Corporate communications leaders at some of the world's largest organisations have adopted "strategic silence" as their default position, staying quiet on potentially divisive issues even when they could authentically speak out.That is the headline finding of the latest Ipsos Reputation Council report, "Life After Predictability," based on 200 one-to-one conversations with senior communications and corporate affairs leaders from 21 global markets. The Council was created in 2009. According to the report, 84% of Reputation Council members said their organisation takes political factors into consideration when deciding whether to speak up about an issue.But 61% said that even if their organisation could authentically speak up, they preferred to stay quiet on potentially divisive issues. That marks a sharp shift from last year, when just 32% said they preferred to stay quiet on contentious topics and 21% said they still preferred to speak up.More than a third, 35%, admitted that in the last 12 months, their organisation had stayed quiet on issues it previously would have spoken out about.Only 17% of Council members agree that their "strategic silence" is a sign of corporate cowardice. The report does not clarify what, other than concerns about potential backlash, is motivating the hesitancy. ESG Goes QuietThe impact is most visible in ESG communications. Almost a quarter, 22%, said they had consciously under-communicated credible ESG progress in the past year.Those still communicating about ESG achievements are doing so in a much more targeted way, with 61% admitting their ESG communications are more targeted than ever.Council members told Ipsos that commitments to more polarising topics like DEI remain, but organisations are less likely to communicate when goals are achieved or "shout loudly" about DEI and ESG topics as they might have in the past."For many organisations, strategic silence has become a deliberate response to a more fragmented, polarised and unpredictable environment," said Milorad Ajder, global service line leader, corporate reputation at Ipsos. "The challenge for communicators today is exercising judgement: knowing which issues to engage with, which battles to fight, and how to help organisations make sound decisions when certainty is unavailable."AI Surge, Governance GapThe other defining theme is artificial intelligence."Meaningful" AI use among Council members has risen from 43% in 2025 to 76% in 2026.Yet only 12% believe their organisation's existing ethical policies are sufficient for AI adoption, highlighting growing concerns around trust, accountability and governance. While respondents said AI has made content cheaper, faster and easier to produce, it is also placing a new premium on human judgement.Council members consistently described LLMs becoming an "intermediary" between organisations and their audiences, influencing what stakeholders learn, believe and share, renewing the importance of earned media and reinforcing the role of reputation in decision-making.Populism As Material RiskCommunications leaders also described a more fragmented stakeholder environment where consensus is harder to achieve and trade-offs increasingly unavoidable.Nearly half, 46%, said populism represents a material risk to their organisation, which Ipsos said reinforces "the need for communicators to help leaders navigate competing expectations, define non-negotiable principles and determine what backlash the organisation can afford to absorb." Future communicators, Ipsos said, "will need to combine storytelling and relationship-building with AI fluency, data literacy, commercial awareness and resilience. Across the report's findings, judgement emerges as a growing source of competitive advantage as information becomes more abundant and machine-generated."(Photo by Smartworks Coworking on Unsplash)

The communications function has undergone a seismic shift. In a year dominated by global instability, artificial intelligence, and political polarisation, the world’s top communicators have emerged as strategic power brokers inside the boardroom, reveals the Ipsos Reputation Council Report 2025.The 18th edition of the annual study, which surveyed 161 senior communications leaders across 19 markets, paints a stark picture of “persistent turbulence” — a world where the traditional corporate playbook no longer works and where the Chief Communications Officer (CCO) now operates as a strategic sense-maker, geopolitical analyst, and crisis advisor. “Each morning brings the question, ‘What fresh hell is this?’ It is the CCO who must provide the answer,” said one Council Member quoted in the report.Geopolitics Replaces Marketing as the New Boardroom AgendaWhen asked about their biggest concerns, Council Members had one unanimous response — “geopolitics, geopolitics, geopolitics.”The report highlights that the once-clear boundary between business strategy and global politics has disappeared. Trade wars, tariff shifts, and ongoing global conflicts have made geopolitics the single biggest driver of corporate risk in 2025.CCOs are now expected to act as geopolitical risk monitors, interpreting international developments for boards and CEOs. Messages that work in one country can trigger backlash in another, forcing global brands to tread carefully. “How what we say in one market impacts another has never been more critical,” the report noted.From Corporate Activism to Strategic SilenceIn a polarised world, companies are increasingly choosing silence over statement. Ipsos terms this new behaviour as the rise of “Strategic Silence.”Only 21% of communications leaders prefer their organisations to speak out on divisive issues, while 32% prefer to stay quiet. Nearly half (47%) say it depends on the situation — a sign of calculated caution replacing moral posturing.Many organisations are now turning inward, continuing to support internal DEI and ESG initiatives quietly while avoiding public declarations that might invite political backlash. As one respondent said, “We’re more likely to stay quiet externally, but ensure our people know they’re supported internally.”AI: The Tool Everyone Uses but Few TrustWhile 57% of communicators say they use AI tools daily, only 43% believe they use it meaningfully, down from 58% last year — signalling growing scepticism.Only 11% of respondents feel existing ethical policies are adequate to manage AI’s risks. The report warns that communicators are walking a tightrope between AI-driven efficiency and potential reputational disasters caused by deepfakes, misinformation, and algorithmic bias. “AI is not coming to take your job. A person who knows how to use AI well is coming to take your job,” the report quotes one CCO as saying.Ipsos urges companies to move from mere adoption to strategic integration — developing internal ethical frameworks and building human oversight into every stage of AI deployment.ESG’s Pragmatic Era BeginsThe once-dominant ESG narrative is facing a credibility crisis.Nearly 80% of CCOs believe companies will become more cautious about ESG communications over the next year, and 75% agree that corporate leaders are diluting their public commitments. Yet 52% say ESG principles are now more deeply integrated into business operations than ever before.Ipsos calls this shift “the pragmatic era of ESG” — where purpose moves from press releases to boardrooms.Only 33% of respondents believe the term “ESG” itself is still effective. The rest are discarding the acronym in favour of direct conversations on climate risk, workforce equity, and supply chain resilience.CCO: The CEO’s Indispensable AllyThe report underscores a new corporate reality — the CCO now has a seat at the strategy table.A massive 91% of Council Members say they have direct access to their CEO, marking the highest level of influence ever recorded. The relationship, forged in crisis, has turned communicators into “trusted advisors and strategic powerhouses.” “Communication has become a fundamental factor in shaping the structure of organisations,” said one European Council Member.The CCO’s expanding remit now spans risk analysis, stakeholder management, ESG, internal culture, and AI ethics — transforming them into one of the most indispensable roles in the C-suite.The Bottom LineThe Ipsos report sums it up best: turbulence is no longer a passing phase — it’s the atmosphere businesses now operate in.As global crises overlap and reputational stakes rise, companies are turning to communicators not just for messaging, but for meaning. “The seatbelt sign never turns off anymore,” writes Milorad Ajder, Global Service Line Leader, Corporate Reputation, Ipsos. “The CCO is the one keeping the plane steady.”