It's that time of year again when kids are putting on their rucksacks, packing their pencil cases and going back to school. Yet this welcome relief for some parents comes with its own set of pressures – what can they pack into lunchboxes that will ensure their kids thrive in the classroom?

Young people are beginning to shop more like their parents – seeking out bargains and waiting for full-priced items to go on sale. As parents and children alike adopt thriftier habits – dodging big brands and reusing clothes – back-to-school shopping sprees are on the decline.

After the clock strikes midnight and the champagne bottle’s emptied, January 1st welcomes the most hopeful of traditions – New Year’s resolutions. But why do they rarely last beyond January? Lizzy Pope, who studies health behaviours, explains why people find it hard to stick to their goals.

Storytelling has become a guiding principle for great marketing, letting companies neatly fit into consumers’ lives. But with one well-timed ad capable of changing someone’s shopping habits for years, how can brands address our milestone moments without seeming opportunistic?