New challenges, new campaign techniques, new opportunities

This year has brought a storm of new challenges for UK corporate affairs teams. Geopolitical tensions, economic pressures, political uncertainty and daily twists have been inescapable for many.

But despite being buffeted by such headwinds, chief communicators are optimistic that their teams can create opportunities to build corporate resilience, according to a group gathered by BPI in London yesterday.

And while seeking opportunity at a time seemingly loaded with risk may seem a confident move, the consensus was that new techniques and technologies bring the capability to get a firmer grip on how to create those opportunities — and understand, in a much-altered media environment — what action would matter most.

The lunchtime roundtable conversation centred on how campaigns can power change most effectively – change in reputation, policy, government relations or customer trust.

Perhaps inevitably, the conversation was broad, spanning what media and content actually influence audiences and conversations, what the most significant media stories were in the UK this summer, the ever-increasing need for agility and corporate affairs empowerment, how clients and agencies can best work together to create new opportunities through campaigns, and the part reputation resilience plays in sectors caught up in political crossfire.

We also discussed content engagement data and the most influential voices on the UK’s biggest stories, using analysis drawn from our new ChangeOS platform.

Here are some key takeaways from our guests:

• Messaging is now often political and needs testing: Brands can be drawn into debates they never expected, and reputations can be lost overnight.

• Community building matters: Community has always been powerful, but we must evolve across new digital and technological arenas, and reach communities where they convene.

• Localisation matters: One-size-fits-all campaigns rarely land. Messages resonate differently in different markets and stories can evolve quickly across geographic boundaries.

• Trust in AI is a communications question: Will people believe what comes from a human more than from a machine? How brands manage that trust gap will be critical.

• Strength in numbers: Most organisations are grappling with the same challenges, and we can learn from one another — and from past events.

• Resonance is everything: Being known for something can be both a brand’s biggest strength, even if it can come with risk.

• Digital underinvestment is a threat: Companies that under-invest in social and digital platforms and put disproportionate focus onto traditional media risk losing touch and losing out on potential to drive reputational gains

• Final thought: In a volatile environment when risk seems abundant, it would be easy to make the case for inaction. But the greatest risk is doing nothing at all; corporate affairs teams need to take control of their own narratives.

Much ground covered, and thanks again for our guests and other corporate affairs directors we’ve spoken to recently for their inputs on changing priorities in challenging and uncertain times.

One thing is certain: you’ll be seeing more from us about campaigns that power change.