This weekend I was thinking about how the communications field has evolved since I started Three Furies twelve years ago.
Three things stand out to me:
1️⃣ Smart organizations have learned that their comms team needs a seat at just about every table. Trying to attract more talent? We can contribute ideas for messaging and outreach. Need to pivot your product or program offering? Let’s think through all the possible perceptions of that change and work on a timeline for implementation. Restructuring? Merger? Acquisition? They all have comms implications and must be considered alongside their operational planning.
2️⃣ This integration has made it more important than ever to bring the right team to the table. We’ve been lucky through the years to work closely with our colleagues William Schroeder and Siobhan Burns on branding projects for law firms, and benefited greatly from their research and strategic insights.
On the nonprofit side, our partnership with Nancy Berglass has supported the change management and operational coordination that a new positioning requires.
This also extends to our client relationships. It’s rarely just a hand-off of deliverables now. We debate and argue about strategies; test and socialize tactics; analyze and question performance data. Then we spend time figuring out what’s next—together. This is my most favorite trend because I appreciate the trust and the mutual respect that this kind of relationship engenders.
3️⃣ Comms work is more dynamic and resource intensive than ever before. Social media is a beast that needs constant feeding. SEO wants fresh content and algorithms reward video and everything needs to be accessible. Technology changes so quickly that website teams are in a state of constant cycles of design-build-launch-repeat. Consumers are more savvy and have higher expectations for visuals so everything needs a design eye. Yet internal teams are chronically understaffed and undervalued.
I love being part of a field that is constantly evolving and I’m glad that communications are playing a more integrated role in change management. In the midst of the chaos I try to remember how important the authenticity of each message is, and fight for every chance to connect and comfort teams and customers with clarity and empathy.
Three Furies is a certified woman-owned business, brand, and content strategy agency with deep experience in the legal marketing sector, including digital marketing analysis, brand and digital design, communications strategy, and advertising campaigns. We also produce bespoke wine tasting experiences for client development and employee resource groups through our sister company Tipsy.