In The Age of Rage, Fairness Is the Only Way Forward - FleishmanHillard

Article

November 5, 2025

By Rachel Catanach

People are angry. We see it in the headlines, feel it in our client conversations and hear it from employees, customers, even friends. But the rage we’re living through today isn’t just a passing mood or a social media flare-up. It’s something deeper, more personal and more dangerous – for leaders, for businesses, and for the social contract that underpins both.

This piece draws on new research from our partners at maslansky+partners, led by Michael Maslansky (CEO) and Lee Carter (President and Partner), whose work on fairness and trust provides critical insight into today’s volatile public mood. What their data makes clear is this: the old rules no longer apply. Good intentions are no longer enough. And if you think this is just another cycle of public discontent, you’re missing the point and the opportunity.

What’s Really Fueling the Rage?

The rage we see today is not ideological. It’s not just a backlash against politics, culture wars or pandemic-era disruption. It’s personal. People don’t just distrust institutions – they believe those institutions are actively working against them. Whether it’s government, media or business, the sentiment is the same: “The system is rigged, and I’m the one paying for it.”

In the maslansky+partners’ research, more than 70% of people said they rarely or never trust companies to treat customers fairly. Over 60% believe most big companies purposely look for ways to take advantage of them. And some 80%, many of whom once said they want companies to support causes, now say what bothers them most is something more basic: hidden fees and fine print.

The message couldn’t be clearer. People aren’t asking companies to take a stand on every issue. They just want to be treated fairly.

Fairness, Not Goodness

In recent years, the corporate playbook has centered on goodness: purpose, ESG, brand values, societal impact. And those things still matter. But in the current climate, they’re not the differentiators leaders think they are.

That’s because fairness hits differently. It’s not a strategy. It’s a standard. When people feel a company is unfair – when they see surprise fees, hear about executive bonuses during layoffs or feel excluded from loyalty benefits – it doesn’t just frustrate them. It enrages them. And that rage moves quickly, particularly in a connected, post-trust world.

More than 60% of consumers say they’ve boycotted companies for putting profits ahead of people. More than 40% either agree or don’t disagree that violence might be justified in response to unethical corporate behavior. These aren’t just reputation risks. They’re survival threats.

The Real Shift: From Purpose to Permission

For years, companies have leaned on purpose to build trust and earn permission to operate. But that permission is now contingent on fairness. If your customers believe they’re getting a raw deal, no amount of purpose-driven messaging will save you. In fact, it may backfire.

This is the dark side of “doing good”: when companies promote values that feel disconnected from customers’ real lives – especially those struggling to make ends meet – those efforts aren’t seen as admirable. They’re seen as hypocritical, or worse, insulting. It’s the $2 million Super Bowl ad telling customers you care, while their internet bill just went up with no explanation.

What Leaders Should Do Now

Fairness isn’t a communications challenge. It’s a business imperative. And it requires a different kind of leadership – one rooted in empathy, consistency and operational integrity. Here’s where to start:

Replace goodness language with fairness language. Don’t talk about changing the world. Talk about how you’re making things better for your customers. Be specific. Be transparent. Be human.

Prioritize customers over causes. That doesn’t mean abandoning purpose. It means making sure it doesn’t come at the expense of the people keeping your business alive.

Deliver universal benefits. Avoid programs that help some while leaving others behind. Fairness means everyone gets the best price, the clearest policy, the same level of service.

Fix the small injustices. The fee they didn’t see coming. The policy that changed without warning. These moments define your brand more than any campaign ever will.

Make it personal. Every message, every policy, every change should answer one question: how does this help the individual on the other side?

A Fairness-First Future

In this age of rage, fairness isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s the only thing that works right now.

Fairness earns trust when purpose can’t. It deescalates outrage. It keeps customers loyal. And most importantly, it signals to people that they matter – not just as buyers, but as human beings. That’s a powerful message in a world where far too many feel forgotten.

For business leaders, the challenge is clear. You can keep trying to win the last war, fighting to prove your purpose, defend your values or ride out the storm. Or you can lead the solution. You can rebuild the trust that’s been broken. You can show people that fairness still exists and that your company is committed to delivering it. Because in the end, the companies that thrive won’t be the ones shouting the loudest. They’ll be the ones that show up, play fair and prove day in and day out that they’re on their customers’ side.

Rachel Catanach is FleishmanHillard’s Global Managing Director, Corporate Affairs; General Manager, New York and Boston; and leads the Global Executive Advisory, counseling CEOs on leadership transitions, Board engagement and high-stake issues. A global PR industry advocate, she has spoken at Davos, moderated at Cannes Lions and co-authored The Page Society’s Beyond Communication report. She was also a 2024 PRWeek Woman of Distinction.