Reviews:
“At a time when there is so much
disruption, trust is more important than ever. The Post-Truth Business
provides invaluable insight into how brands can earn trust and play an
authentic and meaningful role in consumers’ lives. Sean has always had a knack
for uncovering human truths and cultural insights, and he delivers again with The
Post-Truth Business. It’s a must-read and its publication couldn’t be
more timely.”
— John Dunleavy, Global
President, m:united McCann
“A deep study into the culture of
post-truth and what it means for brands. This book is a rigorous read for those
who want to better understand the implications of our post-truth era.”
— Sarah Rabia, Global Director
of Cultural Strategy, TBWAChiatDay
“Sean provides an incisive view
of the troubled cultural and political landscape that modern brands need to
navigate. But what makes this book ‘mission critical’ is the rigorous research,
laser insights and the intelligence briefings he has extracted from a broad
range of experts. The Post-Truth Business is a field manual for
marketers.”
— Paul Kemp-Robertson, Founder
& Chief Brand Officer, Contagious
“The Post-Truth Business
clarifies the context of how mistrust has been building in our lives over time.
People are using social platforms to distort the truth and the more we are
exposed to the lies around us, the more immune we become to the central idea of
what is real - and right. This book goes beyond the standard text on ‘fake
news’ and digs much deeper, giving a more insightful and worldly view that
demonstrates the interconnectedness of how consumers are now informed.”
— Nicole Fall, CEO, Asian
Consumer Intelligence
“Sean’s book shows how and why we
are now living in a post-truth world and how this is perhaps not as new a
reality as we might think. Through a wonderfully wide set of interviews and
examples from around the world, Sean shows a way forward for brands to rethink
how they behave in order to regain meaning and trust. The rules have changed,
perhaps for good, and The Post-Truth Business is guidebook to help
us navigate this new landscape.”
— Gareth Kay, Co-Founder,
Chapter
“The Post-Truth Business
gets to the heart of why trust is vital in society and fundamental for
businesses, now more than ever. Prioritising and cultivating trust helps brands
not only to stand out but to build a loyal following of dedicated advocates.
The book explains clearly and intelligently how brands can benefit from being
open, authentic and trustworthy and what they need to do achieve it.”
— Emily Hare, Editor, The Honey
Partnership
“The Post-Truth Business
gives the reader an in-depth understanding of why trust has been eroded in
societies and markets, and why there is an increasing sense of frustration in
the world. But that isn’t the only reason why you should read this book. The
Post-Truth Business shows a way forward, how reputation capital can be
recreated and why positive brands can be trusted to show us true leadership.
That is why you should read it. And when you’ve finished reading, please send
your copy to a politician who will need to read it too! Enjoy the future.”
— Carsten Beck, Director of
Research, Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies
“Everything starts with trust -
but how do brands reset their moral compass and gain trust in a post-truth era?
Via brilliant storytelling and research, this hugely inspiring and insightful
book shares compelling examples of leaders, brands and business models showing
the way forward. I believe this is the ultimate handbook for anyone who wants
to build reputation capital and future-proof their brand in a post-truth
environment.”
— Anne-Lise Kjaer, Founder,
Kjaer Global Futures
“A constant search for trust,
truth, commitment and action must set true north for every business and leader
who intends to thrive in the uncertain and unsettling years ahead of us. Those
who appreciate the value of authenticity, system-scale change, and the value of
both small and beautiful will hold the keys to thriveability. The
Post-Truth Business makes a clear and compelling case for change, with
excellent examples of businesses and communities already making it happen.
Read. Reflect. Act.”
— Andy Middleton, Chief
Exploration Officer, the TYF Group and Co-Founder, the Do Lectures
“As fake news continues to
dominate our headlines, brands continue to misuse our data, and brand empathy
and ‘trustworthiness’ become ever more important issues, Pillot de Chenecey has
written an incisive, no-holds barred account of how business is getting it
woefully wrong, and what it now needs to change to rebuild trust with an
increasingly sceptical and rightfully dismissive customer...”
— Martin Raymond, Co-Founder,
The Future Laboratory
“At a time when such tangibles as
trust, authenticity, reality and locality are all in the air, it’s the perfect
timing for a book such as The Post-Truth Business. Deeply
researched, it’s the perfect atlas for all involved in brand strategy for
navigating these very unclear and disruptive times.”
— David Shah, Publisher &
CEO, View Publications
“With the explosion of social
media has come a massive challenge for long established and previously
respected institutions. Trust in media and politics is being undermined in a
way never seen before. Brands are not immune either and yet no-one has really
set out to study the impact of our ‘post-truth’ world until now with this
timely, provocative and ultimately hopeful book.”
— Ian McGarrigle, Chairman,
World Retail Congress
Description:
Brands are built on trust, but in
a post-truth world they’re faced with a serious challenge: so much of modern
life is defined by mistrust. A shattering of the vital trust connection between
brands and consumers, together with the evaporation of authenticity as a core
brand pillar, is causing enormous problems for businesses on a global scale. If
a brand isn’t seen as trustworthy, then when choice is available it will be
rejected in favour of one that is.
The Post-Truth Business provides a way forward for any organization wishing to rebuild
brand authenticity in a distrustful world. It explains the interconnected
problems facing businesses, with important topics including:
- The impact of fake news,
disinformation and the weaponizing of lies
- The safeguarding of privacy,
alongside privacy as a tradable asset
- Why and how brands must create
communication with meaning
- The dangers of inauthentic
cultural marketing activities
- Examples of conscious
capitalism and brand activism
- Lessons in authenticity from
artisans and innovators
- National branding and
reputation capital
- Leveraging the power of ‘brand
trust’
The Post-Truth Business shows how to strengthen consumer engagement by closing the ‘brand
credibility gap’. It’s packed with examples of inspiring people, brands and
international campaigns from the fashion, beauty, outdoor, motor, drinks,
finance, media, technology, entertainment and health sectors. Each of them demonstrates
a dynamic and positive way forward.
Contents:
Acknowledgements
Other books available in the
Inspire series
Introduction: Brands are built on
trust • Alternative facts and the war on truth • Privacy as a human
right and a tradable asset • #SkipAd vs connections with meaning • Conscious
capitalism and brand activism • Price, provenance and transparency • Makers,
innovators and outsiders • Reputation capital and national branding • The
marketing of culture vs the search for authenticity • Truth, lies and
advertising • The Post-Truth Brand Manifesto
Chapter 1: Alternative Facts and
the War on Truth • A government of lies • Social
media, where ‘everyone has a voice’ • Alternative facts and fake news • The
mainstream media vs political partisanship • Identity politics • System One and
System Two • Disinformation warfare • Social media go to war • Facebook or
Fakebook? Twitter or Twister? • Fighting back re: the war on truth • Orwell
lives on • References
Chapter 2: Privacy as a Human
Right – and a Tradable Asset • Privacy + data =
democracy • Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and the US presidential election •
Personalization and customer predictive modelling • Hyper-targeted advertising
• Privacy as collateral damage • The tech counter-reaction and General Data
Protection Regulation (GDPR) • Surveillance capitalism • Privacy as a tradable
asset aka ‘anonymous data monetization’ • References
Chapter 3: #SkipAd vs Connections
with Meaning • Trust in brands has been
falling for decades • #Infosmog and Adtech • If no-one notices your
advertising, everything else is academic • Building ‘connections with meaning’
• Culture vs collateral • Weaponizing audiences • Brand experiences and brand
movements • Brand soul • References
Chapter 4: Conscious Capitalism
and Brand Activism • Community-based marketing and
citizen brands • Conscious capitalism vs purpose-washing • Researching in the
community • Corporate social responsibility • Brand communities • Activism and
the media • Sustainability and the circular economy • Activist brands and
conspicuous altruism • The triple bottom line and joint value creation •
References
Chapter 5: Price, Provenance and
Transparency • PWYW: Pay what you want •
Product provenance and brand stories • One question: who made this product? •
Blockchain – the benefits are hard to exaggerate • Alexa, buy me something …
good • We want control of our health • Who could you trust more than ‘Doctor
You’? • And finally … • References
Chapter 6: Makers, Innovators and
Outsiders • The human touch in the smart city • Shop
small and shop local • Intentional buying • Anarchic branding • From ‘normal’
to ‘insane’ • Brand fans – getting up close and personal • References
Chapter 7: Reputation Capital and
National Branding • The wrong history – and which
truth? • Branding nations – key approaches • Cool Britannia: linking with
culture • Storytelling goes for gold • From superhumans to stereotypes •
Britain is … GREAT • Authentic branding • Future brand stories • References
Chapter 8: The Marketing of
Culture • The marketing of culture and the culture
of marketing • #Adfail • Cultural icons and Parisian chic • Alternative culture
vs the Burning Man • The search for authenticity • Brand differentiation •
References
Chapter 9: Truth, Lies and
Advertising • The death industry and youth marketing •
After the conquest of cool, the fightback begins … • Getting the consumer on
your side, via anti-consumerism • How a Vietnam Vet made things personal • From
gesture politics to collective action • Truth – the legacy • References
Chapter 10: Summary: The
Post-Truth Brand Manifesto • The Post-Truth Brand
Manifesto • References
Index
About the Author:
Sean Pillot de Chenecey is a marketing expert, who for over twenty years has combined
brand consultancy with ethnographic activity and trend research around the
world. His clients have included Unilever, Swatch, Heineken, Diageo, General
Motors, Beiersdorf, AXA, Vodafone, Comptoir des Cotonniers, Muller,
GlaxoSmithKline, Visa, Granarolo and Starwood; and he’s collaborated with
numerous advertising, branding, design, media and PR agencies. He is a
university lecturer and has written for Admap, Brand Strategy, Contagious,
Dazed and Marketing. A public speaker, he’s given speeches for over a decade in
Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and North America.
Target Audience:
People interested in Branding.