FleishmanHillard Reveals Caution Is Riskiest Strategy in Marketing
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NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- FleishmanHillard and Contagious have released a new study, "The Chaos Advantage," revealing that caution is becoming the riskiest strategy in marketing. The research, based on an analysis of recent Cannes Lions and Effie Awards winners and a global survey of 1,000 senior marketing and communications leaders, highlights a significant gap between what marketing leaders believe and what their organizations actually do.
According to the survey, 88% of marketing leaders believe that bold creative drives impact, yet most organizations produce mostly safe work. This gap is particularly concerning as 87% of respondents agree that uncertain environments create opportunities for bold work. However, the study also shows that safe brands and bold brands experience public backlash at identical rates, suggesting that the risk of bold action is often overestimated.
The research further reveals that two-thirds of respondents say their risk management processes block action more than they enable it. This finding is echoed by 58% of participants, who believe that missing opportunities through caution is more common than experiencing negative consequences from bold action. Additionally, 42% of respondents have already watched competitors capture market share while they hesitated.
The study quantifies the gap and identifies the behavioral barriers that prevent organizations from taking bold action.
The research also highlights the cost of playing it safe. Dull content requires significantly more investment to achieve results, with brand conversion dropping 37% and long-term return on investment (ROI) falling 14% when organizations default to uninspired creative.
The study was previewed at the 2026 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity by Alex Jenkins, editorial director of Contagious, 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 and provide examples of brands that have leveraged uncertainty as a competitive advantage. These events include a session at Advertising Week New York on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 1:25 p.m.
The research underscores the importance of enabling bold action through better risk management. FleishmanHillard has 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. This tool is designed to enable organizations to move with confidence rather than caution, addressing the structural barriers identified in the study.
FleishmanHillard was named PRovoke Media's Data-Driven Agency of the Year 2023 and PRWeek U.S. Agency of the Year 2023. The firm serves clients across health and life sciences, technology, financial services, retail and consumer, food and agriculture, manufacturing and energy, and government and public sector.