The Post-Truth Business by Sean Pillot de Chenecey Summary

The Post-Truth Business explores how brands can rebuild trust and ethical integrity in an era of disinformation, fake news, and societal polarization. It combines rigorous research, expert interviews, and case studies to provide actionable strategies for navigating challenges like corporate transparency, reputation management, and moral leadership. The book serves as a "field manual" for marketers and leaders seeking to future-proof their organizations.

This book is essential for marketers, CEOs, brand strategists, and policymakers grappling with trust deficits in modern business. It’s particularly valuable for professionals in sectors like retail, tech, and finance who need frameworks for ethical decision-making and crisis communication. Academics studying corporate ethics or media literacy will also benefit from its interdisciplinary insights.

Yes—it reached No. 1 in business-bestseller charts and is praised as the "ultimate handbook" for reputation management. Sean Pillot de Chenecey’s blend of anthropological research, trend forecasting, and real-world examples (e.g., Unilever, Visa) offers practical tools for addressing post-truth challenges. Updated editions are planned for 2026, ensuring ongoing relevance.

Key ideas include:

• Trust as currency: Rebuilding credibility through transparency and accountability.
• Moral leadership: Aligning corporate actions with societal values.
• Disinformation resilience: Countering fake news and AI-driven misinformation.
• Scenario planning: Preparing for geopolitical, cultural, and technological shifts.

The book argues that ethical brands must move beyond "virtue signaling" to implement systemic changes, such as equitable supply chains and data privacy safeguards. It critiques superficial ESG efforts and highlights companies like Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s as benchmarks for authentic social responsibility.

Pillot de Chenecey introduces:

1. Foresight-Driven Innovation: Anticipating trends through ethnographic research.
2. Reputation Capital Scoring: Quantifying trust metrics across stakeholder groups.
3. The "New Abnormal" Framework: Adapting to volatile markets using agile scenario planning.

• "Trust is the ultimate competitive advantage in a post-truth world."
• "Brands that weaponize authenticity will outlast those peddling nostalgia."
  These emphasize proactive integrity over reactive crisis management.

It expands on themes from his podcast #TheNewAbnormal and complements his second book, Influencers & Revolutionaries, which analyzes cultural trendsetters. Together, they provide a blueprint for balancing ethical governance with innovation.

Some readers note its broad scope—covering politics, tech, and sociology—might overwhelm niche practitioners. However, its interdisciplinary approach is widely praised for mirroring the complexity of modern business challenges.

With AI-driven deepfakes, climate disinformation, and polarized consumers, the book’s strategies for combating misinformation and fostering stakeholder trust remain critical. Its 2026 update will address emerging tools like blockchain verification and generative AI ethics.

Unlike Atomic Habits (personal routines) or Sapiens (historical anthropology), this book focuses specifically on organizational ethics in the digital age. It’s closer to Trust and Inspire by Stephen M.R. Covey but with a stronger emphasis on futurism and cultural trends.

Examples include:

• Patagonia: Aligning activism with profit.
• Microsoft: Rebuilding trust post-antitrust trials.
• Heineken: Balancing global branding with local cultural sensitivity.