In the post-pandemic world, communication must be even more astute and interactive to captivate the audience’s interest. At this juncture, it is undeniably evident that the year 2020 was unparalleled, and humanity has yet to fully recover and return to the old normal. Many believe that the world we currently live in is our new normal, and there is no going back. It is easy to believe when we reflect on the past three years.

The force of change no one saw

The pandemic caught organizations off guard, leaving many unprepared for the exponential growth in the need for internal and external communication during such times. Even the government of Finland was inadequately equipped to handle the COVID-19 crisis, despite remarkable and exceptionally successful citizen communication.

Keeping the package together required not only a lot of change in leadership but also entirely new approaches to communication. Organizations that were not familiar with modern tools like Doodle, Flinga, MS Teams, Miro, Mural, and Zoom had to work diligently to keep up with the pace. Organizations unfamiliar with modern tools such as Doodle, Flinga, MS Teams, Miro, Mural, and Zoom had to exert tremendous effort to keep up with the pace.

At the same time, new technological solutions had to be found to reach stakeholders, given that conventional and secure channels like digital advertising displays stagnated or even ceased to exist. The pandemic became an unforeseen catalyst for change, catching everyone off guard, but it could very well have been an indispensable facilitator of workplace transformation.

Thanks to diverse new digital tools, communication has become faster and more direct than ever before, rendering geographical and temporal constraints increasingly irrelevant. It was as though the entire world suddenly discovered its inner digital native and unleashed it all at once.

The escalating cacophony

Multichannel communication and enhanced efficiency come with their downsides. The sheer volume of communication noise, represented by the countless messages ricocheting across cyberspace, has grown exponentially, making it even more challenging to stand out from the crowd.

This has forced an elevation of the level of communication. Messages must exude greater quality, cleverness, strategic thinking, and, above all, interactivity compared to the past. It is no longer sufficient to expect the audience to read a message solely because someone made the effort to send it.

Furthermore, the size of the budget no longer guarantees message delivery. Drive, passion, and determination are needed. Emotions, stories, and interpretations have become even more vital components of communication. The audience can no longer be deceived by mere trinkets; communication must be meaningful. It is necessary to speak the audience’s language both literally and figuratively.

Consequently, these circumstances impose significant pressure on professionals in the field of communication. Simultaneously, they present unparalleled opportunities for professional growth and development. Not to mention the broader job market that has opened up to them due to growth.

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