Evergreen Marketing and Communications Skills That Will Never Go Out of Fashion
As we’ve explored in recent blogs, the skills landscape in the marketing, communications and digital fields is evolving faster than ever. AI and automation are reshaping the foundations of these disciplines, while shifting algorithms, emerging social platforms and fleeting trends add to the complexities. Trying to keep attributes relevant in this environment is a challenging task. However, despite the flux, several evergreen skills in marketing and communications have stood the test of time.
While technology is transforming the tactical aspects of marketing, the core principles have remained largely consistent. Whether content is delivered via fax machine or smartphone, the strategic thinking and human insight required to engage customers and consumers hasn’t changed.
Four Skills Every Marketer & Communicator Still Needs
1. Strategic Thinking
Every successful campaign, whether that’s Nike’s ‘Just Do It’, launched in 1988, or more recently, Patagonia’s 2025 ‘Buy Less, Demand More’ initiative, has strategic thinking at its heart.
This trait enables professionals to take a strategic view, aligning marketing strategies with wider business goals, while identifying campaigns and messaging that resonates with consumers. The best professionals can segment target audiences, define value propositions, set measurable goals, and allocate budgets.
That’s why, according to research from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), over 60% of senior marketing professionals rank strategic thinking as the most valuable skill in the profession. Importantly, strategic thinking also incorporates the ability to evaluate risk, assess timing, and predict market shifts, which is perhaps why its importance has been sustained through major shifts within the worlds of marketing and communications.
2. Stakeholder Management & Engagement
Few organisations will have their marketing and communications teams working in isolation. They will act as a bridge between other areas of the business, connecting product, sales, finance, legal, and other departments, while also engaging a wide variety of external audiences.
But their role is much more than just keeping people informed. Their power comes through influencing decisions, aligning messaging across internal functions and managing expectations. The ability to manage and engage stakeholders is particularly critical in senior hires but it is also important for specialists at all levels. Professionals who can manage upwards, sideways, and downwards, while maintaining clarity and diplomacy, are always in demand.
3. Storytelling & Copywriting
Despite the rise of social media platforms such as TikTok and other video-dominant channels, written communication remains a cornerstone of marketing, and the ability to express complex ideas clearly and effectively is - and always will be - essential. However, it’s about more than grammar or tone, and the best writers will incorporate understanding of audience psychology and possess the ability to craft narratives that resonate with their customers, clients and more.
In such a crowded and congested media market, the art of storytelling and creativity has never been more in demand, particularly as artificial intelligence remains some way off from being able to mimic humans effectively. According to LinkedIn’s 2024 UK Skills Report, copywriting and storytelling remain among the most sought-after capabilities in both B2B and B2C roles, and professionals with the ability to shape consistent brand voices will always be on the radar of employers.
4. Agility & Curiosity
While these are softer traits, rather than technical competencies, they remain core elements for long-term success in marketingand communications. Being open to learning and actively seeking out new information provides professionals with the ability to stay ahead of the curve and excel in ideation and theme development.
Curiosity is said to fuel innovation and can lead professionals to trial new methods, explore untapped audiences and question status quos. It’s particularly relevant now where several industries are undergoing major transformation, and AI is increasingly integrated into businesses. Professionals who can explore and utilise its applications without losing sight of human creativity will have a distinct advantage.
It is tempting for employers to chase professionals with the latest, cutting-edge skill set, and there is, of course, a role for those individuals. However, at the heart of any successful campaign will be professionals who possess more evergreen marketing and communications skills, and who ‘anchor’ the profession, providing consistency, creativity and impact. The most effective hiring managers will also recognise that focusing on sourcing these traits will help them navigate change with confidence, no matter how the industry evolves.
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If your organisation is seeking its next marketing or communications hire who can remain relevant and effective despite changing customer and employer demands, audience preferences and the emergence of new technologies, get in touch with our team today.
