New Chaos Advantage Study Shows Caution Has Become the Riskiest Strategy in Marketing

Global research reveals how brands can turn uncertainty into bold action and competitive advantage.

FleishmanHillard and Contagious today released a new study, “The Chaos Advantage,” examining how the world’s most successful brands are turning uncertainty into a competitive advantage while most organizations remain paralyzed by caution. Based on an analysis of recent Cannes Lions and Effie Awards winners, along with a global survey from TRUE Global Intelligence of 1,000 senior marketing and communications leaders across North America, EMEA and APAC, the research reveals a striking and costly gap: 88% of marketing leaders believe bold creative drives impact, yet most of their organizations still produce mostly safe work.

Initial research was previewed at the 2026 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity by Contagious Editorial Director Alex Jenkins during his keynote “How to Win in a Volatile World.”

FleishmanHillard and Contagious will host a series of events across the United States and United Kingdom to explore the findings, provide examples of brands that have leveraged uncertainty as a competitive advantage and highlight modern communications solutions to achieve bolder, business-driving work amid chaos. Conversations will begin at Advertising Week New York, including on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 1:25 p.m. EDT in the session, “The Chaos Advantage: Why Bold Brands Move First” at ADWEEK House HQ and on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 11:30 a.m. EDT in the Advertising Week Tech Stage session, “The Cost of Waiting: How Mature Challenger Brands Keep Their Edge.”

The research reveals:

87% of respondents agree that uncertain environments create opportunities for bold work.

Safe brands and bold brands experience public backlash at identical rates.

Two-thirds say their risk management processes block action more than they enable it.

58% say missing opportunities through caution is more common than experiencing negative consequences from bold action.

42% have already watched competitors capture share while they hesitated.

“We’re seeing this pattern where leaders know bold work wins but their organizations can’t seem to approve and execute it,” said Jim Joseph, global chair, Brand Impact at FleishmanHillard. “We commissioned this research to quantify the gap and understand what’s actually blocking action. The answer is behavioral, not strategic.”

The Opportunity Cost of Playing It Safe

The report reveals that dull content requires significantly more investment to achieve results, with brand conversion dropping 37% and long-term ROI falling 14% when organizations default to uninspired creative. The cost of caution is measured not just in missed opportunities but in lost business impact.

”The data makes clear that uncertainty is now the operating condition, not a moment to wait out,” said Ellie Tuck, chief creative officer, Americas at FleishmanHillard. ”Organizations that treat caution as a risk management strategy are actually multiplying their risk. The brands that thrive are the ones taking action despite, and because of, the uncertainty.”

Jenkins added: “The research validates what we’ve seen across award-winning work. Companies growing through uncertainty are those responding with creative conviction rather than hesitation. This is less about recklessness and more about understanding that the operating environment has fundamentally changed and requires a different strategic response.”

Enabling Bold Action Through Better Risk Management

The launch of “The Chaos Advantage” reinforces FleishmanHillard’s new approaches to risk governance in uncertain times. Building on the proprietary “License to Lead” reputation study, the research establishes why bold action matters and how organizations can enable it.

To help clients close the gap between knowing and doing, the firm launched its Crisis, Issues and Risk Solutions Suite, including Risk ID, an expert-guided AI platform that helps teams identify, prioritize and mitigate risks before launch. Rather than blocking action, these tools enable organizations to move with confidence rather than caution, addressing the structural barriers the research identified.

Earning Brand Growth Through Creative Bravery, with Confidence

“There’s a bigger implication here for marketing and communications leaders,” Tuck continued. “The old marketing playbook was built for a world where brands could control the message. That world is gone. Communities decide what’s worth talking about. You can’t buy your way through chaos. You have to know how to move through it. And that’s where modern communications and the ability to predict shifts, earn attention and mobilize influence become a critical engine of modern brand growth. That’s the conversation we want to start.”

Download the full report here or email [email protected] to inquire about a custom consultation or events coming to your region.