The past decade has seen political polarisation – accelerated by social media’s filter bubbles and echo chambers – deepen and mutate. An ominous era of a polycrisis has shattered any remaining societal consensus. Meanwhile, powerful anti-establishment voices have stepped into the void.

Today, audiences are shaping the cultural agenda. Empowered to speak up for the causes they believe in, people are actively calling out brands they see as inauthentic. What are the main drivers of this behavioural shift? And how can brands win the trust of these outspoken advocates?

With increasing societal challenges, people are demanding decisive social action from brands now, more than ever – but this could come at a cost. Canvas8 spoke to Dr. Sourjo Mukherjee, a marketing professor at Audencia Business School, to find out how brands can court controversy without contention.

With consumers freer than ever to voice their dislike for companies, how should anti-brand communities be approached? Canvas8 spoke to Cleopatra Veloutsou, a professor of brand management at the University of Glasgow, to understand how digital spaces turn individual voices into collective clout.

Research shows that a quarter of Democrats and Republicans in the US exclusively get news from outlets that share their political views. The findings reinforce how people seek out information environments that align with their beliefs, emphasizing the importance of diverse media diets.

People are becoming increasingly aware of what brands are doing behind the scenes. But what would cause shoppers to stop supporting them? Canvas8 surveyed 4,982 Americans and spoke to eight people to find out what they would do if a brand did something that didn't align with their values.