Looking at past trends to analyze what comes next
If there’s one constant in the communications business, it’s that change is inevitable. We all must adapt to the ebb and flow of market conditions, client requests, the consequences of national elections, and surprise global events, reconfiguring our strategies and creative approaches to meet people where they are in the present moment. If we’re not continuously looking forward to where things might end up, we’ll be caught flat-footed as the world leaves us behind.
While it’s difficult to say with certainty what lies ahead, we can analyze past and current trends — along with what drives the movers and shakers in the world — to figure out where things are headed in 2025. Here are just a few predictions we have for the coming year: a guide to what’s in and what’s out as we enter a world that’s reshaping itself around us as we speak.
In: Showing the value of sustainability
The results of the 2024 election will significantly impact how businesses approach sustainability. Trump has already vowed to shift the country’s policy focus from clean energy to oil and natural gas when he retakes office.
While the exact contours of what that looks like are uncertain, we should expect drastic shifts in the regulatory environment that will change how the government tackles climate change, sustainability, and the expansion of alternative energy sources. As a result, it will be incumbent on media professionals to focus on the value of sustainable energy sources, bringing the way it benefits energy and sustainability businesses' bottom line to the fore.
We will likely see a new slate of leadership continue the fight to end climate change, but rather than focusing on the overall positive impact on the environment, conversations will shift toward the cost-reduction benefits, potential efficiencies, and improving our self-reliance.
Maintaining momentum within this space will be challenging in the coming years. Resilience and clear communication of the financial impact is imperative if we want to help keep these projects moving forward.
Out: Information overload
The media landscape is fractured. Outlets are shuttering or consolidating resources, and trust in mainstream media continues to trend at its lowest point. I believe it will finally hit a breaking point in 2025, with many choosing to tune out of all but the most essential information.
We’re already seeing this shake out, even before the results of the 2024 election rolled in. The Washington Post lost around 10% of its digital subscriber base within days of its announcement that it wouldn’t endorse a candidate in the election. On election day, viewership of traditional channels was down by 25% compared to 2020. And in the days following the election, pundits like Dave Weigel at Semafor believe that we’re not going to see the same kind of media subscription surge that we saw in 2017.
Adapting to this increasingly fragmented media landscape will be more important than ever. We must take a channel-based approach to reach these emerging audiences in the coming year, determining which channels offer the best chance of reaching our intended goals and retooling our message to fit the unique perspectives of each independent content creator. It will become more important than ever to tailor your approach to comms to meet the moment of the current media landscape. That means crafting a channel strategy that reaches the audience that matter most to your business, rather than relying on mass media.
In: Reprioritizing risk management
Every business likely understands that risk and crisis management are critical to operations. However, the number of cyber risks — like ransomware attacks that extract millions in payouts to deepfakes designed to spread misinformation or defraud businesses — continues to rise. Even the 2024 Paris Olympics experienced an “unprecedented level of threat” from cyber attacks.
These attacks are a wake-up call for startups and global corporations alike that they need to take a deeper look at their infrastructure and boost their resiliency in the face of unforeseen events. In 2025, we’ll see a redoubling of efforts in this space to assuage consumer and investor fears while minimizing potential fallout as much as possible.
This isn’t just about cybersecurity, though — this is about bolstering defenses against many potential risk factors, like supply chain disruptions or environmental catastrophes. It’s then our job to communicate how these organizations are working tirelessly to keep operations secure, compliant, and moving forward, even in the face of these disruptions.
Building a plan for the future
The future remains unwritten, but you can infer where it might go by studying the current landscape. Planning for a variety of potential futures now can help you react to rapidly changing conditions, enabling you to reposition yourself as a leader who can adapt to people’s needs.
If you’d like help building that plan, we’re here for you. Highwire has a team of experts and powerful tools capable of analyzing trending conversations around the world to help you build a communications strategy that will get you to wherever you want to be. Contact us today to learn more.
