As the world changes into a multipolar world, countries like China are losing interest in English as a foreign language. This will force Western companies to learn, trade and do business in local languages. Their reputations will be built or broken based on how they adapt to local culture and how consumers relate to their brand and values.

How strategy, strategic communications and stakeholder engagements can help mitigate the risks and turbulence of 2025.

Five trends to look out for in 2025, from the development of a multipolar world and the rise of quantum computing to ESG and digital transformation trends. Strategy, strategic communications and stakeholder engagement will help businesses grow.

Battenhall released its 2025 ‘The Year Ahead In Social’ report, which highlighted the rise in ‘dark social’ as a channel that people continue to move towards in a hyper-polarised environment. People want relevance and authenticity from brands that engage with them. Going siloed is becoming a trend.

Consultation on the UK’s new Industrial Strategy has closed. What is needed is the establishment of a culture of collaboration that unlocks the value in the innovation that ranks us fifth in the global innovation index. Business executives need to reposition themselves if they are to benefit from the high-tech future being designed by the new Labour government.

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism published an article this week that discussed the growing trend of news avoidance amongst specific audience groups. The establishment of ‘news avoidance’ is having a profound implication not just for governments but also for businesses and their efforts to build and manage their reputations.

The BBC announced earlier this week that its Hardtalk show, presented by Stephen Sackur and broadcast on the BBC News Channel in the UK and internationally on BBC World News, was being axed.

While the BBC is in a difficult place because of its treatment by the previous Conservative government, who held the view that the license fee was outdated and biased against them, as a public service broadcaster, cutting respected news and journalism programmes is creating an environment that damages the UK and its image and reputation abroad.

Every company, government and investor has a strategy. Every organisation will have hundreds of strategies, but many of these guiding documents are not strategies. Many are not even aligned with a vision or destination but are instead a collection of tactical activities that fail to deliver true value. Here are some tips to help unlock strategic rewards.

strategic stakeholder engagement is more than who you know. It is about strategy and knowing the route to delivering positive outcomes. The skills needed are complex, but vital in today's business, investment and political world.