MikeWorldWide’s latest report, Risk and relevance: Why silence doesn’t necessarily mean safety in 2025, examines how brands are walking the tightrope between staying relevant and avoiding backlash.
Brands are under more pressure than ever to stay relevant, yet many are still holding back. The survey’s findings reveal that 40% of communications professionals feel pressure to stay silent, while 91% believe their brand faces serious communication risks, from reputational threats to leadership indecision. Worryingly, 84% admit that internal barriers stop them from responding quickly to breaking news or cultural shifts.
New Digital Age spoke with Sarah Moloney, UK Managing Director at MikeWorldWide, to find out more…
Why did you commission the new research?
We commissioned Confidence Amidst Chaos to better understand how brands are navigating today’s evolving communications environment. It is clear that the PR and marketing industry is going through a period of profound change. From the accelerating influence of generative AI and shifting consumer expectations, to an increasingly fragmented media landscape and the speed of social media, the communications industry is at a moment of inflection.
As such, we surveyed 500 UK-based in-house comms and marketing professionals to discover the barriers they’re facing, the opportunities they see, and the tools they need. This wasn’t about pointing fingers or painting a bleak picture of the industry, but rather about equipping brands with real and practical insight in order to make genuine impact.
The research reveals not only where the industry stands in 2025, but what it needs to move forward with clarity and resilience. By identifying both the pain points and possibilities, our aim was to help organisations strengthen their brand voice, build trust in real time, and embrace bold, future-ready strategies built for this moment.
What, for you, were the standout findings?
What really stood out was the disconnect between brand confidence and strategic readiness. A striking 92% of respondents said they feel confident that their brand voice is distinctive, with nearly half (49%) describing themselves as “very confident”. However, these same professionals reported budget constraints (52%), inability to act fast (37%), outdated brand strategy (32%) and fear of backlash (30%) as the biggest hurdles holding them back from being relevant and impactful. While budget constraints may be less of a surprise, these findings do raise the question: what is this confidence based on if internal differences and lack of strategies are impeding their boldness?
We also discovered a contradiction between how brands describe themselves and how they behave. While 36% say their brand voice is “confident and courageous,” many still feel under pressure to say nothing in the current climate. This suggests that confidence in messaging is often not matched by the operational confidence to act boldly – especially in the face of complex, fast-moving challenges.
These stick out as they point to inherent contradictions at the core of the business: brands are confident but are still exercising caution (even if they don’t want to admit it).
Did any of the findings surprise you?
Yes – two findings in particular. First, one in three (33%) communications professionals lack data-led tools to make informed decisions, and that figure rises to a worrying 47% among Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs). These are the very individuals responsible for steering brand strategy, yet nearly half lack access to the insight they need to guide confident, evidence-based action. It is a clear capability gap that weakens strategic impact and increases the risk of reputational missteps.
Also surprising is the extent of AI use, and its relation to transparency amongst respondents. Overall, 98% state that they currently use AI in their communications and marketing content, dropping slightly to 97% of Chief Marketing Officers. Yet, only 25% associate disclosure of AI use with transparency. This is surprising given the wider societal focus on ethics and authenticity that we’re seeing dominate the PR, marketing and journalism landscape.
As more brands adopt generative AI for content creation and messaging, transparency around its use will be vital for maintaining credibility. Consumers and stakeholders expect honesty, especially in high-stakes or crisis moments. Yet, these insights suggest that while brands are embracing innovation, they may be overlooking the cultural expectations and reputational risks that come with it.
What factors can be responsible for leaving brands unable to respond in a timely fashion?
The report demonstrates that slow brand response isn’t just about bandwidth, it’s structural. Leadership hesitancy is a major factor, cited by 29% of respondents, and even higher (49%) among Marketing Directors. Many communications professionals are stuck waiting for top-down decisions, even when reputational risk is unfolding in real time.
Resource limitations are another critical issue. 36% said they lack the people, tools or capacity to respond quickly. This is especially the case in larger organisations where processes and hierarchical structures become more complex. And legal or compliance roadblocks can further delay messaging at crucial moments.
Perhaps the most fundamental blocker – and one which ties in with the two challenges above – is the lack of a clear, agile response framework. Without predefined protocols or empowered teams, brands are unable to act at speed. When strategy is outdated and decision-making is centralised, teams are left in limbo. In today’s media environment, where reputations can shift in minutes, this lag is no longer acceptable. Speed must be built into brand operations.
What practical steps can brands take to act with confidence and speed?
To act with both speed and integrity, brands must empower their teams and leaders to operate with clarity under pressure.
At the heart of this is data. Data plays a central role in informing communications strategies and empowering leaders. By equipping decision-makers with data-led insights, predictive tools, and trend monitoring, comms professionals can help leadership act decisively and intelligently.
Structurally, brands must also decentralise decision-making and streamline approval workflows to eliminate bottlenecks. Investing in real-time monitoring, social listening, and robust internal communication frameworks can plug this gap, ensuring that responses are timely, targeted, and informed. The intelligence behind these systems will also give leaders the confidence to trust – and back – their teams.
Crucially, speed should never come at the expense of strategy. True agility is intentional, rooted in brand values, audience insight, and well-defined protocols. When done right, it enables brands to meet the moment with confidence and precision, without compromising the integrity of their voice.
