Today, audiences are shaping the cultural agenda. Empowered to speak up for the causes they believe in, people are actively calling out brands they see as inauthentic. What are the main drivers of this behavioural shift? And how can brands win the trust of these outspoken advocates?

Sneakerheads are seeking fashion tips on Discord. Unemployed individuals are turning to Reddit for support. Boomers are being radicalised by algorithms. Understanding who people listen to and the platforms they prefer underpins the work we’ve done in our Spotlight on Influence and Icons.

‘Influence’ is a multi-billion dollar industry. But what actually is it? Who determines who has it? And what impact does it have on society? Canvas8 spoke to brand and trend strategist Olivia Yallop about the future of influencer ubiquity and how brands can stay ahead in an influence economy.

Social media is transforming the way we read and buy books, with trending topics and viral posts guiding discovery and disrupting the traditional sales cycles. So, how can publishers harness these channels in their commissioning strategies? And how exactly are people talking about books online?

The surge in screen-time sparked by COVID-19 has left some people mentally and emotionally fatigued. Yet online habits don’t have to be defined by ‘doomscrolling’ and unrealistic social feeds. How can ‘digital gardens’ facilitate a calmer and more cooperative way to interact on the web?