According to the world of online dating, coming across as an arse to some can make others love you more. If having haters makes those who like you like you all the more, does the same psychology apply to our relationships with brands? And does it actually pay for a brand to rub part of its audience up the wrong way?

JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin has waded into the Brexit debate via 200,000 beer mats criticising the IMF. He’s a long-term Leave supporter, but could taking such a public political stance damage the iconic pub brand – or could polarising opinion be a good thing?

In honour of the 2016 presidential elections and just in time for the boom in summer beer sales, Budweiser has undergone a patriotic makeover. Now going by the name of ‘America’, the iconic beer brand is putting national pride directly into drinkers’ hands.

There's one rule that explains how trends catch on; visibility. And more than half of us are now willing to pay more for products that are visibly socially responsible. Professor Lynn Kahle, who studies brand values, explains to Canvas8 why a brand’s values matter and how they influence people.