Faith Popcorn Spotlights People's Pushback as Critical Trend Challenging Business as Usual

This powerful trend sees individuals and communities challenge systemic injustices and demand accountability.

With unprecedented access to information, driven by technological evolutions as well as environmental crises and a general distrust in political systems, Popcorn calls the people’s pushback trend "significant for brand and business".

"As social media and technology put inequalities, which are growing across the world, in our faces, we can't ignore them.

"Every time we look at our screens, we are confronted with the excesses of wealth and the horrors of poverty."

Disappear like dinosaurs

Popcorn says industry leaders who think this will go away and that they do not need to say or take action are wrong and will disappear like the dinosaurs.

"Consumers will abandon companies and brands that are not authentic and transparent, by literally stopping to purchase their products.

"Pushing this trend is technology, specifically artificial intelligence (AI), which will become integrated into everything we do, from corporate structures and everyday interactions."

She predicts a transformative role for AI in future boardrooms alongside human and child board members.

"The power is also shifting to women. Women have money and birth control, and they will take leading roles in the future as they start to use the power they hold."

From human to machine

Brands and industries will have to evolve as power shifts.

Currently, Popcorn says we are in a transition period as the power dynamic not only shifts among humans, but from humans to machines.

"During this time, what counts is authenticity and transparency. And this is in everything from the CEO’s behaviour to the ingredients in food."

Her advice is to get in the middle of the pushback.

“As we're becoming more robotic, we're looking for uber responsiveness, and that's a major change.

“So, what they say in martial arts is that when something's coming towards you, the best way to defend yourself is to incorporate the energy.

“This is what companies and brands need to do: incorporate the energy of that pushback and make it part of your mission forward.”

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