The era of brands telling stories to win customers is over.

Consumers no longer connect with brand stories because consumers are primarily angry and skeptical.

Consumers don’t trust anything anymore. They want brands to be honest, provide quality, and offer a good deal.

The reason for this skepticism is clear from the rising cost of everything in recent years. Many of these price hikes were unnecessary and merely a greedy grab for our money.

Consumers in the West perceived that quality and quantity went down while prices went up, which quickly angered them.

Another sign that this runs deep is Donald Trump’s re-election. Just four years ago, many thought he was unelectable. Yet, American voters compared their financial situations from 2016 to 2020 and 2020 to 2024 and chose to return. Not only did he win the Electoral College, but he also won the popular vote, and his party retained control of Congress.

Although I am not politically tied one way or the other, this is a sign of what American consumers want: the promise of a good deal and economic stability.

America wants to feel prosperous again. Corporate greed has been rampant over the last four years. Many of the same brands that try to emotionally connect with audiences have been pilfering the pockets of those same audiences in an era of economic hardship.

Brands must rethink their strategies regarding brand messaging. If they’ve been advised to focus on storytelling, it’s time to pivot and focus on honesty about the services they provide.

If costs have gone up, can you be honest about why? If you’re keeping prices the same but have had to reduce the quantity to keep employees working or for other reasons, be honest about it.

If you’ve had to diminish your quantity of product, talk about quality. Explain why your product or service is the top in its category.

Honesty and quality are key. If you can share these facts pleasingly and persuasively, consumers will resonate with them as we enter the mid- and late-2020s.

Lastly, can you offer a good deal? If your brand can provide an affordable entry point for your products or services, now is the time to highlight that instead of constantly pushing for big sales. Aim for small wins at scale because what consumers want now is a good deal.

Consumers want honesty, good quality, and a good deal. Winning brands are going to give consumers what they want.