Sep 17, 2026

WINNING WITH OPTIMISM

HOW PERCEPTION SHAPES REALITY, WHAT DECLINISM IS COSTING BRANDS, AND SHAPING POSITIVE INFLUENCE WHEN PURPOSE IS NO LONGER IN VOGUE

WINNING WITH OPTIMISM

We haven't lost our values. But we have lost sight of each other.

Declinism - the belief that society is in moral and social freefall - is now mainstream. We have lost faith in each other, and trust is low.

But are we seeing the true picture of ourselves, or a distorted perception based on the cultural and information environment we find ourselves swimming in?

That gap, between the world we perceive and the world we actually live in, is where we focus. Drawing on global data, consumer insight, and academic research, it makes the case that closing that gap isn't just a social opportunity - it's a brand growth one.

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From the first time we connected to today your work simply blows me away, it’s such an amazing proposition in terms of quality and time saving… fantastic and honestly feels like the future is here today.

Daniel ChaDwick
CMI Director - UNILEVER