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The Future Laboratory and Liganova partner for Memories of Truth exchange of ideas

Liganova and The Future Laboratory event, UK

UK – The Future Laboratory and experiential design agency Liganova co-hosted Memories of Truth on 16 July, an evening of insights, panel discussions and networking held at Old Sessions House in Clerkenwell, at the heart of London’s design district.

The event opened with a presentation by Chris Sanderson, co-founder of The Future Laboratory, who explored findings from the company’s latest Communities research, The Tech-Resisters. He outlined how a growing cohort of consumers is actively resisting technology through deliberate strategies of disconnection, arguing that in a world of constant digital noise, friction has become a form of protection.

‘It’s about a growing community who understand the mechanics of digital extraction. They understand what the attention economy is all about and how those algorithmic feedback loops are shaping our lives. They are consciously deleting apps and introducing analogue pause points so that their relationship with technology is intentional,’ said Sanderson.

Liganova chief creative officer Robert Andersen then presented findings from The Trust Index, new research examining how consumers respond to brands’ use of artificial intelligence, from AI-generated advertising to evidence of authenticity.

‘Radical transparency is needed for the verifiers – 65% of UK consumers name honest, public communication as the way back to trust,’ Andersen explained. ‘Human guarantee is important for the conditionalists – 42% accept AI only if the product’s actual efficacy is never faked.’

Andersen argued that brands are entering a ‘renaissance of real’, advising marketers: ‘Don’t leave social. Make it truthful. Social remains the number one channel where brands positively surprised consumers (36%). What changes is the content – formats that can’t lie.’

A panel discussion, moderated by Mel Henson of The Drum, followed the presentations. Sanderson and Andersen were joined by Lucy Hyman, client services director at Liganova, to explore what the two research studies reveal about changing consumer attitudes towards truth, authenticity and trust, and how brands can respond to this shifting landscape.

The London edition of Memories of Truth marked the first stop on a European tour, with the event travelling next to Amsterdam in August before concluding in Stuttgart in October.

Strategic opportunity

Acknowledge consumers’ digital footprints as extensions of themselves, treating personal data as a valued asset, offering transparency, choice and reciprocity in return for attention, engagement or participation

Dove Men+Care turns fitness tracking into a product trial through Strava partnership

US – Dove Men+Care has partnered with fitness app Strava to launch its reformulated 2-in-1 Shampoo + Conditioner, using a branded fitness challenge to embed its product into consumers’ exercise routines. Fronted by tv personality and entrepreneur Kyle Cooke, the campaign encompasses creator partnerships, social media and earned media.

The initiative reflects a broader shift towards brands integrating into existing consumer behaviours rather than relying solely on traditional advertising. Through the Any Step Counts challenge, users who complete a 5km run – either in one session or multiple activities – receive a Dove Men+Care product reward.

The activation highlights the growing value of behaviour-led marketing, where products become part of an existing lifestyle or community. As wellness platforms evolve into powerful engagement channels, partnerships with fitness ecosystems offer opportunities to build habit, encourage trial and reach younger consumers. This approach fits particularly well as the growth of the men’s grooming market continues to grow alongside health and fitness culture.

We unpacked the power of fandom communtities in our Game-Changers: The Future of Sports Fandom report.

Hodos Labs, US

Strategic opportunity

Move beyond one-off campaigns by integrating products into fitness, wellness, gaming or creator ecosystems, creating challenges and participatory movements that encourage repeat engagement and long-term habit formation

Stat: US travellers are looking beyond familiar destinations

Four Seasons Private Jet Experience, Global

US – Between January and May 2026, American travellers made 29.1m international trips, up 23% compared with the same period in 2019, according to analysis from WTE Miami’s Market Intelligence Series.

People in the US are looking beyond their established holiday hotspots, with travel to Asia, Africa, Central and South America, and the Pacific collectively rising by 37.2%. Notably, long-haul and emerging destinations are gaining momentum.

Traditionally popular choices – including Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe – are facing competition as US travellers book holidays to a broader mix of countries.

In our Optimised Odysseys macrotrend report, we explored the rise of Emerging Epicentres and a more globally curious traveller. Increasingly, overcrowded destinations are being bypassed in favour of lesser-known locations, as consumers become more open to unfamiliar cultures, emerging hotspots and longer-haul experiences.

Strategic opportunity

Build culturally specific campaigns, partnerships and products that make unfamiliar long-haul locations feel accessible, relevant and worth discovering