Introduction
As we step into 2025, the world of internal communications continues to transform at a rapid pace. From the rise of AI-powered tools to the renewed focus on frontline employees, the way organisations connect, engage, and collaborate is evolving like never before.
At Cocentric, we’ve gathered insights from our top experts to bring you a snapshot of what lies ahead. Whether you’re a seasoned communicator or just starting to navigate the ever-changing internal comms landscape, these predictions will help you prepare for the year ahead and make sense of the trends shaping the future.
What we have seen last year
2024 has been a year of transformation in internal comms. Frontline employees took centre stage with mobile-first tools, AI became a practical assistant for content and analytics, and hybrid work continued to reshape communication strategies. Organisations also leaned into data-driven insights and prioritised employee experience, setting the stage for even greater innovation in 2025.
The Next Chapter in Digital Comms: Innovation, Budget Cuts & AI
by Carola Pareja
Customer trends
New year; new trends. For the digital comms and engagement world, 2024 has been an interesting year with major changes in the space, including the release of new tools in the market, a ramp up of Artificial Intelligence, and the beginning of the end of Workplace from Meta. Despite innovations and the launch of new platforms; organisations are experiencing budget cuts in a post-covid world with economic uncertainty and want tools that offer more than just a communications and engagement solution. Let’s zoom into the trends further!
The search for ongoing innovation
Workplace from Meta launched before the pandemic and catered well to remote and geographically dispersed teams as well as a Gen Y workforce who grew up with traditional social media tools like Facebook. Although Workplace has been extremely successful for many organisations that have aimed to connect and engage their desk-based and deskless teams; after the announcement of its decommission in May 2024, many organisations have taken the opportunity to reflect on what their next tool should look like; given the new global context and a workforce with more Gen Z employees. There is now more interest in tools that look like Instagram and TikTok rather than Facebook, not to mention the preference of tools that are already using AI and are staying ahead of the game with innovative product roadmaps.
The weight of a restricted budget
Although organisations are constantly browsing for solutions that improve their digital employee experience; amidst a sluggish global economy and rising interest rates; budget is naturally restricted. The raison d’ être of digital comms and engagement tools has shifted from a necessity during the pandemic, when teams were physically dispersed and worked remotely, to a nice-to-have. This has meant that organisations from a range of sectors have had to downgrade their tools to lighter versions, shift to limited add-ons offered by non-specialised systems, or they have had to turn tools off altogether. For example, organisations that were previously using Workplace from Meta and are also Microsoft houses, are gradually switching to the “light” version of Viva Engage. The decision seems natural, as they are already paying for Microsoft licenses. However, the tool’s offering is limited for frontline teams, which means organisations are having to make trade-offs.
The need for lasting partnerships
Given the uncertain global landscape, which has been reinforced by Meta’s announcement of the decommission of Workplace; customers are no longer only looking for a service provider to supply their internal comms and engagement tool. They want a reliable partner who will work closely with them and who they can trust will be around in the long-run. That is what Cocentric has set out to do: Build strong and lasting relationships with customers so that they remain supported and heard throughout 2025 and beyond.
Transforming Frontline Operations: Integrated Tech and Enhanced Employee Experience
by Ethan East
As we approach 2025, the focus on employee experience will shift significantly towards frontline employees, who play a vital role to an organisation’s success. Recognising their importance, companies continue to invest in enabling these team members with integrated technology that enhances their work experience and productivity.
Empowering Frontline Employees with Integrated Technology
In 2025, organisations will place a significant emphasis on frontline employees by equipping them with integrated technology solutions. Mobile applications for task management, real-time communication tools, and easy access to training resources will empower these workers to perform their roles more efficiently. Such technology will streamline processes and reduce administrative burdens, allowing frontline staff to focus on what they do best: delivering exceptional customer service.
Enhancing Communication and Feedback Loops
Integrated technology will facilitate improved communication between frontline workers and management. This shift will foster a culture of feedback and collaboration, enabling organisations to better understand their employees' needs and concerns. Through regular communication channels, management will gain insights into on-the-ground challenges, leading to a more engaged and satisfied workforce.
Prioritising Employee Experience for Enhanced Performance
The evolution of employee experience will focus not just on benefits and perks but on the comprehensive support of frontline employees. By prioritising their experience and investing in the necessary tools and resources, businesses can unlock the full potential of their teams. This commitment will result in enhanced performance, increased employee satisfaction, and ultimately, greater organisational success.
Integration of Technology with Operational Layers
Organisations will enhance employee experience by integrating technology with their operational layers. This means creating seamless connections between various systems, such as inventory management, customer relationship management, and communication platforms. By doing so, frontline employees will have real-time access to crucial information needed for their roles. This integration will not only streamline workflows but also improve decision-making and responsiveness to customer needs. As a result, employees will feel more equipped and confident in their abilities, leading to increased efficiency and productivity within the organisation.
Data driven insights
Data and analytics have proved to support people teams with the relevant information to deliver initiatives to the right places. In 2025 HR teams and Communications team will look at tools and technologies that support them with insights to deliver personalised campaigns, initiatives in real-time. We have continued to see how this as supported teams to focus on what matters to all segments of employees.
AI, Frontline Voices, and the Evolving Digital Workplace
by Craig Hoey
The rise and fall and fall and rise of AI
Ideation….Gamification…’make it go viral’…when we go around the cycles long enough, we start to see ‘gimmicks’ pop up from time to time, that as communicators we can be guilty of shoe-horning into a campaign or channel to grab attention, and worrying about making it make sense afterwards. AI has entered the chat.
We’ve seen AI go from shock new thing, to very quickly becoming part of someone’s daily life - that’s only going to accelerate as it starts to pop up in the tools people already use, whether it’s a Microsoft laptop or an iPhone.
I expect to see a trend of ‘doing AI’ to in comms initially that will be mixed at best - it will serve that moment of impressing a leader or grabbing attention and then disappearing quickly afterwards. However, what we’ll also see under the surface is the next wave that I do think is going to really change comms - the lower level work where communicators are embracing using it as a tool in their personal arsenal rather than the whole solution - using it to streamline feedback loops, support with tailoring at scale, and becoming generally more comfortable with it in the day to day capacity - realistic adoption takes time, and those of you who remember when email was just a gimmick will know how this is going to rise as that same vehicle for communicators who get up to speed with it for themselves.
Frontline will be back to the front
During the pandemic we saw a huge dependency on our frontline workforces, and this led to a need for internal comms to dive into not only reaching out to those audiences more than ever but giving them a voice back to the wider organisation. Post-pandemic, cost challenges and hybrid working have seen this momentum drop a little while comms priorities have been fielding old favourites such as cost challenges, restructures and purpose-driven work.
In 2025, I think that gap will get closer again, as the need to connect the whole workforce comes to the forefront particularly for mobile touch points. Everything from writing for mobile to channels and apps that are mobile-first will come back into consideration.
Channels - understanding what you’ve got, not just what you need
Communication platforms have gone through major changes in the last few years. Some big names have disappeared, new ones are emerging, and Microsoft appears to be to launching a new offering every week.
Some organisations had to quickly buy platforms to react to a newly hybrid culture while others inherited tools through existing licenses such as Viva Engage. As a result, communicators now find themselves with a confusing landscape they have to get to grips with.
I expect to see a trend within internal comms of looking to tackle these challenges, whether it’s tools under the ownership of the IT department or a choice from what might feel like many platforms that are all a bit similar. To ensure communications can land effectively, the need to understand and streamline the digital workplace will be key throughout the year.
The Future of AI: Better Integration, Emotional Intelligence, and the Human Touch
By Caleb Chisholm
Deeper Integration with Core Business Systems
AI’s ability to streamline workflows has already demonstrated its value, but the next wave of innovation will involve deeper integration with core business platforms such as CRMs and task management systems. These integrations will empower AI to provide more actionable insights, helping businesses to optimise key processes. Analytics, in particular, is an area likely to see change, with AI poised to deliver richer and more predictive data.
Greater Emotional Intelligence in AI Interactions
While today’s AI can perform impressive tasks, it often falls short of delivering responses that feel genuinely human. This gap is where I expect to see significant advancements in 2025. Future AI tools will likely become better at recognising context, tone, and for British readers sarcasm! This will allow them to respond with humour, empathy, or even subtle cultural nuances. As AI becomes embedded in both professional and personal interactions, its ability to mimic authentic human connections will become increasingly vital.
The Continuing Importance of the Human Element
When AI first entered the communication space, many feared it would render certain roles redundant. However, the reality in 2024 has been quite the opposite. AI has proven most effective when working alongside skilled communication professionals, amplifying their capabilities rather than replacing them. In 2025, we will likely see this partnership deepen. AI might draft initial content or analyse engagement data, but the human touch will remain essential to ensure messaging is on point, empathetic, and aligned with brand values. AI may be the co-pilot, but the human pilot remains essential.
Conclusion
So what are the key takeaways from our experts?
- Frontline employees are taking centre stage, with organisations investing in integrated technology to improve their experience and productivity.
- AI is shifting from buzzword to everyday tool, streamlining workflows and personalising communications while keeping the human touch at the core.
- The digital workplace is becoming more complex, making it essential for communicators to focus on simplifying tools and channels to deliver more effective messages.
These trends highlight the importance of staying adaptable, prioritising employee experience, and embracing the right mix of tech and human insight. Whether it’s integrating tools for frontline teams, using AI to add emotional intelligence to messaging, or navigating the maze of platforms, success in 2025 will be all about balancing innovation with connection.
If you’re ready to stay ahead of the curve, Cocentric can help.
Why Cocentric?
At Cocentric, we work with some of the world’s fastest-growing businesses to help them overcome their internal communication challenges and integrate digital systems through tailored strategies, cutting-edge technology and ongoing support. Our award-winning approach can help you implement new processes effectively across your organisation.
Explore our services and see how we can support your internal communication strategy for 2025 and beyond.
Our E-Books ‘Planning and Deploying a Successful Intranet’ , ‘‘How to boost employee engagement using your intranet’ ’ and '10 Reasons To Opt for a SharePoint Intranet' can help you get started.
