Just as the industrial economy was marked by the expansion of markets, the incorporation of new spaces and the mass of workers, the post-COVID-19 'new situation' points to digital transformation and innovation.
Although there is no predefined plan or magic recipes, communication is a strategic and transversal factor in the innovation and digital transformation processes that underpin the survival and growth of companies.
While society looks to scientific and technological research for answers to the reality imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, business is searching for its own answers in the sea of doubt of the 'new normal'. These contradictory words define the situation we are facing, obviously complex and unfamiliar, where business has a central role to play in economic development and, consequently, in social welfare.
Just as the distribution and logistics sector has adapted to consumer behaviour, the other sectors must do the same and adapt their communication plans to their new needs. The 'new normal' anticipates economic risks that have more to do with citizens' expectations than with the slowdown in economic activity itself.. We are therefore faced with the perception of risk as a key element in understanding social trends. In this context, the quality of communication as a strategic and transversal factor is intuited.
Communication is a strategic business factor in the face of the 'new normal', where innovation is no longer an option, but a pressing necessity.. We must contribute to the implementation of a culture of innovation and, in particular, communication professionals must explore new tools that allow us to exchange information and knowledge with our audiences.
Communicators are a fundamental part of organisational innovation in companies and institutions.. We can incorporate other audiences into the communication plan, connecting employees, customers, regulators, stakeholdersThe media, among others. The best communication, therefore, requires planning actions and conceptualising who we are addressing in order to target and collect information. Communication is essential to involve the company's audiences in its activity.. This implies maintaining an active listening strategy, as risk communication must be two-way if it is to be effective. Obviously, such communication must be established with openness and honesty, in order to build trust and credibility.
In this area, we, as professionals, identify rapidly changing social trends and highlight aspects such as the visibility of production close to the consumer.. We help to anticipate scenarios in times of uncertainty that can put business activity on the media agenda. All this without neglecting internal communication, as the company is responsible to its employees as a source of truthful and correct information of interest, even to become a reference against disinformation and hoaxes..
The pandemic has made it necessary for journalists and other media professionals to translate complex and variable knowledge into plain language, intelligible to the lay public.. Just as there are specialised journalists who report on advances in science to satisfy an audience that demands more objective information and more in-depth treatment, there are specialised professionals who incorporate it into the business organisation as an essential asset. One of the company's organisational solutions is to develop an effective communication strategy or formulas that incorporate it as a key asset along with simplifying processes and taking advantage of the environment and proximity.
Nowadays, there are many reasons for a proactive communication policy, which is more efficient if it incorporates active, two-way listening as a fundamental tool in its policies. For this purpose, it is necessary to follow social networks as active channels where elements that shape perception are identified..
Communication in the 'new normal' is like an insurance policy: a fixed cost that prevents further costs.
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Journalist specialising in science, technology and innovation and doctorate in journalism from the Carlos III University of Madrid. Experience as a communication advisor in the Ministries of Economy, Industry y Competitiveness and later in the Science, Innovation and Universities. Previously, he was Director of International Communications and Outreach (public outreach) in the Energy City Foundationwhere he assumed responsibility for the social perception of the Compostilla Project in the eyes of the European Commission to develop CO2 capture, transport and storage technology in Spain. During this period he was responsible for Communication at the Spanish CO2 Platform. For 6 years he coordinated the Master in Journalism and Communication of Science, Technology and the Environment at the Carlos III University of Madrid. Prior to that, he worked in the communications departments of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE), Repsol YPF and Consejo Superior de Titulados Mercantiles y Empresariales de España (Higher Council of Commercial and Business Graduates of Spain).