In a society where consumers want to stand out from the crowd, Karen Kanty, head of news at Future Foundation, looks at how brands should approach individualism – and what this means for the ongoing Big Data debate…

Risk-taking behaviour is on the wane and it’s having an impact on brands, reports Future Foundation’s Karen Canty. So how do you sell the adventurous dream whilst acknowledging the safety-seeking reality?

Do influencers really exist? Way back in 2000, when Facebook was but a twinkle in Mark Zuckerberg’s eye, Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point introduced the concept of “mavens”, the so-called super-consumers brands hungrily pursue as the Holy Grail of engagement. We all knew then that word of mouth was a powerful tool – but really, how influential could an individual be? The Future Foundation’s Karen Canty investigates.

Future Foundation’s Karen Canty has been on a storytelling mission – learning about its history and development – and why today it is so important for brands. So what can businesses learn from this simple, inbuilt human prerogative?