What to Expect in 2025
This essay is part of our New Year's series on what to expect in 2025, and can be downloaded as one compiled PDF for you to read at your leisure via the download form. Thank you
By Ben Thornton, Founder and CEO of 5654 & Company
Don’t get too comfortable; challenge and change may be the only constant we can expect over the year ahead. This is the theme that runs through all the contributions to our annual collection of essays. And that, throughout 2025, building support for your businesses' mission, purpose and activity is essential to withstand an unpredictable year.
We hope the points of view we share this year give you some helpful food for thought as you rest before 2025 begins in earnest.
From a geo-political backdrop which looks more uncertain as we go into the new year than it did when Lord Robertson told us what to expect from the year of elections 12 months ago, to an economy in the UK which is lacking confidence, it can often feel like there are too few reasons to be cheerful.
And we know from speaking with many clients that this context requires huge reserves of resilience as all our businesses work hard to respond and strive to deliver. These pressures are compounded by a communications landscape which is, and often feels, relentless in its pace and the breadth of challenges it creates for professional communicators.
But we are optimistic. Especially given all the challenges we face, there is an opportunity for those businesses willing to lead to win the support they require to succeed. As our own research found earlier in 2024, the public, policymakers and investors are looking to companies to help deliver investment, create jobs, develop skills and tackle the climate crisis. And that these are just some of the areas companies can focus on to build trust and support.
As Sally Payne writes, we will soon publish new research showing why support matters, where it comes from and how you can earn it. And contributions from our guest writers Amanda Walters at the Centre for Progressive Change and Tessy Ojo CBE at the Diana Award, to our own colleague Cameron Scott, show just some of the many places where support is available for companies to draw on.
This is where we will place an even greater focus during 2025: helping clients to earn support, by managing risk and taking opportunities. Because in a world where risk is growing, governments are more interventionist, and investors and employees care about your impact, support is central to creating the operating environment you need to thrive. And because we believe those companies contributing to the UK deserve more support than they often receive.