Brands are speaking — but their customers are not always listening. In today’s attention economy, people are exposed to more messages across more channels than ever before, while at the same time filtering harder, trusting less, and gravitating toward interactions that feel authentic.

On 4 Sep 2025, Blackbox hosted the Brand Leaders Brunch: The Insight Disconnect, where 50 senior decision-makers came together to ask: In the attention economy, how do we keep research meaningful? Leading the discussion were Mansi Trivedi, who heads strategy and insights across APJ at Transmission; Jessalynn Chen, Managing Director of Labbrand Singapore with expertise in brand innovation and cultural fit; and David Black, founder and CEO of Blackbox Research. Together, they unpacked why attention isn’t really shrinking, why “trust” is too vague to act on, and why senior executives will never fill your survey — surfacing 7 key shifts every leader should know to turn feedback into genuine dialogue.

Singapore’s GE2025 may have handed the PAP a stronger mandate, but voter sentiment reveals a more complex story. Drawing on final-week polling from Blackbox Research, this analysis unpacks how ground strategy, issue salience, and digital engagement shaped the outcome — and why the Workers’ Party isn’t going away.

Tune into our Blackbox Unpacked podcast for a deep dive into the China Chic report.

We unpack how Chinese lifestyle brands are winning over young Singaporean consumers — and why quality, cultural relevance, and localisation are reshaping perceptions of “Made in China” across Southeast Asia. Listen now and download the full report.