Often underestimated, sometimes even ridiculed, a degree in Communication Sciences in Italy carries with it a certain unfounded reputation: that of an “easy” course, lacking rigor or concrete content. The recurring irony – “science of snacks” – aptly captures the widespread prejudice.
Yet, in a world where every gesture, word, choice, or silence generates a message, communication has become a complex and highly strategic act. The skills required of those working in this field are transversal and interdisciplinary: ranging from semiotics to marketing, from psychology to visual communication, from professional writing to managing reputational crises.
It’s not about improvising content, but about designing relationships, shaping identity, reading the subtle signals of society. Knowing how to communicate is not an innate gift, but a skill to be built, studied, and updated.
Training and perception: comparing Italy and the United States
In the United States, communication courses are among the most attended and respected. In particular, at elite universities, communication is seen as one of the pillars of cultural and organizational leadership. The educational path is strongly oriented toward specialization: public speaking, media relations, political communication, digital, and inclusive communication.
In Italy, although it is one of the most chosen courses, its reputation remains ambiguous. There is a gap between the reality of the job market – which requires professionals capable of handling internal communication, branding, online reputation, and storytelling – and the collective imagination that still reduces it all to some posts on social media.
A change in perspective is needed: communication is not entertainment. It’s a job, a discipline, a responsibility.
Corporate communication
Companies no longer communicate solely to the public but with the public. The relationship is no longer linear but circular, continuous, dynamic. Channels have multiplied, as have people’s expectations.
This has transformed corporate communication into a multidirectional process that requires listening, adaptation, and consistency. Brands can no longer simply “say” things: they must read contexts, anticipate reactions, choose the right timing, and calibrate their language. Communication thus becomes a strategic tool for positioning and relationship-building.
Reputation and values: an increasingly fragile balance
Today, companies are asked to take a stand. On everything: the environment, rights, fairness, inclusion. But these positions must be perceived as authentic, consistent with the brand’s history and the identity attributed to it by users.
This is why communication today also exposes brands to new risks. The case of Harley-Davidson, for example, showed how a commitment to DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) could conflict with the traditional imagery built around the brand. When customer expectations are not met, the risk is a reputational crisis.
Communicating well today means being able to navigate between value tensions, social expectations, and cultural demands. Clarity, study, and awareness are needed.
Strategic skills for a changing context
In an increasingly fragmented and hyperconnected world, communication has never been so complex. Yet, never before has it been so necessary. It’s not enough to improvise. Training, methodology, and analytical skills are needed. One must know where they are, where they want to go, and how to say it – in the right way, at the right time, to the right people.
This is the heart of contemporary communication: turning words into vision, languages into relationships, and ideas into identity.
