15 years European Communication Monitor – a look back and ahead

Digital technologies, artificial intelligence and big data change everything. On the journey toward digital maturity communication practitioners across Europe face various challenges:

• The adoption of Communication Technology is hindered by challenges such as communication tasks and processes ill-prepared for digitalization, inflexible organizational setups and cultures as well as a lack of support from IT departments and similar structural barriers that contribute to the difficulties.
• Implementing artificial intelligence encoutners challenges at individual and societal levels, requiring user and stakeholder acceptance, support from top management, and societal infrastructure development.
• Communication departments and agencies are vulnerable to various types of cyberattacks, including data theft, disruptions of digital infrastructure as well as website and social media account hacking. Communicators should develop security protocols, backup plans, and crisis communication strategies to safequard their operations.

New opportunities for communication practitioners emerge from serving as advisors or consultants in their organizations, but they need to develop competencies to address the challenges and unlock the full potential of digital opportunities. Drivers for high-performance communication include various competencies at the individual level:

• Effective communication coaching requires social and empathic skills, while research and organizational management skills involve knowledge in software, research methods, and relationship management. Additionally, an understanding of society and politics aids in meeting public expectations.
• The Communicator and Ambassador roles are traditional “outbound” roles focus on communicating with stakeholders. The Coach and Advisor roles are “inbound” roles focusing on supporting executives, middle managers or other members of the organization. The Manager role includes dispositive tasks relevant for operating the communication department or agency itself.
• Competency gaps affect all demographic criteria and organizational type. Communicators must engage in continuous professional development and learning platforms to address existing and future competence gaps.

The visual turn in strategic communication calls for new approaches and solutions. Effective and efficient stakeholder communication must be conducted omnichannel across all suitable platforms and media.

• The mediatization of organizational communication has passed through three phases: 1. mass media as intermediaries, 2. organizations as media producers, 3. Strategic mediatization to address audiences.
• Changes in both media and organizations have brought a hybridization of media content on one side, and an amalgamation of communication practices in organizations on the other.
• Visual communication will grow in importance for European organizations and enhance a post-literal society.

Concepts like diversity, equality and inclusion shape the political agenda in Europe and influence organizational policies and communications alike.

• In Europe is an inclusive leadership style among communication executives preferred, which focuses on shared power on collaborative decision-making.
• High performing communication departments are more often characterized by inclusive leadership, empathy, and a supportive culture.
• Empathic leadership is positively correlated with work engagement, raising commitment and the mental health of team members.

A trend of information disorder raises among communication professionals concerns over the perceived legitimacy of strategic communication practices and of the profession as a whole.

• Especially for communicators in the political and non-profit spaces as well as in contexts of online crisis communication dealing with information disorders is part of their daily business.
• 2/3 of the communication practitioners in Europe rely on individual competencies/ experience of their communication staff to identify (potential) fake news. 8 % installed specific technologies/ systems.
• Enhancing trust among key stakeholders has become a central overarching goal in the daily work of communicators and public relations professionals.