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FleishmanHillard and Contagious Reveal “The Chaos Advantage”: New Study Shows Caution Has Become the Riskiest Strategy in Marketing

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Global research reveals how brands can turn uncertainty into bold action and competitive advantage

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — FleishmanHillard and Contagious today released a new study, “The Chaos Advantage,” examining how the world’s most successful brands are turning uncertainty into a competitive advantage while most organizations remain paralyzed by caution. Based on an analysis of recent Cannes Lions and Effie Awards winners, along with a global survey of 1,000 senior marketing and communications leaders across North America, EMEA and APAC, the research reveals a striking and costly gap: 88% of marketing leaders believe bold creative drives impact, yet most of their organizations still produce mostly safe work.

Initial research was previewed at the 2026 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity by Contagious Editorial Director Alex Jenkins 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, provide examples of brands that have leveraged uncertainty as a competitive advantage and highlight modern communications solutions to achieve bolder, business-driving work amid chaos. Conversations will begin at Advertising Week New York, including on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 1:25 p.m. EDT in the session, “The Chaos Advantage: Why Bold Brands Move First” at ADWEEK House HQ and on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 11:30 a.m. EDT in the Advertising Week Tech Stage session, “The Cost of Waiting: How Mature Brands Keep Their Edge.”

The research reveals:

87% of respondents agree that uncertain environments create opportunities for bold work.Safe brands and bold brands experience public backlash at identical rates.Two-thirds say their risk management processes block action more than they enable it.58% say missing opportunities through caution is more common than experiencing negative consequences from bold action.42% have already watched competitors capture share while they hesitated.

“We’re seeing this pattern where leaders know bold work wins but their organizations can’t seem to approve and execute it,” said Jim Joseph, global chair, Brand Impact at FleishmanHillard. “We commissioned this research to quantify the gap and understand what’s actually blocking action. The answer is behavioral, not strategic.”

The Opportunity Cost of Playing It Safe
The report reveals that dull content requires significantly more investment to achieve results, with brand conversion dropping 37% and long-term ROI falling 14% when organizations default to uninspired creative. The cost of caution is measured not just in missed opportunities but in lost business impact.

“The data makes clear that uncertainty is now the operating condition, not a moment to wait out,” said Ellie Tuck, chief creative officer, Americas at FleishmanHillard. “Organizations that treat caution as a risk management strategy are actually multiplying their risk. The brands that thrive are the ones taking action despite, and because of, the uncertainty.”

Jenkins added: “The research validates what we’ve seen across award-winning work. Companies growing through uncertainty are those responding with creative conviction rather than hesitation. This is less about recklessness and more about understanding that the operating environment has fundamentally changed and requires a different strategic response.”

Enabling Bold Action Through Better Risk Management
The launch of “The Chaos Advantage” reinforces FleishmanHillard’s new approaches to risk governance in uncertain times. Building on the proprietary “License to Lead” reputation study, the research establishes why bold action matters and how organizations can enable it. To help clients close the gap between knowing and doing, the firm 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. Rather than blocking action, these tools enable organizations to move with confidence rather than caution, addressing the structural barriers the research identified.

Earning Brand Growth Through Creative Bravery, with Confidence
“There’s a bigger implication here for marketing and communications leaders,” Tuck continued. “The old marketing playbook was built for a world where brands could control the message. That world is gone. Communities decide what’s worth talking about. You can’t buy your way through chaos. You have to know how to move through it. And that’s where modern communications and the ability to predict shifts, earn attention and mobilize influence become a critical engine of modern brand growth. That’s the conversation we want to start.”

To download the full report, visit FleishmanHillard.com or Contagious.com or email Chaos.advantage@Omnicompr.com to inquire about a custom consultation or events coming to your region.

About FleishmanHillard
FleishmanHillard is a global strategic communications consultancy combining corporate affairs and brand impact expertise at scale. Following the integration of Porter Novelli, 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. FleishmanHillard was named PRovoke Media’s Data-Driven Agency of the Year 2026 and PRWeek U.S. Agency of the Year 2023. FleishmanHillard is part of Omnicom Public Relations.

About Contagious
Contagious helps agencies and brands supercharge their marketing by learning from the world’s most impactful brands, campaigns, and trends. Its global editorial intelligence platform Contagious IQ focuses on breakthrough marketing ideas and best-in-class campaigns that propel the industry forward. Contagious is part of LIONS and is brought to you by Informa Festivals, a trading division of the Informa Group.

About Omnicom Public Relations
Omnicom Public Relations (OPR) is Omnicom’s global public relations capability and one of the company’s Connected Capabilities. Operating through leading agency brands, OPR advises and activates for clients across corporate and brand communications, health, public affairs, and social impact. OPR connects world-class talent with shared platforms, technology, and data-driven intelligence, including Omnicom’s Omni platform, to deliver integrated communications that shape reputation, drive influence, and produce measurable impact worldwide.

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SOURCE FleishmanHillard

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New Cornerstone Advisors Research Reveals Community Banks Are Ceding a $106 Billion Consumer Lending Opportunity

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October 6, 2026

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Study finds consumer lending can protect commercial relationships, deposits and future growth

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Community banks that treat consumer lending as a low-margin, low-priority product risk surrendering valuable customer relationships and billions in loan demand to competitors, according to new Cornerstone Advisors research commissioned by Teslar Software.

The report, The Most Valuable Loan Community Banks Don’t Make: The Hidden Value of Consumer Lending, says consumer lending should be viewed not as a standalone profit center but as a way to retain business-owner relationships, protect deposits and defend against fintechs, credit unions and large banks.

Across approximately 5.5 million U.S. employer small businesses, owners are expected to generate roughly $106 billion in consumer loan demand over the next two years — much of which community banks currently allow to flow elsewhere. The study, based on a survey of 1,249 small-business owners and executives and interviews with community bank executives, found that nearly 60% of business owners bank with one of the five largest U.S. banks, where consumer lending represents 12% to 24% of total loan portfolios.

Additionally:

Median consumer loans are just 1.2% of total loans at U.S. banks with $500 million to $20 billion in assets and 0.83% at banks with $10 billion to $20 billion.Only 46% of business owners who obtained a personal loan in the past three years used their primary business bank; 54% borrowed elsewhere.Business owners cited rates or terms (41%), slow approval (35%) and lack of awareness or availability (14%) as reasons for borrowing elsewhere.

“Many banks ask whether consumer loans generate enough profit on their own to justify the investment,” said Elizabeth Gujral, director at Cornerstone Advisors. “The real question is what banks stand to lose when business owners turn elsewhere. Every loan that leaves creates an opening for a competitor to deepen the relationship, attract deposits and win future business. Consumer lending is increasingly a relationship-retention strategy.”

Other key survey findings:

72% of business owners expect to need a consumer loan within three years, up from 66% who obtained one in the previous three years.80% would consider a consumer loan from their primary business bank if it offered the product.Banks with the highest consumer lending mix outperformed those with the lowest, posting median ROA of 1.44% versus 1.15%, ROE of 13.4% versus 10.5%, and deposit growth of 9.9% versus 8.0%.

“Consumer lending is about more than the loan itself,” said Joe Ehrhardt, CEO and founder of Teslar Software. “It’s an opportunity to deepen existing relationships today and build the commercial relationships of tomorrow. By modernizing origination and automating routine processes, community institutions can make consumer lending efficient and profitable while supporting long-term growth.”

The report concludes that although consumer lending may not drive profits on a loan-by-loan basis, it plays a critical role in strengthening customer relationships and defending against growing competition.

The full report, The Most Valuable Loan Community Banks Don’t Make: The Hidden Value of Consumer Lending, is available for download here.

About Cornerstone Advisors

For more than 20 years, Cornerstone Advisors has provided advisory services and research to banks, credit unions and fintech companies. The firm helps financial institutions improve performance, modernize technology, increase efficiency and execute growth strategies.

About Teslar Software

Teslar Software helps community financial institutions modernize operations and accelerate growth while preserving relationship banking. Its unified platform supports loan origination, portfolio management, AI-powered workflow automation and exception tracking.

Media Contact
Cate Pitts, Editorial Director
Cornerstone Advisors
480-425-5203
424179@email4pr.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-cornerstone-advisors-research-reveals-community-banks-are-ceding-a-106-billion-consumer-lending-opportunity-302899390.html

SOURCE Cornerstone Advisors

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New Cornerstone Advisors Research Reveals Community Banks Are Ceding a $106 Billion Consumer Lending Opportunity

Published

13 seconds ago

on

October 6, 2026

By

Study finds consumer lending can protect commercial relationships, deposits and future growth

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Community banks that treat consumer lending as a low-margin, low-priority product risk surrendering valuable customer relationships and billions in loan demand to competitors, according to new Cornerstone Advisors research commissioned by Teslar Software.

The report, The Most Valuable Loan Community Banks Don’t Make: The Hidden Value of Consumer Lending, says consumer lending should be viewed not as a standalone profit center but as a way to retain business-owner relationships, protect deposits and defend against fintechs, credit unions and large banks.

Across approximately 5.5 million U.S. employer small businesses, owners are expected to generate roughly $106 billion in consumer loan demand over the next two years — much of which community banks currently allow to flow elsewhere. The study, based on a survey of 1,249 small-business owners and executives and interviews with community bank executives, found that nearly 60% of business owners bank with one of the five largest U.S. banks, where consumer lending represents 12% to 24% of total loan portfolios.

Additionally:

Median consumer loans are just 1.2% of total loans at U.S. banks with $500 million to $20 billion in assets and 0.83% at banks with $10 billion to $20 billion.Only 46% of business owners who obtained a personal loan in the past three years used their primary business bank; 54% borrowed elsewhere.Business owners cited rates or terms (41%), slow approval (35%) and lack of awareness or availability (14%) as reasons for borrowing elsewhere.

“Many banks ask whether consumer loans generate enough profit on their own to justify the investment,” said Elizabeth Gujral, director at Cornerstone Advisors. “The real question is what banks stand to lose when business owners turn elsewhere. Every loan that leaves creates an opening for a competitor to deepen the relationship, attract deposits and win future business. Consumer lending is increasingly a relationship-retention strategy.”

Other key survey findings:

72% of business owners expect to need a consumer loan within three years, up from 66% who obtained one in the previous three years.80% would consider a consumer loan from their primary business bank if it offered the product.Banks with the highest consumer lending mix outperformed those with the lowest, posting median ROA of 1.44% versus 1.15%, ROE of 13.4% versus 10.5%, and deposit growth of 9.9% versus 8.0%.

“Consumer lending is about more than the loan itself,” said Joe Ehrhardt, CEO and founder of Teslar Software. “It’s an opportunity to deepen existing relationships today and build the commercial relationships of tomorrow. By modernizing origination and automating routine processes, community institutions can make consumer lending efficient and profitable while supporting long-term growth.”

The report concludes that although consumer lending may not drive profits on a loan-by-loan basis, it plays a critical role in strengthening customer relationships and defending against growing competition.

The full report, The Most Valuable Loan Community Banks Don’t Make: The Hidden Value of Consumer Lending, is available for download here.

About Cornerstone Advisors

For more than 20 years, Cornerstone Advisors has provided advisory services and research to banks, credit unions and fintech companies. The firm helps financial institutions improve performance, modernize technology, increase efficiency and execute growth strategies.

About Teslar Software

Teslar Software helps community financial institutions modernize operations and accelerate growth while preserving relationship banking. Its unified platform supports loan origination, portfolio management, AI-powered workflow automation and exception tracking.

Media Contact
Cate Pitts, Editorial Director
Cornerstone Advisors
480-425-5203
424179@email4pr.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-cornerstone-advisors-research-reveals-community-banks-are-ceding-a-106-billion-consumer-lending-opportunity-302899390.html

SOURCE Cornerstone Advisors

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Itibari-Waynne & Partners (IWP) and VYRE Activate Partnership with Exclusive Content for VBNGtv

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October 6, 2026

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First Projects Announced: ‘The Plug’ and Season Two of ‘self!’ as IWP prepares to open in early 2027

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Itibari-Waynne & Partners (IWP), the agentic financing platform for creator-led projects, and VYRE Network are kicking off their partnership with the launch of content created exclusively for VYRE Business News Global (VBNGtv), VYRE’s free streaming business channel.

With IWP officially opening for business in the first quarter of 2027, they are inviting creators, investors, lenders, vendors and apprentices to get a headstart where projects meet capital right now. Join their “Reserve Your Spot Today!” campaign today and Plug In to gain first access to funding.

“When we announced this partnership, the goal was to bring capital and content together on one network. Today that becomes real,” said David Hill, CEO of VYRE Network. “VBNGtv viewers get exclusive programming about business and capital, and creators get a direct line to IWP’s financing platform.”

‘The Plug’: First Proven Project

Debuting this fall, ‘The Plug’ is a video podcast series hosted by Grammy Award-winning producer Bruce Waynne, Founder and CEO of IWP, and Itibari Zulu, President of IWP and Chief Investment Officer of VYRE. It features long-form conversations with entrepreneurs, financiers, investors and entertainers about access to capital, ownership and building a company.

Named after PLUG, IWP’s dedicated funding agent, the series puts IWP’s model in front of the audience it serves: creators seeking funding, investors and lenders seeking vetted deals, and vendors and apprentices seeking funded work.

‘The Plug’ is also the first project financed under IWP’s model and serves as its proof of concept. The model layers risk protection with identifiable repayment sources; depending on the transaction, up to 80% of financing may be supported by insurance-backed credit enhancements, government incentives, tax credits, minimum guarantees, presales and distribution commitments.

‘self!’: IWP Helps Fund Second Season

IWP is contributing funding for Season Two of the successful VBNGtv original series, ‘self!’ which stands for Self-Empowerment Lessons Flourished. The recorded presentation-style talks provide an open-door look at how influential business leaders have elevated their companies to the next level.

The highest viewed episode from the first season featured a candid account from Itibari Zulu, who reveals how he found motivation and transformed it into a successful career in the financial services industry for over two decades. Watch this ‘self!’ episode now: ‘Itibari Zulu – Understanding the 4 Phases in Business’ 

“‘self!’ gave me the chance to share my story,” adds Zulu. “Season Two is about helping more people tell theirs, and that’s what IWP was built to do: put capital behind the people doing the work.”

Both ‘The Plug’ and ‘self!’ can be streamed for free at VBNGtv.com, the VYRE app, and on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung and LG Smart TVs, iOS and Android.

About IWP
IWP is an agentic financing platform that provides the infrastructure layer for entrepreneurs, powered by PLUG, its dedicated funding agent. www.iwp.fund

About VBNGtv
VBNGtv is a capital markets media engine and global streaming business channel showcasing small-cap and micro-cap companies, business leaders and brand partners.

About VYRE Network
VYRE is a vertically integrated media and entertainment technology company that helps creators, studios and brands distribute, finance, market and monetize premium content worldwide.

Media Contact:
Tammy Lynn, Spotlight PR Company
310-867-1952 / 424183@email4pr.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/itibari-waynne–partners-iwp-and-vyre-activate-partnership-with-exclusive-content-for-vbngtv-302899709.html

SOURCE Itibari-Waynne & Partners (IWP)

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