Navigating the brand-consumer relationship with authenticity, community & love

WGSN explores how the polycrisis is shifting our relationship with brands in this episode of Create Tomorrow.

Our guest for this week is Martina Rocca, Cultural Strategist & Foresight Lead at WGSN, who shares what the future holds for consumer-brand relationships. WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi leads the conversation with a focus on the ecological, economic and cultural crises that consumers are facing and how brands can respond with empathy and authenticity.

Discover solutions for pivoting your brand strategy beyond products and services towards shared values, a sense of purpose and a commitment to the greater good to cater to consumers who now seek something deeper and more meaningful from the brands they engage with.

Bracing for the future

“The climate crisis is going to be a driving force. Also artificial intelligence is transforming the way we make sense of the world around us. Consumers will increasingly create their idea of truth, of what is fake and what’s true. So truth is going to be very much fragmented and more individualised, but they will still look for institutions or businesses that embody this authenticity.”

The evolving consumer-brand relationship

“I believe that interaction between the consumer and the brand is radically changing. A way that I used to frame it with our clients is that before, brands were providers for products and services, but now consumers look at brands as their peers, almost as a family member, as a friend, even as a lover.”

Recognising the consumer’s role in motivating brands

“Capitalism, but also the rise of artificial intelligence, is making people in general less responsible. We are delegating our choices, even vital choices such as finding your romantic partner, to technology. But there is an opportunity for brands and governments to connect with consumers and help them regain responsibility and become aware that their actions, thoughts and behaviours have a tangible and physical impact on the world.”
– Martina Rocca, Cultural Strategist & Foresight Lead, WGSN

Head to Apple or Spotify to hear the full discussion on our Create Tomorrow podcast episode, All You Need is Love – How the Polycrisis is Shifting Our Relationship with Brands.