6 insights from our Comms Survival Toolkit event
By Camille Penrose
In an era of AI-generated noise and dissolving boundaries between policy and PR, how does a communications professional stay indispensable?
This was the central question at our Comms Survival Toolkit event, held in March. The conversations from our panelists – Lucy Newcomb, Libby Mudie and Natasha Brack – stayed with us long after the room cleared, surfacing several critical skills
Several strong themes cut through the discussion. They’ll likely feel familiar to anyone working in corporate affairs, comms, policy or large‑scale transformation.
1. Consistency is still the quiet superpower.
In a world obsessed with campaigns, launches and big moments, there was a compelling reminder that “boringly consistent” communication is both underrated and rare.
Clear, aligned messages, repeated over time, build trust and credibility in a way no single splashy moment ever can. Consistency isn’t passive: it’s a strategic discipline.
2. The walls between comms, policy and regulation are dissolving.
We’re seeing the continued rise of integrated corporate and public affairs ecosystems, where communications is no longer a downstream function but part of how organisations navigate risk, reputation and regulation in real time.
That shift demands stronger business and policy literacy, deeper partnerships with legal and regulatory teams, and a seat at the table earlier.
3. AI is changing how we work, not why we’re needed.
The panel’s conversation on AI was refreshingly pragmatic. Yes, it’s streamlining workflows and reducing friction. No, it isn’t replacing communicators. If anything, it’s making human judgement more valuable than ever.
When content is faster and easier to produce, what matters most is what you choose to say and how you frame it.
And yes, there are lots of applicants using AI to create their CVs, and recruiters are seeing many submissions that look exactly the same.
If you’re a communications professional, use those communication skills and showcase your own narrative in your own voice.
4. In an age of specialisation, range matters again.
Alongside specialists, there’s growing value in communicators who can connect dots across disciplines like comms, policy, stakeholder engagement, leadership and digital. Not instead of depth, but alongside it.
5. It still takes courage to show up.
Whether it’s a new CEO fronting externally, a reframed narrative, or a bold shift in positioning, visibility is never automatic.
It takes psychological safety, preparation and care not to push leaders into spaces they’re not ready for. The comms role here is nuanced: part strategist, part coach, part protector of organisational culture.
6. The channel mix keeps shifting.
As platforms evolve and creators and owned ecosystems grow (from podcasts to publisher‑style content), organisations are thinking more like media companies: building owned audiences, experimenting with formats and rethinking what “reach” really means.
If there was one unifying takeaway, it’s this: the fundamentals of communication haven’t changed, but the context absolutely has. More complexity. More overlap. More pressure to be both fast and thoughtful. Which makes the basics like clarity, consistency, judgement and courage more important than ever.
Thank you to our speakers and wonderful audience who joined us for the event.
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