“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.