Written by: Alistair MacDonald, Senior Soft Power Analyst
Written by three leading voices on soft power – Stuart MacDonald, Founding Director of ICR Research; Hendrik Ohnesorge, Managing Director of the Center for Global Studies at the University of Bonn; and Nicholas Cull, Professor of Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California – our guest essay, Measuring Soft Power in an Age of Destruction: Why Trust Matters, and Why Its Character Matters More, is a thought-provoking response to discussions at the Munich Security Conference 2026, including the British Council’s own panel discussion exploring the role of trust and soft power in an increasingly competitive and hostile world, drawing on our Global Perceptions 2025 research and forthcoming report, Trends in Soft Power Projection 2020–2025.
The essay offers a direct riposte to those who view hard power as the currency of the age. Far from being redundant, soft power and trust are more vital than ever – whether in sustaining alliances, reducing the risk of armed conflict, or successfully engaging in trade negotiations.