Distinctive Dispatch #21: Beat the blues with a fresh comms approach
Resolutions to make your content take off; holiday hunger campaign smashes funding target; PhD in smell becomes a crisis comms masterclass; 2024's top social media trends.
Better comms for people, places and work
As we predicted last month, 2025 is already proving eventful. Whatever your role or sector you work in, comms will play a part in some way. And we’re sure you’ll hear plenty about it – from brilliant breakthroughs to awkward (non) apologies. Keep your comms team close. It’s going to be busy.
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Seven comms resolutions for 2025
New year’s resolutions can divide the crowd. Some appreciate the chance to reflect and refine their goals for the year ahead. Others think they’re a waste of time, destined to be forgotten by February.
We can’t comment on gym memberships or new hobbies, but at Distinctive we’re big fans of purposeful and personalised communications. In our fast-moving world, taking the time to hone your strategy, and consider the stories you want to tell as the year unfolds, is no bad thing.
So, here are some resolutions to level up your comms in 2025.
Less is more
Comms teams in 2025 compete with shrinking attention spans and a constant stream of information. In an age of TikToks and tweets, it’s said that audiences are used to consuming bite-sized, ‘snackable’ content.
Whether it’s for a social post or a white paper, punchy and concise writing can cut through the noise. People are more likely to remember key points when the message isn’t buried in fluff. Avoid jargon and acronyms, split content into digestible sections, and hook your audience early with an opening sentence that tells a compelling story. Simplicity doesn’t dilute your message; it strengthens it.
Make AI work for you
AI went mainstream in 2024. Tools that handle content creation, media monitoring, and campaign analytics are helping teams to keep up with the frantic pace of modern comms. A recent survey found that 71% of PR professionals believe advances in AI will be ‘extremely or very important’ to their future work. It’s clear that initial distrust has given way to industry acceptance, although there are plenty of issues to tackle.
Used well, AI can create space for deep thinking, future planning and strategy. A word of warning though: over-reliance on these tools can lead to unoriginal or even inaccurate content. Authentic, bespoke storytelling will always be the most effective way to create meaningful engagement. Think instead of how AI can help you work smarter, not harder.
Good CHATS for strong comms
It can be difficult to identify the stories that resonate. While the big picture is important, breaking down the details can show people how your work connects to their world.
Try to put your audience’s needs and knowledge at the centre of your strategy. What can offer them? A solution to a problem? A unique insight? Condensing a campaign message into an elevator pitch is a great place to start.
Our CHATS method - cut to the chase, human, audience, timing, solution - can help you tease out the stories that will start conversations and create content that resonates.
Speak up about your green achievements
Now more than ever, the public wants organisations to be upfront about their eco-friendly credentials.
Don’t be afraid to share stories about sustainable schemes. Avoid the charge of ‘greenwashing’ by backing up your claims with real data and case studies. Ensure the language is accessible rather than alienating, and weave a sustainability message throughout your comms. People want to understand the real-world impact of environmental policies and practices.
By focusing on the benefits to communities and nature, even the most technical of features – like Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) – can paint a positive picture.
Think about the whole package
In our conversations with journalists last year, one issue stood out: under-resourced newsrooms mean media contacts often rely on comms teams for the bonus assets that will make a story sing.
With articles published on websites and social platforms, as well as in print, high-quality photos and videos are invaluable.
Think about the wider package of content when you share an announcement. Are there any images you can include? Could you film a short interview with someone featured in the piece you’re working on? The more multimedia content you can provide, the more likely you are to see your story shared widely.
Social media in 2025
The word we’d pick to describe social media in 2024? Chaotic. Whether a deliberate tactic as brands lean into buzzy online trends, or a result of decisions made at the top, the way that we create and consume social has shifted.
Dominant platforms like X and Meta face a major credibility problem. As audiences migrate to smaller, decentralised networks like Threads, Bluesky and Reddit, there’s a renewed focus on building authentic online communities.
With misinformation rampant, and users increasingly turning to ‘dark social’ rather than posting publicly, going viral is starting to feel like a lose-lose scenario. Businesses might want to explore the places where their audiences are choosing to spend time and consider new platforms where they can forge deeper connections.
Read our blog about the trends, changes and challenges that rocked the sector last year, and what this could mean for social media in 2025.
Purposeful comms
In our hyper-individualistic world, one size doesn’t fit all. Consumers are looking for connection, not corporate jargon.
That’s why people-focused PR continues to be the gold standard in 2025. Showcase employee voices, write case studies, and demonstrate the real-world impact of projects – for people, places and planet.
Audiences can sniff out falseness at 50 paces. Authentic storytelling builds trust, drives engagement, and cements brand values. Align your messaging with a clear purpose, whether it’s sustainability, social equity, or innovation, and back it up with tangible actions.
Here’s to a purposeful, positive 2025!
Campaign to tackle holiday hunger smashes £25k target
We ended 2024 on a huge high, as our campaign with Community of Purpose CIC raised more than £34k to support disadvantaged kids this winter.
With holiday hunger affecting thousands of families in Bristol hot food and activities provided by Community of Purpose’s Break Free programme made the festive season merry and bright for local children.
Our team worked with media titles the Bristol Post, Bristol Live and Business Live South West to share the impact of this project through case studies, articles and social posts – and the people and businesses of Bristol responded with characteristic generosity. The fundraising target of £25k was well and truly smashed and will fund support for more than 1,300 children.
We couldn't be prouder to have supported this cracker of a campaign.
📷: Dougie Allward.
Things we’ve seen
The politics of smell: For anyone chronically online, it’s been hard to escape the supremacy of Dr Ally Louks over the last few months. After posting about her PhD - "Olfactory Ethics: The politics of smell in modern and contemporary prose" - on X, online trolls targeted Dr Louks. But she defended her work with calm precision, academic integrity and a sense of humour, which won the support of thousands. Dr Louks has now shared the premise of her PhD with an audience of millions, thanks to news articles, radio slots and her original viral tweet. A true masterclass in dealing with negativity in digital spaces.
Data never sleeps: Every minute of every day, endless data is generated across the world. This infographic gives a snapshot of all web activity that happened each minute in 2024. Notably, researchers at Domo found that 67.5% of the global population are online. This year’s summary is also heavily influenced by the rise of AI.
Things we’ve read
More speech and fewer mistakes: Just this week, Mark Zuckerberg announced the end of the current third-party fact checking process on Meta and the move to a Community Notes programme for users in the US. Notably, Meta’s announcement acknowledged the success of this approach being used on X, and commended this as a way of providing non-bias information. While Community Notes will be phased-in across the US over the coming months, there are no immediate plans to get rid of fact-checkers in the UK and EU.
Why handwriting still matters in the digital age: Putting pen to paper does more than just get your thoughts down, it can give your brain a workout. Studies show that handwriting notes boosts memory and focus by engaging more of your brain than typing. Writing by hand strengthens cognitive connections, meaning it helps you to learn and recall information better. So, despite the value of digital tools, there is still place for that notebook and pen on your desk.
South West firms shifting away from remote working: Eighty-six per cent of South West based companies are mandating time in the office for employees, according to Grant Thornton’s Business Outlook Tracker. And two thirds of those who don’t already plan to do so in the future. A high percentage of leisure, hospitality and tourism businesses, that require more face-to-face interaction, could be the reason for the region going against trends seen elsewhere in the country.
Things we’ve heard
Fix Meetings: transform gatherings into meaningful moments: Being candid, we’ve all experienced meetings which aren’t worthwhile or meaningful. The solution? Intention. On this Podcast, strategic communicator Priya Parker shares her approach to creating successful meetings and gatherings – professionally and personally – how the first and last 5% of any meeting is the most important, and how to hold heat (not conflict) ‘without burning the house down.’ Useful insights no matter the sector you work in.
Things we’ve said
Shifting power to places - England's devolution ambition: Devolution for England is a dry topic that excites policy people without creating ripples elsewhere. But the white paper published on 16 December has implications for all of us. This policy document proposes big changes that impact where homes could go, how buses and trains run, and who educates our kids, cares for our grandparents and collects our bins (amongst many other things). It deserves a full airing and lots of discussion. We made a start with this blog for Business West. Above all, it must kick start swift action and deliver results on the ground.
The biggest social media trends of 2024: Our overview of the social media landscape was a late contender for one of the most popular Distinctive blogs of 2024. Many organisations are reconsidering their relationships with large platforms, as AI, trolling and misinformation cause chaos. With X continuing to decline, and Mark Zuckerberg starting the year by ditching fact-checkers, 2025 promises to be no less destabilising.
Our next edition lands on 7 February. If you’d like to share or discuss anything before then, please leave a comment or drop us a line.