Blog
Corporate strategic communication is facing a breaking point today.
Too often, organisations are falling into analysis paralysis—over-engineering plans instead of executing them.
The continuous decline in Trust in institutions and government is seeing a major shift in the old playbook for stakeholder engagement.
CEOs and C-suite leaders are waking up to a new reality: public relations isn’t just about reputation anymore – it is strategy. The 2025 USC Annenberg Report shows nearly 80% of comms leaders now see their role as central to business strategy.
The alarming decline in trust toward corporations and governments today is fuelled by an era of rampant misinformation and disinformation.
One could argue that President Trump has ushered in an era of post-truth politics.
There is a seismic shift underway in the global strategic communication landscape since President Trump began his second term in office in the United States.
This upheaval is redefining the rules of engagement — reshaping communication structures, altering stakeholder expectations, and redrawing the boundaries of organisational positioning and reputation management.
Public trust in institutions is at a breaking point. In the US, trust in government is at its lowest in nearly 70 years. In Australia, 60% of people distrust government leaders, and corporate executives face similar scepticism. The trend is stark across the UK and Europe as well.
Public trust in institutions is at a breaking point. In the US, trust in government is at its lowest in nearly 70 years. In Australia, 60% of people distrust government leaders, and corporate executives face similar scepticism. The trend is stark across the UK and Europe as well.
Ineffective community engagement is again being highlighted as a failing in emergency response planning and engagement.
Recent disaster inquiries, including those examining the Texas floods in the US, have repeatedly highlighted this.
The stark reality today is that business and governments are struggling because of poor or absent strategic communication planning.
The growing focus on reactive communication tactics is highlighting the troublesome trend, particularly in crisis response, media scrutiny, community backlash, and regulatory changes.
The continuous growth of volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments—characterized by digital complexity (including AI), stakeholder expectations, and regulatory pressures—demand that only those organizations embedding strategic communication planning into their strategic DNA will thrive.
Mastering PR strategies
The surge in crisis management promotion today has sparked a flood of theories and services. Yet most fail to address what is required in the heat of the moment and many have no foundations in practical expertise.
Decades spent in both high-pressure crisis situations and even in planning phases reveal that effective information coordination and dissemination extend far beyond mere empathy and acknowledgment. These are just the basics.
Public Sentiment v. Values
Are we entering what may be called the “end of the feel-good era” in corporate communication and public affairs?
The alignment of socially popular causes has offered reputational upside with minimal scrutiny for many companies up until now, even political parties.
However, recent national elections in Australia and abroad have shown that stakeholders now demand substance over symbolism—and consistency over convenience.
The lack of Political and Corporate Visions have echoed through headlines and community alike in the aftermath of the Federal election.
Across both government and the corporate world, leaders seem to be settling for the what instead of the why. We are bombarded with Mission statements and Policy plans, or lack of plans, yet few offer a bold, aspirational Vision of the future.
Why does this matter? Because Vision isn’t fluff. It’s what inspires, unites, and drives a nation or an organization forward.
So why is Vision so rare?
PR Must Build the Social Licence for the Energy Future
Australia's energy transition is now demanding more than just technological solutions; it requires a strategic shift in how we engage with stakeholders.
This is turning the role of Public Relations (PR) from an essential function to a strategic imperative for navigating the complexities of the evolving and fractured energy landscape.
The recent Federal election has highlighted the key PR must now play in demystifying the fear and complex energy issues that have been put forward by politicians, energy authorities, providers and commentators.