FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Lisa Wetherald
Senior Marketing Manager, Communications Leadership Council
Ragan Communications
[email protected]
Ragan Communications Unveils 2025 Communications Benchmark Report
The report paints a picture of a challenging but opportune time for communicators.
Chicago, IL – June 5, 2025 — Ragan Communications has released the seventh edition of its annual Communications Benchmark Report, an exclusive research project for Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council based on a survey of over 900 communicators worldwide.
Within the workplace, generative AI continues to develop at a rapid pace, threatening to break through the guardrails organizations put in place to use this powerful technology safely and responsibly. At the same time, uncertainty and unrest are casting a long shadow over workplace culture, with economic instability, political upheaval and employee well-being rising as top concerns.
This year’s edition of the signature research project provides guidance for communicators as they steer their organizations through this period of rapid transformation.
Top Findings:
- Two-thirds of communicators see increased AI usage as the single biggest change they expect in the next three years, but 53% of communicators either play no role or don’t know what role comms plays in gen AI strategy.
- More than half of communicators are at risk of being left out in the cold when it comes to the next wave of business transformation
- Crisis and issue management rose near the top of skills needed to future-proof communications. Driven by volatility around anti-DEI actions, rapidly shifting regulations and on-again, off-again tariffs, 41% of communicators say crisis and issue management is a key specialization for the future, second only to gen AI.
- Comms teams lead crisis response at 40% of organizations, underscoring the growing recognition that reputational risk demand a coordinated crisis acumen.
Additional Key Takeaways:
- Which skills and competencies communicators are focusing on to future-proof their roles
- The most effective channels for internal and external communications
- How the boundaries between internal and external communications continue to blur
- Key opportunities for measuring the effectiveness of communications
- The challenges and opportunities emerging from the rise of generative AI
- What leading comms organizations are doing to wield greater enterprise-wide influence
- Shifting priorities around ESG and DEI and how that’s impacting comms investments
“Communicators are at the forefront of navigating organizations through unprecedented change,” said Mike Prokopeak, Director of Learning and Council Content. “Our 2025 Benchmark Report underscores the strategic value they bring and the critical need for continued investment in the communications function.”
The full 77-page report is available exclusively to members of Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council, a network comprising over 200 global companies – including Microsoft, Progressive, Discover, Nissan, Merck, T-Mobile, 3M, Citi, and Kroger.
For more information and to access the executive summary of this year’s report, go here.
About Ragan Communications:
Ragan Communications has been delivering trusted news, training, and intelligence to internal and external communicators and business executives for more than 50 years. Through its conferences, webinars, training, and membership divisions, Ragan provides resources and networking opportunities to help communicators advance their careers and elevate the profession. Its daily news sites—Ragan.com and PRDaily.com—are read by more than 600,000 communicators monthly.
About Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council
Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council is an exclusive membership group for senior-level corporate and internal communicators. Comprised of the most innovative companies in the world, membership provides benefits to both senior leaders and their teams, including premier networking, extensive industry training and benchmarking reports.
