Today, audiences are shaping the cultural agenda. Social media has empowered people to speak up for the causes they believe in, and they’re responding by actively calling out brands they see as inauthentic. Communities are increasingly aware of their power to influence brands and are not afraid to use it. In the wake of the global Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020, it became commonplace for brands to advocate for anti-racist policies and radical change. As time passed, and these changes never materialised, people began to identify shallow brand activism and performative allyship as ‘purpose-washing’. Under a critical eye, brands are required to show up for longer than a news cycle, Pride month, or yearly DE&I pledges. A consistent track record of empowering communities and providing material support to the marginalised is essential to dispel wary cynics, who might otherwise accuse a brand of exploiting a community as a marketing strategy. Moreover, the nature of audience-driven action has shifted towards more direct demands. People are using open communication channels like social media to instigate change, be it Reddit users initiating a protest ‘blackout’ or activists forcing art institutions to refuse donations from the Sackler family. These assertive audiences are writing the script for how brand actions are perceived, meaning it’s more important than ever to determine where a brand stands on polarising issues.

Climate crisis, a pandemic, and political upheaval in 2020 have pushed many Americans to take these issues more seriously, holding political and socio-economic systems to account. Canvas8 spoke to eight people across the US to find out how these events have impacted their views on climate change.

Most people view climate change as a global emergency. But how do we address it? According to research from the UN, people don't want to take individual action to impact change, such as by adopting a plant-based diet. Instead, they want to see governments and corporations enact institutional change.

How to Save a Planet is a podcast that covers the climate crisis from a lens of optimism and action, inspiring people to move and shake rather than scaring them static. Because with the COVID-19 pandemic already in full swing, the last thing anyone needs is more anxiety.