There’s a reason so many brands feel like they’re spinning their wheels. We’re in a moment where the rules have changed, but no one sent out the memo. Welcome to what we call the Dissonance Decade, inspired by the excellent ChangeMaker report by Akin.
As part of our Hue & Cry premium dilemma webinar series, we brought together some of the sharpest voices in food, drink, travel and hospitality to explore how premium brands can survive, and thrive, in this age of consumer contradictions.
Why Dissonance?
In conversation with partners and panellists, we identified three tensions that are defining this decade:
- Attention vs Time: Everyone says they want depth, but gives you eight seconds at best. A sense of meaning must now land instantly.
- Optimism vs Global Uncertainty: People are craving uplift, even as the world feels unstable. Escapism isn’t enough; the key is unlocking emotional relevance for your consumer..
- Financial Cost vs Perceived Value: Consumers are trading down but still spending when something feels worth it. Premium is no longer just a price point.
There’s a cultural pressure to resolve these tensions, but maybe the real opportunity is in learning to live with them. That’s exactly what we explored through a wide-ranging and honest conversation with our industry experts.
We spoke with:
- Jenny Southan, travel futurist and founder of Globetrender
- Nicole Bourdette-Kosmider, Head of Marketing at Fever-Tree USA
- Simon Maguire, Founding Partner, Rockingham Partners
- Deniseea Head, Founder, Chicken & Champagne
- CJ Fiala, Creative Strategy Director, Hue & Cry
Across the next five write-ups, we’ll dig deeper into each tension and what it means for brand behaviour. Because if premium brands want to stay relevant in this next chapter, they need to stop seeking control and start embracing complexity.
Premium branding has always been about standing apart. But in this new era, that requires more than polish. It requires precision.
Less pedestal, more participation. Less static tone, more coherent truth.
The brands that thrive won’t just signal value. They’ll create it through relevance, resonance, and emotional intelligence.
Want to see the full discussion? Drop us an email and we’ll send over the recording.