A decade to understand the future
Sometimes, amid so many trends, it is necessary to pause and take a step back. Which issues have been on companies’ agendas for years? Which ones have been reinforced? And which new priorities are gaining momentum? “Approaching the Future” has spent ten editions helping to answer precisely these questions.
Driven by Corporate Excellence and CANVAS Estrategias Sostenibles, the report has established itself as a benchmark tool for understanding how the most relevant corporate intangibles are evolving: reputation, communication, sustainability, purpose, leadership… all those elements that are not always visible, yet define how organizations relate to their environment.
The 2025 edition gathers insights from more than 2,100 professionals across Ibero-America, 39% of whom hold senior executive positions. What stands out this year? Corporate reputation (61.1%), communication (59.5%), and responsible leadership (56.5%) top the list of strategic priorities. Not only as guiding principles, but as real areas of investment: 61.7% of organizations report allocating resources to communication, an increase of 7.4 points compared to the previous year.
This year, artificial intelligence has also consolidated its position as one of the most pressing issues for companies. Among senior executives in Spain, it is already the top priority (65.7%). The report shows that organizations are moving from general interest to practical deployment: team training, process adaptation, and careful attention to the ethical dilemmas raised by this technology. What is particularly interesting is that AI is not viewed merely as a technical tool, but as a factor that directly impacts corporate culture, governance, and communication.
Another area gaining prominence is corporate brand. Although it does not rank among the very top in perceived importance, it is already the third most actively managed area within organizations (50.5%). This points to a significant shift: brand is no longer seen simply as a visual expression or advertising message, but as a strategic asset closely linked to purpose and reputation management.
Beyond rankings, the value of the report also lies in its ability to highlight contrasts—between regions, functional areas, and company sizes. The comparison between Spain and Latin America, for example, reveals how priorities vary depending on social and economic context. It also offers insights into the specific concerns of large companies and senior leadership. This nuanced approach enriches the analysis and avoids one-size-fits-all conclusions.
In a context marked by disinformation, polarization, climate urgency, and technological transformation, Approaching the Future helps us understand what organizations are doing or failing to do—and, above all, how they are preparing for what lies ahead. Sustainability, ethics, purpose, and reputational risk management are not new concepts, but they are evolving. Tools like this help us keep pace with that evolution.
At ComBoca, we have had the opportunity to support the communication strategy for this tenth edition. And if there is one thing this work has confirmed, it is that companies that truly understand their context communicate better. Because it is not just about having a compelling narrative, but about knowing how to connect it with reality, with stakeholder expectations, and with the values an organization claims to uphold.
When communication is taken seriously, it becomes a way of anticipating not just explaining what is being done, but helping to organize attention around what truly matters. In that sense, Approaching the Future acts as a compass. It does not aim to close debates, but to offer signals that support more informed and conscious decision-making. And in a world that changes week by week, that is immensely valuable.
