CollectivNews
Welcome to a monthly round-up of information relevant
to comms professionals and everyone interested in the fractional model.
December 2024
Celebrating CommsCollectiv’s First Year
As CommsCollectiv marks its first anniversary, we find ourselves at the intersection of two significant milestones: our company’s journey and the emergence of a transformative trend in corporate communications: the rise of fractional communications.
Growth Through Flexibility
When we launched CommsCollectiv last year, we recognized a crucial gap in the market: businesses needed access to senior communications expertise without the overhead of full-time executive salaries. Our timing was impeccable. According to research cited in the Harvard Business Review article “How Part-Time Senior Leaders Can Help Your Business” by Tomoko Yokoi and Amy Bonsall, the number of professionals identifying as fractional leaders on LinkedIn has surged from 2,000 to over 110,000 in just two years.
The Power of Perfect Timing
The fractional leadership movement is revolutionizing how organizations access senior talent. For both businesses and communications executives, the fractional model offers unique advantages:
- Strategic insight without full-time commitment
- Ability to bring cross-pollinated ideas and best practices
- Adaptability with experience across multiple disciplines
And for practitioners, the added benefits of flexibility to serve multiple clients while maintaining work-life balance and the opportunity to make a broader impact across various industries.
Looking Forward
Companies are increasingly recognizing that they don’t always need a full-time communications executive – sometimes they just need the right expertise at the right time. That’s where CommsCollectiv comes in.
Embrace the future of strategic communications. Whether you’re a business looking to enhance your comms capability or a seasoned professional considering the fractional path, there’s never been a better time to explore the possibilities.
Fractional Leadership: Lessons Beyond Industries
While this podcast, The Growing Trend of Part-Time Executives from HBR IdeaCast, doesn’t focus exclusively on communications, it offers valuable validation for the work we do at CommsCollectiv. Fractional leadership — a concept we champion — has become a game-changer for organizations that need senior-level expertise but lack the budget or resources for full-time hires.
In this episode, Tomoko Yokoi, a researcher at IMD Business School’s TONOMUS Global Center for Digital and AI Transformation, and Amy Bonsall, a seasoned part-time chief product officer, delve into the benefits of fractional roles. They offer practical advice on when and how to make these arrangements successful for both organizations and leaders, sharing insights that resonate across industries.
For those of us advocating for fractional communications talent, this conversation reinforces the transformative value of bringing in experienced professionals to deliver impactful results — without full-time commitments. If you’re navigating today’s evolving talent strategies, this is essential listening.
New Media Rising: How Podcasts and Social Platforms Are Redefining News and Influence
As many of us know, the way we consume and engage with information has dramatically transformed in recent years. Traditional media, once the cornerstone of public discourse and news dissemination, is steadily being overshadowed by digital platforms. This shift is not just about convenience but represents a fundamental change in how audiences seek, trust, and interact with content.
From the rapid rise of social media platforms as primary news sources to the increasing influence of podcasts and digital-first campaigns, the landscape is evolving to meet the demands of a more connected and tech-savvy audience. Influencers, no longer mere content creators, are becoming trusted intermediaries, while decentralized narratives on platforms like TikTok and YouTube redefine how stories are told.
Three days after the election the Wall Street Journal published an insightful article underscoring this dramatic shift in how to reach and influence. The piece, “Trump’s Win Cemented It: New Media Is Leading the Old Guard Behind,” (note: paywall) used the 2024 U.S. presidential election to showcase the major change in media consumption, with digital platforms like podcasts and social media overtaking traditional outlets such as TV and newspapers. Podcasts, with nearly half of Americans tuning in monthly, were key for reaching younger demographics, while social platforms became influential sources of political discourse. The article underscored that traditional cable news networks faced significant viewership declines, especially among younger audiences, highlighting their diminishing role. Further, the fragmented media landscape has led to diverse, partisan narratives, enabling campaigns to target audiences more effectively but also fostering echo chambers and weakening shared national dialogue.
This ongoing transition is both a challenge and an opportunity. For those willing to adapt and embrace the power of digital, the possibilities to connect, inform, and inspire are limitless. For others clinging to the past, it serves as a reminder that the future of communication belongs to those who innovate and evolve.
