AGE OF UNCERTAINTY

INSIGHTS

It’s 2026. Uncertainty is the new normal.

Economic instability, political division, and cultural fatigue have rewired how people evaluate brands. Consumers aren’t disengaged so much as they’ve become highly discernible with sharper filters and far less patience. In this climate, awareness is easy to manufacture. Belief is not.

In response, JDO has released The Age of Uncertainty, a strategic playbook examining how brands can create belief at a time when trust is conditional, scrutiny is constant, and credibility is the defining measure of value.

Grounded in global research and interpreted through JDO’s strategic design practice, The Age of Uncertainty explores how people now decide what feels trustworthy, valuable and worth choosing. With only 30% of Americans reporting high trust in brands, the playbook argues that belief has become the most precious form of brand equity, and design one of its most powerful instruments.

“People don’t begin from a place of goodwill anymore. They begin from doubt. This isn’t another trend report gathering dust on the shelf. It’s a decision-maker’s tool, designed to sharpen focus and accelerate direction. It’s for leaders who understand that belief isn’t a given. It’s something you have to actively create through proof, consistency, and follow-through.”

Yuliana Safari, Author of The Age of Uncertainty & Strategy Director @ JDO NY

The playbook explores the cultural shifts reshaping brand value today, as purpose moves from performance to proof, national identity is actively rewritten, and honesty emerges as a new marker of luxury. Together, these forces create both pressure and possibility for brands ready to turn uncertainty into advantage. 

Rather than prescribing marketing tactics, The Age of Uncertainty shows how brands can create belief across design, packaging, tone of voice, and operations, making trust something people feel, recognise, and rely on.

Editors are invited to exclusive briefings, interviews and selected visuals from the playbook. The full report is client-only and not publicly available. 

To learn more, contact Laura Richards at laura.richards@jdoglobal.com or Maggie Carr at maggie.carr@jdoglobal.com

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