From everyday treats to cultural strategy
In a world that can feel uncertain and demanding, small, everyday pleasures have taken on new importance and intent. Treats have shifted from occasional rewards to essential emotional tools, helping people manage pressure, ease burnout and keep going.
Treatonomics Rewritten (Volume Two of Winning in Culture) explores how treating has become a defining cultural behaviour, and why it matters now, more than ever for brands:
- How brands like Blank Street and Lindt are authentically winning in culture
- Why treats have evolved from guilty pleasures into everyday essentials
- What it means for your brand’s strategy, activation and growth
Get your copy today of Volume One: Rituals & Resolutions, and Volume Two: Treatonomics Rewritten.
Download Volume Two: Treatonomics Rewritten
Fill in the form below to get your copy. You'll also receive a copy of Volume One: Rituals & Resolutions.
What's inside
- Treatonomics redefined:
From frivolous fancy to survival strategy - Pleasure polarised:
The new duality of Treatonomics - Marketing to humans and AI: why treating still belongs
Why treating still belongs to the people! - From hype to heritage in OOH coffee
Case studies for: Blank Street Coffee, Costa Coffee and Greggs - Chocolate’s cultural charge
Case studies for: Cadbury, Lindt and Hotel Chocolat
Who is this designed for
- CMOs, Marketing Directors, and Brand Leaders navigating relevance and growth in a fast‑changing cultural landscape
- Heads of Brand Strategy, Brand Planning, and Insight teams looking to turn cultural shifts into clear direction
- Strategy Directors, Brand Managers and Strategists responsible for positioning, activation and showing up credibly in culture
Use Winning in Culture to support decisions around:
- Where cultural momentum is building across categories
- How brands can build Meaningful Difference through culture
- What treating tells us about identity, belonging and behaviour today
- How to strengthen brand relevance and equity over time
Behind Winning in Culture
What is Winning in Culture?
It is a multi‑volume series that looks at where cultural momentum is really coming from, and what it takes for brands to show up in ways that matter. Using Kantar's VIBE cultural intelligence, Global MONITOR, qualitative insight and AI‑enhanced cultural analysis, it pulls apart the behaviours and creator‑led signals shaping culture today, and what brands can do with them.
Why is this important for you and brands in 2026?
Culture moves fast, and brands that don’t keep up risk being left behind. The brands that thrive today don’t just respond to culture, they help shape it. But keeping pace with shifting values, new voices, and changing expectations isn’t easy. At Kantar, we help you make sense of the cultural forces influencing your category, your customers, and what comes next. From social movements to media narratives, we spot the signals that matter most and help you turn them into action.
Who created Winning in Culture?
This was created by Kantar’s Consulting team in the UK, including experts in marketing and brand strategy, positioning, alongside experts from our teams qualitative research, and digital analytics.
Unlock growth with Kantar Consulting
Whether you’re a legacy brand defining your cultural strategy or a new brand challenging the status quo, we can help find routes to build Meaningful Difference.