There’s a paradigm shift happening in regard to what people expect from brands. As the new post-pandemic normal settles in and people adapt to a context of uncertainty, constant adversities, and lingering 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. However, the concept of ‘shared values’ is no longer embodied by the idea of globalised aspirations and ideals. The current landscape is one where multicultural, liberal, and democratic ideals are being deeply questioned, and belief systems are shifting inwards and becoming more individualised. Entrenched value sets of smaller social collectives now jostle among each other for dominance in a destabilised cultural and political order. With people spending more time navigating echo chambers, which reproduce the same perspectives, the increasing cognitive biases of those groups turn the notion of a polarised world into a self-fulfilling prophecy. The stakes are high for brands. People are more vocal than ever about shopping based on their values, rejecting associations with companies that don't share their world-view and political ideals. For instance, 90% of Britons say brand loyalty is a matter of shared values, and the numbers increase if we look at young people – 96% are more likely to be loyal to brands that share their values. Unsurprisingly, people are becoming acutely aware of virtue-signalling and tokenistic communications, leaving no room for neutral brands with universal appeal – and if the potential of Web3 comes to fruition, we might even see a new era of accountability. With expectations rising for businesses to share and advocate for people’s belief systems, brands will need to demonstrate the mission-driven nature of their activities. However, they must also be conscious of a polarised landscape in which taking a stand will almost certainly be politicised. People now want sincere, genuine allyship, but without a consensus on a moral framework, what that means to individuals differs vastly at a global, national, and local level.

Whether it’s through community activism, inclusive ads at the Super Bowl, special accommodations in stores, or body positivity in games, people want their identities, histories, and stories built into the fabric of broader culture. They want those who represent them to provide tangible action to support and platform the experiences of their communities. As the founder of eponymous streetwear brand Mikey Trapstar summarised in an interview with The Face: “The reason we are here today is because a particular culture has supported us. We started at the bottom and worked hard to get to where we are. We now have a responsibility to give back, we have to make sure we keep the culture alive.” People have learned to spot virtue-signalling by those who don’t truly have a vested interest in representing a community, meaning that lip service and tokenism will quickly be called out. This shift is a reaction to the surface-level allyship that became commonplace in the years following protests in the summer of 2020 as businesses that failed to address their historic and internal systemic issues rushed to align themselves with marginalised communities without acknowledging or investigating their own practices and structures. Progress has been made since 2020, with 60% of organisations surveyed by diversity and inclusion consultancy Paradigm in 2022 reporting that they had DE&I strategies in place – although only 16% had clear goals for improving racial representation. Many have bemoaned the short-lived gains made since 2020 as declines in media diversity have revealed the shallowness of these commitments, while others feel that companies are only an economic downturn away from reversing that hard-won progress. For some, inequality seems baked into the corporate system, and the only solution is to hand control to those who have a stake in seeing the communities they represent flourish. Brands that understand the value of working with diverse communities are responding with active collaborations year-round and proving their efforts are not just for a marketing moment. They’re championing inclusivity that takes into account the internal disparities within communities, while some are highlighting forgotten histories that have been whitewashed, giving people an opportunity to connect to meaningful, positive, and diverse stories. Loyalty and legitimacy are hallmarks of genuinely progressive brands that understand that collectivism is key to long-term success, which requires an investment in equitable culture internally and externally.

New Zealand beer brand, DB Export, has launched a stereotype-defying music video ad turning low-carb beer drinking into an act of self-love. Showing the shared daily activities of hetero couples, the ad speaks to male and female beer drinkers on equal footing – a rare tactic for advertisers.

In April 2018, the UK’s gender pay gap was reassessed – and was found to be as high as 25% in some industries. As awareness about unfair pay grows, it’s impacting productivity and attendance as women who feel they’re being underpaid could be feeling less motivated to work productively.