Communications professional, be real: these are the trends of 2016 [research]
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2025 9:10 am
Communication professionals still mainly use methods that are focused on sending and little on listening. They describe the communication profession as sober and conservative and indicate that the influence of the so-called network society is clearly noticeable in the profession, as is the trend real-time. These are the most important results of the research that the Communication Panel conducted among communication professionals about trends and developments in practice.
Trends and phenomena investigated
According to professor of transition studies Jan Rotmans, Dutch society is tilting. Do communication professionals recognize this tilt? Are the trends formulated by Logeion noticeable in daily practice? And to what extent is 'the dialogue' recommended by Noelle Aarts (professor of strategic communication) used as an instrument?
Method of the research
An online survey was used to question communication professionals about a number of phenomena and trends that are much talked about: the shift in society, dialogue in austria telegram number list communication and four (social) trends that influence the profession of communication. Do 'comprofs' actually recognise these developments and trends in their daily practice? And what influence do these developments and trends have on the way in which they communicate?
The Communication Panel is the online research platform of Logeion and research agency DirectResearch. 144 communication professionals took part in the survey, which means that the results at least give a good indication of the ideas that prevail.
Is our society tilting?
Rotmans claims that the Netherlands is in a period of transition. He is researching the transition of society and is actively trying to contribute to it. According to him, the phenomenon of 'transition' will ensure that our country will change in the coming years into a new society in which power relations as we know them have been radically changed.
The participants in the study appear to have considerable confidence in Rotmans' statements. Three quarters agree with his statement that we will see a shift in society in 2016. Shifting means that more and more social and economic activities (energy, transport, housing, insurance, etc.) will be organised by citizen collectives. This development will lead to a society in which local initiatives can flourish 'from the bottom up'.
Will we tip in 2016? n=145
Will we tip in 2016? n=145
The role of large companies, governments and institutions is drastically diminishing in the tilted society, unless they gain trust by being truly authentic and having an open dialogue with customers and citizens. The survey asked about the extent to which the work of the communications professional is expected to change due to the increasing need for honesty, transparency and authenticity among citizens and/or customers. More than half of the respondents think that the work will change a lot as a result, more than a third think that there will be change, but little.
Is it really happening that fast and that radically?
Personally, I think that a complete change in society is too radical an idea. Ideologically, Rotmans would like to see such a change take place. Initiatives in which consumers or citizens speak out more are certainly recognizable. Projects that are started with crowd-funding, for example, also have characteristics of a change, but as far as I am concerned, there is no real change.
I presented the results of this research to Edwin van de Haar , board member of Logeion and involved in the Advisory Council Positioning of the Professional and Vocational Group of Logeion. He responded to the results of the 'tilt questions': "I personally do not see this tilt towards citizen collectives happening anytime soon, let alone that a year could be attached to it. I am always very wary of these kinds of big words and would like communication professionals to be more critical of such announcements. Let us remain sober and critical."
I wish communication professionals would also be a bit more critical of such announcements. Let's remain sober and critical.
Communications profession sober and conservative
When asked: 'how is the communications profession viewed in this changing world and what is the role of the communications professional?', more than a quarter of respondents chose 'sober, the profession is a beacon in a world that is chasing all kinds of fleeting trends'. Comprofs are not fooled by old wine in new bottles. The same number of respondents chose 'conservative'. According to them, too little is changing in the way in which the communications professional works in general, while society is changing rapidly and people want to be addressed differently.
'Innovative' was chosen by 17 percent. This part of the respondents sees communication professionals effervescent and sees them as pioneers in the rapidly changing society. Many open answers were also given (by 29 percent). Examples of this are: "I see many comprofs speaking for their own audience. They forget that large groups of people do not participate or participate very little. We have a major role in taking people who do not participate." Another example: "Trends are more in marketing, but communication does connect quickly, sometimes without a good strategy, a development that we must guard against. Strategy must become leading again, but then based on analysis." Or: "The rest of the organization is increasingly realizing that people want to be addressed differently. We have been saying that in communication for years."
Trends and phenomena investigated
According to professor of transition studies Jan Rotmans, Dutch society is tilting. Do communication professionals recognize this tilt? Are the trends formulated by Logeion noticeable in daily practice? And to what extent is 'the dialogue' recommended by Noelle Aarts (professor of strategic communication) used as an instrument?
Method of the research
An online survey was used to question communication professionals about a number of phenomena and trends that are much talked about: the shift in society, dialogue in austria telegram number list communication and four (social) trends that influence the profession of communication. Do 'comprofs' actually recognise these developments and trends in their daily practice? And what influence do these developments and trends have on the way in which they communicate?
The Communication Panel is the online research platform of Logeion and research agency DirectResearch. 144 communication professionals took part in the survey, which means that the results at least give a good indication of the ideas that prevail.
Is our society tilting?
Rotmans claims that the Netherlands is in a period of transition. He is researching the transition of society and is actively trying to contribute to it. According to him, the phenomenon of 'transition' will ensure that our country will change in the coming years into a new society in which power relations as we know them have been radically changed.
The participants in the study appear to have considerable confidence in Rotmans' statements. Three quarters agree with his statement that we will see a shift in society in 2016. Shifting means that more and more social and economic activities (energy, transport, housing, insurance, etc.) will be organised by citizen collectives. This development will lead to a society in which local initiatives can flourish 'from the bottom up'.
Will we tip in 2016? n=145
Will we tip in 2016? n=145
The role of large companies, governments and institutions is drastically diminishing in the tilted society, unless they gain trust by being truly authentic and having an open dialogue with customers and citizens. The survey asked about the extent to which the work of the communications professional is expected to change due to the increasing need for honesty, transparency and authenticity among citizens and/or customers. More than half of the respondents think that the work will change a lot as a result, more than a third think that there will be change, but little.
Is it really happening that fast and that radically?
Personally, I think that a complete change in society is too radical an idea. Ideologically, Rotmans would like to see such a change take place. Initiatives in which consumers or citizens speak out more are certainly recognizable. Projects that are started with crowd-funding, for example, also have characteristics of a change, but as far as I am concerned, there is no real change.
I presented the results of this research to Edwin van de Haar , board member of Logeion and involved in the Advisory Council Positioning of the Professional and Vocational Group of Logeion. He responded to the results of the 'tilt questions': "I personally do not see this tilt towards citizen collectives happening anytime soon, let alone that a year could be attached to it. I am always very wary of these kinds of big words and would like communication professionals to be more critical of such announcements. Let us remain sober and critical."
I wish communication professionals would also be a bit more critical of such announcements. Let's remain sober and critical.
Communications profession sober and conservative
When asked: 'how is the communications profession viewed in this changing world and what is the role of the communications professional?', more than a quarter of respondents chose 'sober, the profession is a beacon in a world that is chasing all kinds of fleeting trends'. Comprofs are not fooled by old wine in new bottles. The same number of respondents chose 'conservative'. According to them, too little is changing in the way in which the communications professional works in general, while society is changing rapidly and people want to be addressed differently.
'Innovative' was chosen by 17 percent. This part of the respondents sees communication professionals effervescent and sees them as pioneers in the rapidly changing society. Many open answers were also given (by 29 percent). Examples of this are: "I see many comprofs speaking for their own audience. They forget that large groups of people do not participate or participate very little. We have a major role in taking people who do not participate." Another example: "Trends are more in marketing, but communication does connect quickly, sometimes without a good strategy, a development that we must guard against. Strategy must become leading again, but then based on analysis." Or: "The rest of the organization is increasingly realizing that people want to be addressed differently. We have been saying that in communication for years."