e v rvi u ll s I wi   01 Step one for brands is to understand their own Organizations will need to show their value permission space in fine detail, and to avoid through meaningful products, experiences, and invading spaces where they aren’t welcome. This services, and not through short-term gestures that is reflected in calls for brands and people to “stay can ultimately be viewed as PR stunts. in their lane” and includes keeping tabs on how new platforms are evolving, whether they belong The pressures facing people today inevitably there, and whether people want to hear from them impact brands too and when times get hard, on any given topic. During Accenture’s research companies often make the mistake of dropping project, one person in the US said: “It feels mostly things they see as luxuries, like innovation, artificial when brands take a stand on issues advertising, and brand building. Brands must that are not related to their specific product. I resist the tendency to behave in the same way as want brands to be known for being good to their people do when under pressure—i.e., dropping 28 employees and not be wasteful or polluting.” what they deem to be non-essential. Often, the best innovation happens against a backdrop People’s needs are evolving fast—and of constraint and difficulty. Right now, AI and companies must embrace a life-centric the metaverse (which we cover in more detail approach to meet these ever-changing elsewhere in this report) are worth exploring as circumstances and priorities, routes to innovate. as Accenture explores further in When faced with hardship, people always adapt The Life-Centricity Playbook.29 and evolve into a new version of themselves, and that will continue to be the case. People will come through this period. The way they adapt will likely define a generation and the products they love. Copyright © 2022 Accenture. All rights reserved. 14