The Fight for Clarity:
How Brands Can Strengthen Consumer Relationships in Turbulent Times

In today’s unpredictable and complex world, building strong, meaningful relationships between brands and consumers is crucial. This was the focus of “The Fight for Clarity,” an event hosted by C Space in partnership with Hall & Partners and Escalent, emphasizing that “Stronger Relationships Build Stronger Brands.” The event explored how brands can transition from transactional interactions to genuine partnerships with consumers, enabling both parties to navigate contemporary business challenges.

We were lucky enough to be joined by panellists Jenny Fernandez from TikTok, Kelly Tate from Vodafone, and Joel Renkema from IKEA, expertly moderated by Branka Orosnjak from Hall & Partners. They shared strategic insights on how their companies are addressing global business challenges like sustainability, political unrest, cultural divisiveness, and economic pressures. A recurring theme was the power of connecting with consumers on a deeper level, which has helped these companies build stronger brand loyalty and weather economic crises more effectively.

The event wasn’t just about sitting back and listening; we asked people to get out and witness interesting brand experiences, first-hand. C Space led an immersive journey, complete with our own fully briefed tour guides, through London’s Borough Market, encouraging attendees to don their consumer hats and engage with brands from a new perspective. Visits to brands such as Ace & Tate, Aesop, and Everyman Cinema highlighted how rich brand experiences can transcend products to foster lasting brand-consumer relationships.

Several key themes emerged from these discussions and experiences:

1. Look Beyond Your Category for Innovation:

Consumers draw inspiration from various sources, unlike businesses that often categorize by sectors. For example, we learnt that Sknfed’s hand cream pouches were inspired by toddler food packaging (which triggered serious nostalgia in some of our attendees!). This cross-pollination of business ideas reminds us to look beyond our industry silos for innovative brand strategies and connect with consumers on a deeper level.

2. Trust the Power of Always-On Consumer Insights:

With things around us changing so quickly, a snapshot in time is no longer adequate for understanding how consumers are adapting to their social, cultural, geopolitical and environmental contexts. Carefully designed and managed consumer insights platforms for ongoing conversation can cut through the superficial and dig deeper into what people are really feeling, experiencing and doing at every turn. Covered in greater depth in our latest guide on building the next generation of Online Communities With things around us changing so quickly, a snapshot in time is no longer adequate for understanding how consumers are adapting to their social, cultural, geopolitical and environmental contexts. Carefully designed and managed consumer insights platforms for ongoing conversation can cut through the superficial and dig deeper into what people are really feeling, experiencing and doing at every turn. Covered in greater depth in our latest guide on building the next generation of Online Communities.

3. Drive Emotional Engagement by Applying Storytelling:

Joel Renkema raised an essential question – how do we make our marketing stakeholders not just know more about consumers, but really care? The answer lies in stakeholder immersion in insights and utilizing storytelling as a market research method that brings consumers’ perceptions, thoughts about their lives, dreams, and challenges to life in visceral ways.

4. Navigate Uncertainty with Purpose-Led Brand Strategies:

Despite having access to more information than ever, both consumers and brands often feel overwhelmed by uncertainty and a growing lack of clarity with consumer sentiment. Brands have an opportunity to provide simplicity and ease, as seen with Ace and Tate’s straightforward labelling. Helping consumers navigate choices without overwhelming them is crucial, particularly in areas like sustainability covered in our latest thought leadership The S Word.

5. Build Brand Consistency for a Seamless Consumer Experience:

Brands play a role in helping consumers navigate the chaos of modern life. Consistency across all touchpoints is key to maintaining consumer trust and avoiding dissonance. Feedback from our immersive experience highlighted areas for improvement – like a sustainable brand using plastic plants (wince) or a service-focused brand lacking warmth. Our Value Report highlights how brands can embody the consumer landscape to demonstrate compassion, care, and clarity.

6. Elevate Brand Engagement with Multi-Sensory Consumer Experiences:

In an increasingly digital world, physical retail experiences have upped their game to create memorable, multi-sensorial engagements. Omnichannel strategies are essential for seamless consumer-brand interactions across platforms, ensuring no touchpoint is out of sync.

7. Combat Feedback Fatigue, Rethink Consumer Research:

With every tiny purchase and interaction now prompting feedback requests (“How was it for you?” “Tell us what you thought of that call?”), consumers are becoming apathetic. As market researchers, we must be considered and intentional about how we seek feedback, ensuring a fair and stimulating value exchange for participants’ time and insights.

8. Use Consumer Insight as a Mirror to Brand Ethics:

Research and Insight teams have a unique responsibility, referenced in the panel as “akin to the UN!” – holding businesses accountable by reflecting the impact of their actions on consumers and the world around them. Transparency and objectivity are vital, especially when discussing purpose and ethics, and there was a plea for insight leaders to step up and be accountable for this role, with confidence and pride.

In these surreal times, the role of brands in fostering meaningful relationships with customers is more important than ever. By building and protecting dialogues with one another, brands and consumers can navigate this odd new world, not just weathering the story but working together to find the silver lining of opportunities that our collective reality offers; new ways to work better together and drive a triple win where consumers, commercials and the environment – crucial for protecting and providing the resources that all businesses are reliant upon – are all able to thrive and bring collective gain. Insight acts as the bridge for this dialogue, fuelling transparent, productive and meaningful communication.

“The Fight for Clarity” inspired new projects and conversations. For those who participated, thank you for contributing to this vital dialogue. If you missed it, we look forward to welcoming you to future events as we continue exploring how stronger relationships can build stronger businesses.