As having a strong work ethic is increasingly valued and respected, being hard-working no longer means you’re a geek. On the contrary, it's becoming a preferable lifestyle choice.

As people become disenchanted with traditional institutions, brands from T-Mobile to Urban Compass are showing their 'human' side. Catering to the new mindset is The Sunday Assembly, a growing network of “radically inclusive” secular congregations.

With Virgin Galactic readying its engines for take-off and global brands like Google and Unilever powering a new space race, businesses are taking customers to the final frontier by evoking a basic human emotion: 'awe'.

A recent US study suggested that devout individuals are less swayed by consumer culture as they are sufficiently fulfilled by their faith. We evaluate the tensions – and opportunities – at the intersection of branding and religion.