1 Soaring costs, extreme weather, a fractured society. A new war, an ongoing pandemic, social upheaval. As the stressors of our volatile world pile up, people are turning more and more to their favorite brands for signs of hope. This is our new constant, and internal and external stakeholders are demanding that companies join other trusted institutions in offering solutions to the urgent challenges affecting their daily lives. In fact, WE Communications has found that “cost of living” is the No. 1 area where people want brands to accelerate their efforts. At the same time, skepticism is growing about whether companies are Introduction 1