The Chaos Advantage: FleishmanHillard Research Finds Caution Has Become the Riskiest Strategy in Marketing
CANNES, June 2026 – New global research from FleishmanHillard finds that in a sustained climate of uncertainty, playing it safe is no longer a risk management strategy. For many brands, it has become a risk multiplication strategy.
The Chaos Advantage, based on a survey of 1,000 senior marketing and communications leaders across five markets in North America, EMEA and APAC, examines how volatility is reshaping the decisions brands make and the work they are able to produce. The findings reveal a significant and costly gap between what leaders know and what their organizations are doing.
Four findings stand out:
The Action Gap: The overwhelming majority of leaders believe bold work wins, yet most say their organizations produce mostly safe work.
The False Safety of Caution: Safe brands and bold brands experience public backlash at exactly the same rate, 1 in 5 for both.
The Competitor Cost: 42% of leaders have watched a competitor take market share while their own organization waited.
The Structural Problem: Over two thirds say their own risk management processes block action more than they enable it.
More on the Chaos Advantage: Why Playing It Safe Is the Riskiest Move
FleishmanHillard is sharing early findings this week at Cannes Lions. The full report, developed in partnership with Contagious, will publish in September 2026.
On Thursday, the research will be featured in the main stage keynote How to Win in a Volatile World.
About FleishmanHillard
FleishmanHillard is a global strategic communications consultancy combining corporate affairs and brand impact expertise at scale. Following the integration of Porter Novelli, FH now serves clients across health and life sciences, technology, financial services, retail and consumer, food and agriculture, manufacturing and energy and government and public sector. The firm’s competitive advantage combines deep sector expertise with proprietary intelligence (TRUE Global Intelligence), the industry’s leading data and AI infrastructure, and Global Executive Advisory, a strategic network of over 50 senior advisers who help C-suite leaders navigate complex situations and transformative change. FleishmanHillard was named PRovoke Media’s Data-Driven Agency of the Year 2026, the 2023 PRWeek U.S. Agency of the Year; 2022 and 2023 PRWeek U.S. Outstanding Extra-Large Agency of the Year; and 2023 Campaign US PR Agency of the Year. FleishmanHillard is part of Omnicom Public Relations.
