I have never believed in ‘blue Monday’ – this year it’s next Monday the 19th, apparently – partly because Blue Monday should only ever be in reference to New Order’s 1983 classic electro track – and partly because I generally see January as an optimistic month.
After all this is the start of a fresh year bringing new possibilities, and the days are gradually getting longer.
Despite much of the narrative in the British media at present, there are some good socio-economic signs if you only look for them. Sure, it’s been a tough economy for the past two years. But the UK stock market has been flying; at the time of writing the FTSE 100 has quietly and comfortably climbed above 10k points for the first time. Inflation is finally coming down and so too, gradually, are interest rates.
It certainly remains a tricky time in mainstream retail and hospitality – although for the reasons above, those may improve later this year – however other sectors in which the British excel: travel, sport, entertainment, technology and fintech, still look encouragingly buoyant.
And the fact is that all these sectors need good comms professionals more than ever.
They need them to promote their products and services, long an essential and now growing part of the marketing mix; they need them to manage and protect their reputations, usually even more so when times are tough; and they need them to protect and extend their very licence to operate. Indeed in such a febrile and changeable political climate, influential public affairs and policy advisers are more important than ever.
Most organisations of any size also need good internal comms professionals to bring their staff along with the organisation’s progress, again particularly at times of rapid change. And the really big change in recent years: organisations need and expect their comms leaders’ help in actually driving business growth.
Arlo Brady, CEO of Freuds, put it nicely in an interview this week: “If you're in the world of reputation and trust, then I think you are at the coal face of value creation. Or if you mess it up, you are at the coal face of value erosion.”
Yes, as we start 2026, in-house comms professionals are more highly regarded and highly rewarded than at any time in history. To some extent this is in contrast to agency-side comms pros, who are facing a more disruptive time at present as AI, and the partly-related agency consolidation, drive jobs cuts or recruitment freezes at so many consultancies.
In any case, whether you work in-house or agency-side, being optimistic is actually part of your job description. It won’t be actually written there if you look, but believe me it’s there.
Of course sometimes corporate affairs or comms leaders will need to play Eeyore when it comes to advising against a particular organisational policy that they judge will not play out well with stakeholders. But generally their role is to craft and drive a compelling narrative which will take the organisation forward; something that definitely needs more Tigger.
From working both as a PR executive and then, for much longer, as a journalist, it’s clear the journalist’s role is primarily one of scrutiny; to hold people in power to account by testing their claims and their actions. The job of the PR, on the other hand, is fundamentally to look for opportunities, to use one’s energy to create interest and excitement about what one’s employer or charge is doing, or would like to do.
The fact is, we are all (even we jaded hacks) attracted to people with energy, enthusiasm and positivity.
So forget talk of ‘blue Monday’ over the next week, ignore the weather outside – unless it happens to be one of those rare bright, frosty days that are so uplifting – and instead grasp the opportunities that January brings if you can.
Danny Rogers is editor-in-chief, In.Comms