To win over female customers, sports brands are presenting exercise as a way to get physically – and mentally – stronger. Women are bypassing gyms, and opting for wilderness adventures instead. What drives this shift in behaviour and how does it affect the way women perceive themselves?

‘Casual culture’ may once have been associated with the unsavoury side of football fandom, but big-name brands that previously would have nothing to do with the movement are now wanting a piece of the action. Why are both shoppers and luxury labels buying back into this cultural phenomenon?

While nearly half of women say they prefer to buy from companies that challenge gender stereotypes, branded feminism in the form of pink-washed products and #girlpower hashtags is often seen as insensitive and unimpressive. So, how can marketers empower women in an authentic way?

With 51% of Britons unable to name a favourite brand, people’s connections to the products they buy are seemingly changing. Canvas8 spoke to Pankaj Aggarwal, professor of marketing at the University of Toronto, to learn how different types of brand relationships impact consumer behaviour.