Communication isn’t what it used to be...

Imagine walking out to grab a newspaper and a hot dog — and finding a theme park instead. TikTok’s running the carousel, LinkedIn’s holding panels on every bench, creators are selling out arenas, and AI shows up like an intern who’s had a triple espresso. The audience? Always moving, fragmented, and increasingly sceptical. Welcome to The Shift.

Communication? Everyone’s dancing to their own beat. Photo: AI-generated

Communication? Everyone’s dancing to their own beat. Photo: AI

The audience has left the building (and isn’t planning to return)

The old plan — “send a press release and wait for the front page” — now sounds like baking a cake without an oven or guests. People consume snackable videos on trams, newsletters at dawn, and podcasts while ironing. One story must live multiple lives: a 30-second video, a three-slide carousel, a short newsletter, and the CEO’s LinkedIn post. If you can’t fit your message into one sharp sentence, it won’t work in two hundred.

Mini case: A logistics company launches a new service. Instead of an 18-page PDF, they drop a short before/after video, an operations director’s LinkedIn story, a Q&A blog, and a webinar cut into five clips. Every segment of the audience finds its own entry point.

Traditional media still breathe—but their table’s getting smaller

TV and daily papers still carry weight and credibility. But the bill now includes social media, newsletters, podcasts, and creators. There’s no “holy channel” anymore—you need orchestration: press for authority, social for reach and dialogue, owned channels for message control. Measure everything, and shift your budget to where the real ping happens.

Creators are the new editors

In B2B, creators aren’t just “influencers”—they’re experts who tell better stories. They have trust, rhythm, and context. Choose relevance, not just follower counts. Give them material and direction, but let their voice lead.

Mini case: A SaaS brand partners with a niche LinkedIn creator for a “Week with Our Tool” series. Raw, unfiltered. More qualified demo leads than a month of banner ads. The secret? Trust + context.

LinkedIn: the new B2B television

LinkedIn’s no longer a résumé board—it’s a daily business show. Best performers: short videos, carousels, “stories from the field,” and honest reflections on mistakes and lessons learned. The first line is the hook. Add subtitles. One call to action.

Mini case: “Two Minutes from the Factory – How We Cut Scrap by 12%.” Raw but real. Colleague comments, conference invites, and from the stage to leads—it’s just one microphone away.

Social-first, not “leftovers from the press release”

If you start with a press release and then “shorten it” for social media—that’s like trying to fit a roast pig into sushi. Today, stories are often born on social and then expanded into blogs, newsletters, and media pieces. In a crisis, speak where people actually listen: fast, clear, empathetic. Your channels are your megaphone—and your archive.

Trust: fragile as porcelain, heavy as stone

People now value show me over promise me. Three pillars: transparency (truth fast, even when it stings), consistency (same inside and out), and proof (numbers, certificates, case studies).

Mini case: Wrong invoices sent? Instead of “we’re investigating,” send a note explaining what happened, who’s affected, what’s fixed, and how you’ll prevent it next time. It hurts short-term, but reputation compounds.

Disinformation: lies sprint while truth ties its shoelaces

From deepfakes to “we heard your product…” rumours, this is the new weather forecast. You need a radar (listening), one source of truth (an updated fact hub), credible messengers (experts, users), and training (simulations).

Mini case: A false claim spreads about product safety. Publish a short video of your R&D lead in the lab—showing the test, standards, and certificate. Imperfect lighting, perfect credibility.

AI: the fast intern full of surprises

AI is great for ideas, summaries, transcripts, A/B headlines, and comment analysis. It’s also brilliant at confident nonsense. Use it for research, structuring, and shortening—but don’t let it handle tone, empathy, or facts. Set house rules: what it’s allowed to do, how it’s labelled, and who checks it.

Mini case: From one webinar, AI generates a transcript, summary, and five clip ideas. The team polishes titles and checks facts. One week of content from one event—no AI sludge.

GEO is the new SEO

More people now ask AI than Google. If you’re missing from those answers, you don’t exist in that storefront. Generative Engine Optimization means: clear FAQ structure, crisp definitions, original case studies, clean technical metadata, and visible human authors. AI loves well-labelled menus.

B2B buyers: younger, larger, smarter

Purchasing decisions now involve an orchestra—IT, finance, operations—with a digitally native conductor who loves self-service info. They’re often 60–80% through the decision before ever talking to sales.

What to build: a content library for every stage (“what is it?” → ROI calculator), a digital showroom (demo and docs without pain), ABM personalisation, and marriage counselling for sales and marketing with shared KPIs. When the lead finally calls, they want a conversation—not a lecture.

How to survive all this (and still sleep at home)

In 90 days, audit your topics, pick one big message and five small variations. Record three short videos, write two blogs (education + case), host one Q&A, and slice it into microformats. Set a posting rhythm and a basic listening radar. In the background, publish two or three proofs (case with data, certificate, team behind the scenes) and update your FAQ—for both humans and AI.

Fewer slogans, more proof (and a pinch of humour)

In the noise, those who speak clearly, show regularly, and learn fast—win. Instead of “innovative solutions for digital transformation in synergy with partners,” say: “We cut truck waiting times from 7 hours to 2. Here’s how.” People love numbers, stories, and people. Slogans are for T-shirts.

Fridge mantra: one story, many formats. People before logos. Speed + truth = trust. AI assists, you sign off. GEO shapes the search future. Content feeds sales.

Much work?

Yes. But perfection isn’t the goal—rhythm is. Standardise what you can. Ship something useful every week. In the 2025 media amusement park, winners aren’t the loudest ones—they’re the ones who show up consistently, bring real value, and dare to tell verifiable, human stories. No pyjamas. No frosting. Just clear, human—and regular.