Italian association reveals 2025 media trends report findings

On 14 October in Turin, findings from the ASCAI MEDIA TRENDS 2025 Report, ‘Tools at the Crossroads Between Human and Artificial’, were presented with the aim of exploring how the digital revolution is impacting corporate media systems, business communication models, and the professional skills of communicators.

Turning the traditional approach to research on its head, the study promoted by Italian association and FEIEA member, ASCAI, and led by Gianfranco Valleriani. began with a survey involving over 70 corporate communication managers, before opening up to development perspectives analysed by three experts: journalist and philosopher Bruno Mastroianni, Monica Fabris, research director at Csa Research, and Emanuele Frontoni, full professor of computer science at the University of Macerata.

The topics tackled, based on previous ASCAI surveys and supervised by Maurizio Incletolli, President of the Association, provide an overview of the profound changes underway in corporate communication policies, summarised here below.

COMPANIES MORE AND MORE “SOCIAL ”

·     A communication model centred around social media is becoming firmly established. Social platforms are now the most widely used tools for both external and internal company communication, and are expected to be even more prevalent in the future. The farewell to traditional media is confirmed—not only print, but also other forms of communication, including digital formats experimented with in recent years such as Intranets, web radio, and TV. Alongside social media, apps, audio and video podcasts, and gaming are taking centre stage in the corporate media system.

CREATIVITY AND ETHICS IN THE AGE OF AI

·      Artificial intelligence is making decisive inroads into every sector of the company, from customer management, process automation, and marketing, to internal organisation and communication activities. The leap brought by the introduction of AI chatbots is seen without concern. No one appears worried or hostile towards the use of so-called “generative algorithms” within the company, even though there is awareness that these will trigger radical change. Even in the more controversial areas of today’s debate—namely, the relationship between ethics and AI, and creativity and AI—attitudes are open and rational. Regarding creativity, it is believed that AI can have a positive effect, sparking processes of research and experimentation. As for ethics, three key areas are highlighted for greater attention: 43% indicate “non-discrimination”, 30% “algorithm transparency”, and 22% “information confidentiality”.

THE COMMUNICATOR: FROM REPORTER TO STORYTELLER

·      With regard to the profession, new technologies seem to have made the communicator’s job easier (78%), and their “journalistic” skills do not appear to have been penalised by the reduced use of traditional media (74% of respondents answered “not at all” or “little”). However, there is a more challenging and significant step that is pushing for a change in style and professional approach: the “narrative” aspect of new communication. Over 84% of respondents consider specific “storytelling” ability to be essential for communicators. Key elements of corporate storytelling include the use of more images (32%) and more creative graphics (32%). Notably, this area of profound renewal also brings with it a constant focus on the company’s identity symbols (19%).

TOWARDS A RADICAL UPGRADING OF SKILLS

·      The corporate communicator’s profession is clearly moving towards a thorough requalification of skills and technical abilities. At least four areas require significant innovation. The first relates to the concept of communication as storytelling. Elements of communication based solely on information—often created with sparse, didactic, or instructive language and tone—are fading. Communicating within a company now means narrating. In some respects, today’s corporate communicator is closer to a writer than a journalist.

CHANGING MEDIA, ENDURING ROOTS

·      So, while the focus is on a landscape of social media, podcasts, and generative algorithms, there is also an effort to keep alive the roots of a historic organisational model that has concentrated company culture and symbols in physical encounters between people. In short, it is about combining innovation with identity, project with history.

POSITIVE EFFECTS ON LANGUAGE, PARTICIPATION, AND ENGAGEMENT

·      On the potential negative effects that new technologies might have on established communication skills, respondents were clear: they believe technologies have actually helped improve communication language (65%). Another common myth—that virtuality penalises not only participation but also identity and the sense of belonging to the company—is also dispelled. In fact, 80% of respondents believe this has happened little or not at all. This means that these psychological and cultural factors, which are crucial for people and especially for companies—such as corporate identity and sense of belonging—are not diluted by the virtual dimension, which might otherwise have undermined these important identification mechanisms.

COMMUNICATION OF THE FUTURE: MORE FOCUSED ON THE INDIVIDUAL

·      When it comes to aspects relating to the employee’s personal sphere, the data shows clearly that participation, communication, and the physical and mental health of employees are priorities for creating a positive and serene working environment. This is an important step that companies must manage: personal growth, participation, and above all, the physical and psychological well-being of staff. These are new and important areas, in line with a social transformation that puts individual well-being at the heart of life choices.