The academic year begins and, with it, we reactivate agendas, ideas, strategies, challenges… and, hopefully, also our thinking. Thinking —reflecting, observing, listening, interpreting — continues to be the best raw material for communicating meaningfully. That is why this post is based on selected readings from a a28> expert voices that I follow closely, and which have allowed me to draw up a small map of coordinates with a view to the upcoming course for those of us who work in communications. This text, admittedly, has been prepared with the help of tools of artificial intelligence, but the view is ours.
Artificial Intelligence, yes, but with method, critical thinking and purpose.
Professor Ramón Salaverría has just announced the launch of NextDigiMedia, a project promoted by the Centre for Digital Research at the University of Navarra. a16> Digital of the University of Navarra – in collaboration with the University of Santiago de Compostela – and coordinated by its Faculty of Communication with the aim of a33> analyse the impact transformative of AI on digital journalism and the ecosystem of the media in Spain.
As explained by Salaverría himself, the project proposes to investigate the models of adoption of artificial intelligence in digital media and its impacts on the media ecosystem in a19> Spanish media ecosystem with the aim of building scenarios for the future of the sector.
It occurs to me that this very approach is the one we should also adopt from corporate communication: less a8> also from the perspective of corporate communication: less dazzle and more understanding. AI is a tool (a powerful one, no doubt), but its true value will liehow it is used to amplify credibility, not to replace it.
As Mónica González Ortín rightly points out, what is at stake is the narrative of trust: attributing, recognising and legitimising the value of those who generate knowledge. In a context of growing mistrust towards AI, organisations that know how to build narratives based on transparency will have not only a technological advantage, but also a reputational one. And as Joaquín Mouriz rightly pointed out in his participation in our podcast El elefante verde, “reputation is business, otherwise what are we talking about?”
Reputation, experience and emotion: the triangle that underpins brands
Mouriz of a step further and remembers something fundamental: the experience of a brand is woven from emotions. We are not talking about sentimentality; we are talking about that capacity—so human—to leave a mark. In his analysis of the barometer by Havas CX, highlights that emotion accounts for 60% of what consumers consider to be a perfect experience. The challenge lies in turning every point of contact, every interaction, into an opportunity to connect. A brand without the ability to move people will struggle to achieve loyalty or differentiate itself.
And this challenges us directly as professionals in communication. In what way are we contributing to building that emotional experience that is consistent with the personality of the brand? a14> emotional consistent with the personality of the organisation? Do we really understand that reputation is no longer just image, but also experience?
Communication is not the problem, but neither can it be the backdrop.
José Manuel Velasco presents a critique of the use (and abuse) of communication as a tool for cosmetic politics: spokespersons who prioritise the photo over action, speeches that take precedence over the facts, strategies that are constructed from the emotion of rejection. All this generates disaffection, yes, but it also puts the legitimacy of the profession itself at risk. If we communicators allow ourselves to be swept along by posturing and renounce a52> the critical gaze, we are collaborating with the mud.
For that reason it is urgent to strengthen our role as honest creators of of the story. It is not a matter of disguising reality, but rather to connect it with meaning. Communication is not the problem, but it can stop being be part of the solution if it is not exercised with responsibility.
Loyalty (properly understood) as the backbone of organisations
Behind this analysis, planning and implementation are the people: professionals who make this open debate possible, who verify the effectiveness and consistency of our thinking and theorising, who accept the challenges that arise from time to time. I really liked Pablo Gonzalo Molina’s review of the concept of professional loyalty because he approaches it from an unusual angle: loyalty is not obedience; it is critical commitment. It is not about keeping quiet to avoid tension or applauding out of habit. A professional who is loyal to their organisation is one who proposes, questions, disagrees… and then, once the decision has been debated, aligns themselves and executes it. This view of loyalty as a drive for improvement — rather than submission — is more necessary than ever in times of strong leadership and groupthink. What a powerful tool for transformation.
Communication, in this sense, fulfils a dual function: it is a symptom of the internal climate and a lever for cultural change. A team where there is no disagreement, where everything is agreed without discussion, probably is not loyal to the organisation. And that, in the medium term, will take its toll.
Narratives of one’s own, listening genuinely and ethically as a driving force
In this exercise of compiling other people’s thoughts, which has been so helpful in getting me started after the holidays, I have found a common thread that I believe is key to tackling this new academic year: we need to generate our own narratives. Let’s stop following other people’s agendas, easy headlines, and urgent but insubstantial issues. Communication should serve to build conversation, not to replicate noise. I realise this is not a new idea, but I cannot resist emphasising it.
And to build conversation, we need to return to real listening, not only externally, but also within our organisations. Listening to what is said, what is not said, what bothers, what inspires, what makes people uncomfortable… and from there, generate value.
Listening will also be the first step in building a solid communicative ethic. Because, as María Ángeles Quesada reminded me in a conversation I enjoyed very much, ethics cannot be imposed; they are built collectively from shared values. And only with ethics can a sustainable reputation be built.
Conclusion;
With this new post, I am not attempting to pass judgement or give definitive answers. a7> give definitive answers. Rather, I dare to draw a map of topics that will set the course: artificial intelligence with purpose, emotion as a factor in reputation, communication as coherent action , loyalty criticism as an organisational value and narratives of one’s own as a driver of of identity.
If anything we have learned from this process —in which also participated an AI—is that technological tools can help us to process, organise and generate content, but ideas, decisions and vision strategic continue to be unquestionably human.
So then, with pencils sharpened, notebooks blank or keyboards charged, let’s begin the course. With thought. With judgement. With purpose.
We’ll see you on the road.
