On the occasion of the release of the 10th edition of the Communicator, we invite you to discover the communicators behind the reference work. Today, make way for the committed voice of Céline Mas, co-author and expert in communication and evaluation!
Céline dissects for us the major transformations in the sector: the revolution in artificial intelligence, the rise of responsible communication, the evolution of formats and stories... Author, teacher at CELSA and ESSEC, co-founder of the network Return for Society and Love for Livres, she signs here a lucid and demanding contribution, equal to the challenges that shake our profession.
An unfiltered interview to think about communication as a compass in a turbulent world.
I order my copy of the CommunicatorHello Céline, and congratulations on this new edition of Communicator! What are the major trends in communication right now?
Thank you so much for your encouragement and support throughout the writing and data selection process! We are proud to have you as partners in the book. This 10th edition of Communicator reflects asector undergoing very rapid change, driven by major technological, social, environmental and cultural dynamics.
Let's face it: the first Communicator, initiated by Marie-Hélène Westphalen, to whom I pay tribute, was published in 1995 and was entitled "Operational Guide to Corporate Communication"! For more than thirty years, that is to say, roughly a generation, this book has accompanied communicators in their practices. But today, more than ever, it strives to offer them benchmarks in the face of the growing complexity of our environment.
Among the major current trends, I would first mention the massive integration of artificial intelligence in the communications professions. THEIA – generative, interactive, augmented – is not just an additional tool : it's a paradigm shift, a real “game changer” that profoundly transforms our ways of producing, interacting, segmenting, personalizing, and evaluating. It pushes us to redefine the very role of the communicator, between strategy, creation and ethics.
Then, responsible communication is essential. And I write this forcefully, even though some countries are trying to weaken it to serve their authoritarian and backward-looking political ideologies. In a world shaken by climate, social, and geopolitical crises, European audiences expect brand commitments that are sincere, useful, and sustainable. Many studies cited in the book demonstrate this. Words are no longer enough: we must demonstrate, report on, and evaluate the impact of each action. – including in environmental and societal matters. This movement, too often reduced to the constraints it generates, seems to me, on the contrary, deeply stimulating: it gives meaning back to communication.
Other major developments appear: the return of a redesigned, more sober, more creative advertising ; the rise of influencer communication, which redefines the circuits of authority; the reaffirmation of internal communication, essential to the cohesion of organizations in a world of work in full redefinition; or even the promotion of professional careers in a sector rich in often little-known professions. And even though the sector is concentrated in the hands of large groups which work alongside a host of specialized independent agencies.
In short, This 10th edition of the Communicator strives to offer a lucid, informed and concrete reading of the challenges facing us.We haven't been complacent: the sector still needs to make progress on CSR issues, particularly through eco-socio-design. But we've also done justice to the positive contribution of communication to our modern societies. And above all, Communicator 10 reminds us that, despite the changing tools, the core of the profession remains the same: give meaning, create dialogue, create something in common, as the etymology of the term “Communicare”, ancestor of “Communication”, indicates.
In your opinion, what does this reveal about our society? What prospects does it open up for the years to come?
I'll be honest: the future is worrying. And if I were to write it more optimistically: the future is challenging, which means our commitment can always make a difference.
First, the speed of technological transformations, the rise of conflicts in the world, social injustice against a backdrop of climate change are drawing a anxiety-provoking global contextOur societies are in search of reference points and anchors, caught between the frenetic accelerations boosted by the dopamine of social networks and the deep desire for human connection. The irruption of artificial intelligence in communication is the "heist of the century"! No one is indifferent, but the benefits may not be shared.. It is therefore a question of supporting this change, of giving meaning, of training professionals in new practices. It is an immense HR and cultural challenge, but it is crucial. And if well orchestrated, it can bring a boost of creativity to this profession. The fundamental question seems to me to be the following: What will we do with the time saved thanks to AI?
Another prospective topic is the battle against fake news. Let us remember that according to the INSEE, at least one in two Internet users has seen fake news. Their mechanism is almost unstoppable: by addressing the reptilian brain and arousing fears, they are immediately one step ahead of data and "rational" stories. It is therefore a question for brands of find the right balance between the reliability of the information they propagate and the creativity, emotions, and meaning of the story. In the responsible communication training I provide, I place a lot of emphasis on this dual dimension. We don't just fight fake news on the flip side with "true news." We also fight it by offering formats and expressive modalities that surprise, mobilize, and engage entire communities. This requires a stance of listening, respect, and openness, whether it's in corporate communications or in product communications when it focuses specifically on customer relations.
We have entered an era where we no longer speak “to” an audience, but “with” it.In this sense, I am convinced (and practice it through Love for Books) that art, the very space of freedom and sharing, has a role to play in communication.
A third theme that will become increasingly important is communication that respects life and biodiversity. Eco-socio-design will become a basis for the competence of communicators to integrate from the outset of campaign design practices that are not only compensatory (we plant trees to compensate for their destruction) but also truly regenerative (we do not destroy trees either at the beginning or during the deployment of a campaign). I also believe that CSR tomorrow will not simply result from compliance with standards, but from the anticipation of weak signals. Respecting the law is not glorious, it is the minimum in a democracy. On the other hand, Being a pioneer and proposing innovations that improve practices in the sector is an interesting path that is likely to create lasting developments in the fight against climate change.
Finally, the last topic in this non-exhaustive list is the profession itself and the profiles of communicatorsThey will need to be both tech-savvy and clear-sighted, agile and responsible, creative and rigorous. They will need to master new tools—AI, blockchain, augmented reality—while remaining firmly anchored in the fundamentals of the profession: ethics, strategy, and meaning. The communication of the future will be hybrid: at the crossroads of disciplines, cultures, formatsAnd it will play a crucial role in helping organizations embody their commitments, build their legitimacy, and actively participate in the (re)composition of the social bond.
Artificial intelligence is precisely at the heart of this new edition. How does AI impact the communications profession?
AI is profoundly transforming the communications profession – it’s not just an evolution, it’s a shiftIt changes the way communicators produce content, target audiences, analyze performance, and even design entire systems. It introduces unprecedented computing and automation power, which can save valuable time on certain repetitive or technical tasks.
More The real question is not just what AI can do for communication: It is also about knowing what the communicators want to do with it.
AI forces us to redefine the added value of communication. If it can generate a text, an image, or a video in a few seconds, what else makes a communicator unique? This is where humans reclaim their rightful place: in intuition, emotion, the ability to build relationships, and demonstrate ethical discernment. An AI doesn't know what it means to "speak out courageously," or "take a position in a social debate," or "be moved by silence." These nuances, these responsibilities, are ours to bear.
One of the major contributions of AI, on the other hand, can be a form of creative revival. Because it frees up time, it opens up space for reflection, innovation, and experimentation. It is still necessary to think about its integration in advance, frame it, and support it. This requires training but also an effort of collective appropriation. It is not just a technological issue: it is a cultural challenge.
We must also be clear-eyed: AIs are trained on biased, uneven, and sometimes problematic corpora. If we use them without perspective, we risk reinforcing these biases, or even propagating stereotypes, given that the developer profession itself is gendered and socially quite delimited. This is why communications professionals must exercise discernment without preaching. Rigor, verification, and perspective are essential qualities for tomorrow.
Finally, we should not underestimate the impact of AI on the very structure of our professionsSome roles will evolve, some will disappear, others will emerge. Many freelancers are now worried about their future and have lost many projects. I'm thinking of them. These situations will create tensions, but also opportunities. If we succeed in this shift, AI can become a formidable lever for reinventing our practices.
In short, AI shouldn't be there to replace us. It's there to challenge us. And It is up to us to decide whether it alienates us... or whether it helps us generate positive impacts within a regulated and shared framework.. In my opinion, this requires that communications professionals fully engage on these issues, create associations, propose priority actions and make themselves heard by public authorities. In a changing era, passivity is ultimately the worst practice.
Communicator 10 also addresses CSR. What are the new challenges of responsible communication?
The book clearly shows that responsible communication is no longer a peripheral option of the profession: it has become one of its backbonesThis means that communicators, regardless of their level of seniority or sector, are now on the front line to carry, translate, and structure their organizations' CSR commitments. And that changes everything.
First major shift: the obligation of proof. We have moved from “storytelling” to “storyproving.”
Communicators are no longer simply those who convey an intention: they are becoming those who connect facts, document impacts, and articulate commitments in a credible, verifiable, and traceable narrative. CSR indicators, dual materiality matrices, audits, ESG or GRI frameworks—once considered solely financial topics—are becoming the raw materials of our profession. And to achieve this, we must develop our skills, learn to work with CSR, legal, HR, and financial departments, without losing the ability to bring stories to life.
Second challenge: the posture of transparencyCommunicators have often been trained to master messages, smooth out rough edges, and "hold the line." "Language elements" (ELs) are sometimes useful in large, decentralized organizations, but are often too automatic. But today, we are asked to do the opposite: to accept tensions, to state margins of error, to show progress rather than flamboyant successes. This profound evolution is changing our relationship with public speaking. Responsible communication gives reality an intelligible form, even when it is uncomfortable. This is also why communication is a strategic function.
Third transformation covered in Communicator 10: the evolution of formats and imaginary. Responsible communication cannot simply be compliant: it must be engaging. Too often, it is reduced to defensive, cold, and normative messages. However, collective memory does not retain Excel spreadsheets. It retains emotions, symbols, and embodied stories. This requires mobilizing other forms of expression, as I mentioned earlier: art, living things, civil society in all its diversity, and local communities. The communicator then becomes an architect of plural narratives, able to articulate reason and emotion, indicators and inspiration.
Fourth challenge: critical mastery of technologiesAI, blockchain, and smart traceability systems are now being used to assess impacts and automate certain tasks. Communicators cannot remain aloof from this evolution: they must understand its uses, but also its limitations. And ask key questions: Where does the data come from? What are they used for? What biases can they induce? What energy do they mobilize? This technological knowledge is an important new skill in the profession.
Fifth point – and this is undoubtedly the most transversal in the book: the CoherenceA brand can deliver the best CSR speeches in the world, but if it does not align itself in its internal practices, its governance, its partnerships, its tone, it will be sanctioned. The communicator is thus always and more than ever the “guardian of coherence”. He is the one who ensures alignment between the values displayed and the actions observed.This panoramic role makes him a lookout. It requires knowing how to say no, daring to question, proposing credible alternatives – and doing so with tact and determination at the heart of internal politics.
Sixth subject which I have already spoken about here, measurement becomes a key skill for communicators, not just for CSR expertsIt's not just about numbers, but about knowing how to tell what we learn, what we adjust, what we transform. Communication is not there to embellish the data, but to give them a readable, mobilizing, lasting meaning.
Finally, I would like to emphasize the role of communicators in the pedagogy internalToo often, we assume that everyone knows what CSR is, or what a responsible strategy consists of. But this is not the case, even though the words are known. Training, acculturation, and the creation of common frameworks are essential. In my opinion, the communicator can and must play this role of internal translator, ambassador, and facilitator of change.
The new challenges of responsible communication push us to move beyond the logic of dissemination alone, to enter into a logic of construction, mediation and impact. It is a great Responsibility LawFar from transmitting prefabricated messages, communicators participate in drawing the contours of a society that they wish to make possible!
How do we define performance in communication today? How can we combine measurable effectiveness with emotional impact?
This is an essential—and delicate—question, as it goes to the heart of the business. For a long time, communication performance was approached through an almost exclusively quantitative prism: number of impressions, open rates, reach, spontaneous awareness, ROI, etc. These indicators remain useful, of course. But today, they are insufficient. Communication is not a mathematical equation. It is also – perhaps above all – a matter of trusting relationships, perception, emotion, and resonance.. It changes the game in reality.
In the Communicator 10 – and this is what I observe in my support and training – the fact that we are witnessing is mentioned a redefinition of performance, more demanding, more refined, and above all more multidimensional. It's no longer just a matter of knowing "how many" you've reached, but how, with what effect, and in what context. A campaign that generates high visibility without creating real support, or worse, that destabilizes the reputation, is not effective. Conversely, a more targeted initiative but deeply aligned with the brand's DNA and that engages audiences over the long term: this is a form of sustainable performance.
This is where a dual skill comes into play: the rigor of analysis on the one hand, and emotional intelligence on the other. What I often call the " return on emotion "(ROE), mirroring the ROI.
Because we know, particularly from cognitive science, that emotions guide memory, decision-making, and attachment to a brand or cause. This requires a high level of ethics: sincerity, accurate storytelling, careful aesthetics, and embodied speech. It can take the form of a testimony, a measured silence, an innovative tool, or a symbolic detail… It is rarely flashy, always meaningful.
Reconciling performance measurement and emotional impact therefore means going beyond an artificial opposition between numbers and meaning. This involves designing hybrid evaluation systems that integrate both quantitative indicators (KPIs, conversion rates, benchmarks, etc.) and qualitative indicators: perception, real engagement, detailed understanding, and trust. It also means knowing how to distinguish between the achievements of a campaign (Outputs), its results (the initial reaction of the target audience), and its impact (the changes in behavior and opinion of the target audiences over the longer term).
Finally It is crucial to develop the evaluation culture in Francee. Too often, measurement is perceived as a form of control or punishment! I've seen this firsthand in over 15 years of supporting organizations with impact assessments, including communications. We must constantly educate. We must make people understand that, when used properly, evaluation can become a lever for learning, a unique management tool, and a source of collective motivation.
By the way, do you have a favorite you would like to share with us?
Yes, I even have two!
The first is dedicated to chapter 17 of the Communicator 10, which highlights communication theorists. This chapter is particularly close to my heart – Thank you to Dunod Publishing for also holding it! – because it reminds us of something essential: communication is not limited to tools or campaigns, it is a structured discipline, nourished by a thought, a History, concepts taught in great universities at the academic level. In a world where we often value the moment, the operational, immediate effectiveness, it is also vital to connect to the intellectual roots of our profession even if it seems less “ROI-oriented”. These theories help us to think about relationships, power, speech, silence, impact. They offer us a salutary step back, almost " ecological industrial printing process ", and invite us not to give in too quickly to the pressure of execution. Because communicating well also means understanding well.
My second favorite is those brands and organizations that, in 2025, continue their commitment and communication for diversity and inclusion (D&I), with consistency and courage. This may seem relatively obvious in Europe, but internationally, we are witnessing very concrete attempts to silence these initiatives: anti-D&I campaigns, political pressure, withdrawal of funding... In this context, continuing to uphold these values is an act of commitment. These brands remind us that in our time, communication is not neutral: it can resist, it can protect, it can repair. Some will say that the motives are solely financial. But whatever the motives, which we would like to see be ethical above all and respect fundamental human rights, the result is there. And this matters to me as a responsible communications professional but also as an engaged citizen. Communicator 10 also stems from a commitment: to be uncompromising with the limitations of the sector while promoting, with supporting data, its sustainable achievements, as I said earlier.
Finally, if you had to draw only one lesson from this 10th edition of Communicator, what would it be?
What strikes me most about this edition, following the three previous ones I took part in, is that the profession of communicator is constantly evolving and we must know how to support it, without nostalgia or naivety. It is also a responsible job, as I said. It is no longer just about telling the story of what exists, but also about contribute to what happens.
In our changing context, this 10th edition constitutes a practical manual for professionals in the sector, providing them with a wealth of concrete examplesIt aims to be a compass, but above all, it encourages us to remain curious, to experiment, to learn, and to doubt sometimes. Because communication is never static. And I am convinced that doubts shape the right questions towards ever greater impact.
I order my copy of the Communicator
