not leading. And in today's battleground of ideas, there's no middle ground between leading and losing.
