The scenario we have been living with over the last year, which few could have considered in their strategic planning, has taken companies by surprise and forced them to adapt in order to ensure their survival. To what extent has Communication a role in this transformation and how is it being considered by companies and integrated into an overall business strategy, in the face of current and future challenges?

Since long-term planning was no longer possible, management had to start thinking differently. Even organizations with a robust structure have felt the need to learn, flex and adapt. The importance of strategic vision will remain, but action plans promise to vary according to specific challenges.

There is an awareness that companies that continue to invest in innovation will come out of this situation better prepared. The automation of processes and the implementation of new business models, which allow for an increase in productivity and growth in multiple channels, also seem to be some of the ways forward for companies.

Few companies are aware of the benefits of making room for communication, understood in a broad sense and not just product/service communication, to contribute to the competitiveness of organizations. It should take on a strategic role, more comprehensive and transversal, and be at the basis of the way the company positions itself in the market.

With the restrictions imposed on the movement of people, proximity to the customer has become a challenge, as most of the contact points for establishing relationships and building trust seem to have disappeared. Knowing that communication must be relational, personalized, genuine and based on proximity, companies have had to reinvent themselves in different relationship formats to which they were not accustomed.

The specific challenges brought about by the current crisis have introduced a profound digitalization of business activity. This technological boost was already on the horizon for many organizations, but it has now emerged with increased urgency and speed of implementation and promises to leave those who don't make the effort behind. The search for alternative ways of purchasing products and services has led to a consumer who is looking for innovation and who craves more disruptive and efficient solutions.

We are therefore looking for ways to mitigate the impact and consequences of the crisis, something in which digital plays a central role. This will be the means of trying to maintain active contact with customers, partners and suppliers. We are in a transitional phase and the opportunity is there to complement the physical with the digital.

Communication is now an increasingly important function, taking on a new priority position in the strategic thinking of many companies. Considered the "voice" of brands, Communication is, at a time when the relationship between organizations and their stakeholders takes on even more importance, an anchor to inspire trust and undertake the transition to a post-pandemic world.

Ana Raposo, lecturer at the School of Social Communication, and Marta Gonçalves, Managing Partner of SayU Consulting

In Briefing