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?

Assertive Audiences

Steffi Cao is an internet culture writer based in Brooklyn. She previously served as a reporter for BuzzFeed News and 

Melissa Eshaghbeigi is a creative strategist, researcher, speaker, and futures consultant who exclusively thinks and talks about culture and the Internet.

Gen Y (born 1982-1996)

Gen Z (born 1997-2010)

United States

Communications

Social networking

Citizenship

Interview with Steffi Cao conducted by the author

Contrapoints

Pew Research Center

Carbon Neutral Copy

PRRI

Unilad

Independent

#Cancelled!

Medium

TheRedFlowerFactory

Interview with Melissa Eshaghbeigi conducted by the author

Internet Princess

SheKnows

Reuters

Vogue

The Washington Post

The National News

Google Cloud

Linkedin

SustainabilityMag

The Drum

Cancel culture has evolved into a public accountability tool fueled by commitments to diversity and the desire for brands to mirror personal values. However, if not organized strategically and with a clear purpose, it becomes an avenue for virtue signaling rather than leading to substantive change.