Reflections on culture, consumer change, and what businesses, brands, and policymakers need to do to future-proof 

Written by Truth’s Managing Director, Dr Matilda Andersoon

Love it or hate it, change isn’t just a moment—it’s the defining experience of our time. While the core of our human needs remains stable—safety, affection, and the pursuit of happiness—the cultural context of those needs, and the ways we fulfil them, are in constant flux. So too, then, should the ways in which politicians, brands, and businesses explore, understand and tap into these changing cultural realities. 

Over the past decade, we’ve experienced macro-level disruptions—pandemics, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical shifts—creating widespread unpredictability. This has created a culture resembling a nervous system. This heightened state of “nervousness,” in turn, fuels even more unpredictability in the economy, for businesses and the socio-cultural sphere.  

In response to this challenging environment, we’ve launched the annual Change Index report. By listening to influencers, key decision-makers, and everyday people, we capture the pulse of change as it impacts lives across the spectrum. 

At Truth Consulting, we work with global brands to help them navigate change and prepare for the future – we decode cultural shifts and speak to thousands of research participants and experts from all walks of life, and from all over the world.  We do this every day, every week, every month and every year. Through our, work and through fresh insights from the Change Index study conducted in 2024, three critical elements of change and strategies for adaptation emerge: 

1. Successful Businesses See Change as a Stage for Reinvention 

Business leaders who embrace unpredictability as a way of life—and adapt by rolling with the punches—tend to run more successful businesses. They’re also happier in their lives and more confident in their choices. 

Our advice: Embrace the chaos and inspire future optimism for the twists and turns ahead. This approach can include more flexible strategic planning—having a clear plan or “north star” while building in regular check-ins and contingencies. These strategies are often executed in less hierarchical, more participatory settings. Listening to stakeholders, engaging consumers, and staying attuned to cultural shifts through advisory communities, human-centred design, co-creation, and advice from leading-edge changemakers are all valuable tools. 

2. The Real Opportunity for Brands is Reclaiming Confidence in the Future 

In today’s world, clarity, stability, and confidence have become invaluable currencies. However, the Change Index reveals a widening confidence gap: 47% of business executives believe in the stability of the UK economy, but only 15% of the public agrees. This stark disparity is fuelling a critical trust divide—one that businesses have both the chance and responsibility to close. 

Our advice: Brands have a crucial role in promoting a positive outlook. 

Communicate—and over-communicate—with stakeholders and consumers. Show transparency, involve your audience, and invite them into the process of change. This approach instils confidence that progress is being made—whether in skills, finances, or better products and services. When people contribute to a process, they value the outcome more—this is known as the “IKEA Effect,” a phenomenon explaining why people feel greater attachment to things they’ve helped create. 

3. There’s Not Just One Future but Multiple Probable Scenarios 

Preparing for the future isn’t just about predicting what’s to come. In an unpredictable “nervous system,” anything can happen. Business leaders must get better at responding to change rather than simply planning for what they think might come.  

Our advice: Use scenario planning rather than relying on trends or singular forecasts. Scenario planning helps businesses prepare for multiple possible outcomes. It trains leaders to accept the one certainty we have: change itself. 

To learn more about Truth Consulting, The Change Index, and explore how we can help turn unpredictability into opportunities for your business, get in touch.