Edelman, Schulman, and Haley Call for a Purpose Reset: Why 'We' Has Shifted to 'Me'

At Cannes Lions, Richard Edelman, Dan Schulman, and Nikki Haley deliver a timely warning to marketers: economic anxiety, AI disruption, and declining trust demand a radical reinvention in thinking.

At this year’s Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, Richard Edelman (Founder and CEO of Edelman), Dan Schulman (former CEO of PayPal), and Nikki Haley (former United States Ambassador to the UN) sat down with acclaimed journalist Mishal Husain to deliver a stark message to the advertising and marketing world: the old rules of purpose-led branding no longer apply.

Edelman, of the global communications firm that bears his name, revealed findings from their latest global trust barometer, based on responses from 15,000 people across 15 countries. The data paints a picture of a world increasingly fragmented by nationalism, anxiety over inflation, and fears about job security. Where once brands were expected to lead on big societal issues, today’s consumers are more concerned about immediate personal impact. The “we” era of purpose has given way to a hard-nosed “me” mentality.

Cannes Lions 2025/Getty Images.

Edelman pointed to a sharp decline in trust toward major institutions. Journalism, onc…