Who knew Kendall Jenner, a can of soda and a staged protest would be such a recipe for disaster? Certainly not Pepsi’s creative team, who are responsible forthatspot. While the ad clearly missed the mark, it’s also a cautionary tale of the power of the crowd, and the tendency to revel in outrage.

Societal backlash can feel justified when those in authority are failing and people are losing faith. Yet true sincerity can restore lost trust, inspire forgiveness and rebuild bridges. How can brands harness new narratives of compassion and forgiveness against a culture of shame and retribution?

Many long suspected that Apple's iPhone battery degraded over time to encourage upgrades, and this much turned out to be true with older models. Having admitted this ploy, Apple is offering cheaper battery replacements to apologise, in what serves as a cautionary tale about consumer transparency.

Leaked emails, investigative reports, employees on social media – in an emerging culture of transparency, organisations are finding mistakes ever harder to hide. What does science tell us about when an apology is appropriate and how they're best handled by organisations?