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?

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.

Trust in the police was gradually declining in the UK before the pandemic. But confidence has fallen sharply in the wake of multiple shocking scandals and revelations of systemic failures, combined with long-standing evidence of discriminatory practices and a broader lapse of faith in institutions.

With division running deep in many facets of modern Britain, the need for empathy and greater understanding is stronger than ever. After investigating this in our Citizenship Sector Snapshot, Canvas8 spoke to nine people from the UK to find out how interested they were in bridging divides.

Hoping to help Brazilians turn the page on one of the most divisive chapters in its history, beauty brand O Boticário launched a campaign to celebrate a new era of reconciliation. Deeply scarred by years of politically charged social divisions, Brazilians are eager for collective healing.

The National Trust is an institution embedded in British history. As a result, it has become embroiled in a debate around the nation’s colonial past. How is it navigating this scrutiny and developing to meet contemporary ideals? And what does this tell us about dealing with contentious narratives?