Imperfect brands: Why the human touch matters most when everything is automated
AI has turned aesthetic polish into a baseline. When anyone can make anything look perfect, execution stops differentiating, and meaning takes over. This brief explores aesthetic inflation, the trust crisis it creates, and why taste, provenance, friction, and deliberate imperfection are becoming the real strategic advantages of 2026.
Navigating the sustainability tides in 2025: risks and rewards for modern brands
The juxtaposition of consumer optimism for sustainable solutions against lingering economic anxieties and a sense of fatalism about the environment presents both challenges and opportunities for businesses striving to maintain relevance and trust.
How to define your brand's stance on social issues
In a world where trust in governments and the media is waning, businesses are expected to step up to the plate with credible information without necessarily having the capacity to do so. This checklist guides brands through the process of positioning themselves on key societal issues. It’s a companion piece to the Social Issue Positioning Handbook, also available on our website.
Six principles for stronger content strategies
Too often, brands treat content as a nice-to-have item on their marketing list. Here are six actionable steps they can take to step into their role as publishers, and produce content that generates meaningful connections with their audience.