The communications profession looked very different when I started the adventure that ultimately led to the Issuemakers twenty-five years ago. I was mainly concerned with what you could now call marketing PR. And since then the profession has of course broadened enormously and I am happy that I have also been able to gain experience with public affairs, campaigning or spokesperson during my career. What became increasingly clear to me is that I wanted to work for organizations and projects that are socially relevant. Something that, with today's knowledge, you could call 'organizations with a purpose'.
Our profession is currently at an interesting crossroads: on the one hand, you see more and more divisions emerging, communication specialisms that are defining themselves. At the same time, you also see an increasing integration of disciplines that previously had little or no interaction with each other. And that is a development that I applaud: both on the agency side and in communications departments within organizations. I must note that integration within the communications departments seems to be happening less quickly than that within agencies. That probably has to do with the discipline of the market.
It is great to see that our profession, the communications industry, is becoming increasingly mature and that it increasingly has a voice at the boardroom table. Communication departments are becoming more mature, communication professionals are becoming more skilled (and assertive), agencies are becoming more mature and, fortunately, the courses at both colleges and universities are also following this trend. If you look at the current range of courses on offer, I almost wish I was eighteen or nineteen years old again and could start a course.
And how does Issuemakers fit into this development? Are we future-proof? I dare to answer that with a resounding yes. My experience is that many organizations – whether profit or non-profit organizations – are still at the beginning of their development to add meaning to society. Commercial interests often still come first. And that is precisely where we can and want to make a difference with the Issuemakers. You do see that companies, but also non-profit organizations, are quickly choosing to exchange a reactive past for a much more proactive way of operating. Environmental sensitivity is becoming increasingly important and Boards of Directors and Supervisory Boards are increasingly aware of their social role. The obligation they have to society. The role that social media plays in this should of course not be underestimated. Where you used to be able to put up a smokescreen, it is increasingly critical journalists, activist stakeholders or own employees who expose the thoughts and actions of an organization. And that offers us the opportunity to make a difference.
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