There is a negative connotation to the phrase “flipping the narrative”. Some might call it “spin” or “propaganda” and find it dishonest, but that is not always the case. Take Wells Fargo for example.

The California Department of Insurance accused Wells Fargo of issuing nearly 1,500 insurance policies without their customers knowledge or permission from 2008 to 2016. The bank agreed to pay a $10 million penalty in January 2019 as part of a settlement agreement. This caused severe brand perception causing customer trust to free-fall.

So how to rebuild that trust? The bank took the steps to acknowledge what it did and that is was wrong and flip the narrative to move the story forward.

Check out their video that was posted to YouTube.

As you can see, the video walks the viewer through the history of the bank with a dramatic fade to black and no audio after their mistake was shown. The effect of going to black sends a powerful message that shows they knew what happened was wrong. The video then picks up with a sense of optimism about the future and how it is moving forward to regain customer trust.

I realize this is just one video, but I found the courage to produce and post it extraordinary. Nobody likes talking about past mistakes and I can’t imagine the suits in the corner office being comfortable with reminding people what they did, yet America, if nothing else, loves to forgive.

Remember Mike Tyson (arrested and charged with raping beauty queen Desiree Washington in 1991) who ended up starring in The Hangover? Other celebrities like Robert Downey Jr., Mark Wahlberg and Martha Stewart have all been able to resurrect their careers after various offenses.

I get the Wells Fargo is an institution and not a celebrity, but it does feel that Americans can find it in themselves to forgive, especially when someone, or something is willing to own up.