Once a signifier of luxury or novelty, custom products and services are now within reach of the everyday consumer, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence, algorithm-led platforms, and the COVID-era digitisation boom. Today, everyone wants to be the main character of their brand experience.

As the new post-pandemic normal settles in and people adapt to a context of uncertainty, constant adversities, and pessimism, we are moving away from a moment in which consumers expected brands to rise up to society's challenges and into one when they’re demanding genuine allyship from businesses.

As remote work becomes increasingly normalized across the American workforce, many are rethinking how and where they live. A study has revealed that migration trends are continuing to see people move away from dense urban areas to rural areas, warmer states, and states with lower taxation.

While COVID-19 has strengthened the case for employers to offer remote working – turning what was long seen as a perk into a new norm – there’s a risk that it could forever blur the lines between professional and personal worlds. So, how can brands and companies help to restore work-life balance?

As people across the globe abruptly adjust to remote working, many have faced challenges – from WiFi woes to toddler tantrums on Zoom. Canvas8 spoke to Dave Cook, an anthropologist at University College London, to better understand how people can perform their best when working remotely.

Successful vaccine rollouts may signal a return to offices in 2021, but given the pandemic’s drastic impact on people’s values and attitudes, what will they expect from employers going forwards? Canvas8 spoke to Dr. Naeema Pasha of the Henley Business School about the future of work.