Ragan Future of Communications 2025
Sponsored Event
While Pop Summit 2025 featured more than 20 insightful sessions, a few standout moments from the keynote stage truly captured the spirit of the event. Whether you joined us in person or couldn’t make it this year, these recordings are worth a watch...
About this Event
Attending the Ragan Conference in Austin? Poppulo will be a sponsor, and we’d love to see you there!
We have several exciting new features and announcements that we’ll be showcasing, so stop by to learn more about:
- Poppulo AI Agents —New AI-powered assistant for communicators
- Advanced Analytics—New analytics that power strategic comms with insights that go beyond opens and clicks
- Omnichannel Capabilities—Reach employees wherever they are, on the channels they rely on
- In-House Creative Services—Let our experts help optimize your communications
Building on our 25-year legacy of helping our 4,500+ clients reach the people they need to reach, when and where they need to reach them, Poppulo remains the leader in internal communications, and we’re ready to support your needs.
Stop by the Poppulo booth to get a tour of what’s new, and pick up some Poppulo swag!
Event Details
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Top Employee Communication Trends & Strategies for 2026
Internal comms is heading into 2026 with more uncertainty about its role than at any point in recent memory. AI is changing the work at speed. Trust is slipping. Managers are stretched thin. Employees are tuning out. And the expectations placed on IC keep widening into work that falls well beyond its traditional scope—often without the structure or support to match. The familiar models aren’t holding, and the function is being pulled into a new order that still isn’t fully defined. 2026 will ask big questions of IC: what it stands for, where it fits, and how it leads through a year marked by uncertainty and shifting expectations. To understand what this means in practice, we’re bringing together four leaders who are working at the sharp end of these changes: Stephanie Cornell, Head of People Communications & Marketing, WPP Annabelle Gordon, Director of Employee Communications, Super Regine Nelson, Director of Internal Communications, Couchbase Stacie Barrett, Former Director of Internal Communications, Domino’s Moderated by Joss Mathieson of Change Oasis, this 60-minute session, including time for your questions, will get into the real pressures facing IC in 2026 and how teams can work through them. Expect to Explore: The shifting identity of internal comms and what it means to play a deeper role in shaping the employee experience Where AI is genuinely changing the work of internal comms, and the risks that emerge when speed increases but understanding doesn’t How IC can work alongside leaders and other functions when old command-and-control habits no longer hold up How IC can rebuild trust and strengthen resilience by creating communication that feels human, transparent, and genuinely meaningful in a year defined by ambiguity The emotional and practical load on IC practitioners, and how to stay steady when you’re communicating through the same uncertainty as everyone else
IC Measurement Masterclass: Ditch Vanity Metrics to Prove Impact
Clicks, opens, and views might look impressive on a dashboard, but they don’t prove whether your communication made a difference. And that doesn’t cut it anymore. Today, especially in the age of AI, internal communicators who can’t demonstrate business impact risk seeing their value questioned by executive leadership. This 45-minute masterclass with Poppulo’s Senior Director of Communications, Andrew Hubbard, will show you how to move beyond vanity metrics and start measuring what really matters: outcomes that align with business goals and prove the strategic value of your internal communications role. Drawing on his leadership at Poppulo, partnerships with leading global companies, and senior comms experience at Rolls-Royce, Santander, and National Grid, Andrew will share hands-on strategies and tactics you can apply immediately to make that impact. What You’ll Learn Why vanity metrics (opens, clicks, views) fall short and what leaders actually care about Practical methods to measure outcomes: understanding, alignment, behavior change, business results How to link comms measurement directly to organizational goals Using internal benchmarks to track progress and demonstrate continuous improvement Quick-win tools like pre and post campaign surveys to capture impact What You’ll Take Away A framework to shift your measurement approach from outputs to outcomes Confidence to link communications directly to business priorities Inspiration from top organizations already proving their impact Practical steps you can apply immediately to strengthen your IC credibility This is your chance to gain the tools and confidence to demonstrate true impact and elevate your role, before AI forces the question.
The IC Pro’s Framework to Beat AI Threats and Secure Your Future
Comms professionals are feeling uneasy about AI. For some, the ease with which it generates content raises questions about the future of communication roles. While most communicators now use it regularly for drafting messages, creating images and brainstorming, the real opportunity lies beyond. To stay irreplaceable we need a bigger shift: from using AI tactically to using it strategically. Used wisely, AI can free us from time-consuming drudgery for higher-value work such as audience insight, creativity, strategic advice and building trust with stakeholders. Often lacking purpose-built tools or big budgets, Internal Communicators may find AI is the breakthrough they have been waiting for, but only if we act now! In this thought-provoking and practical session, Megan Thomas from Buzz Communications will share her AI Skill-Building Framework for Communication Professionals. Based on more than five years of AI experience and research, the framework is the first of its kind, highlighting the skill gaps, risks and opportunities that will define the profession’s future. You will leave with clear actions to strengthen your role and demonstrate the value of Internal Communication in an AI-driven world. Key Takeaways: Why communicators face a now-or-never moment with AI. How to spot AI “tells” and avoid the risk of being replaced. The six AI competencies every communicator must build: from strategy to ethics, data and change leadership. How to use AI to create a more fulfilling and fun career.
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