They say that communication is a personal skill as old as the wise debates of Socrates (the one from Ancient Greece!). However, if eloquence were an art mastered by everyone, we would be discussing philosophy and not wasting time on trivialities, as so often happens.

Reality tells us that there is a great deal of ignorance about fundamental concepts surrounding communication. One of these is realizing that we are not talking about a merely decorative tool. Communication is the compass that measures the impact of ideas on society.

Communication is governed by parameters, based on scientific knowledge and shaped by strategies. It’s not just about cheering for a soccer team, because not everyone can score goals like Ronaldo!

Instead of flooding this text with a tedious list of technical principles about communication, I prefer to resort to the recent controversy over the logo of the Portuguese Republic, as a kind of modern allegory. Suddenly, Portugal witnessed a boom in fast-skilling commentators on graphic design and communication, in a frenzy of opinions and personal tastes. I have my own opinion on the Republic’s logo, but I reserve it for gatherings among friends, where I often end up subjugating it to professional reason. An inherent flaw in the profession.

As a communications manager, my decisions and professional conduct are not based on my personal tastes. They are based on criteria, facts, technical evidence, and, of course, results.

Like a scientist who seeks to understand the world through observation, but essentially through experimentation and systematic analysis, with facts and evidence, communication is also based on technical and scientific principles. If we bear in mind that a laboratory is the setting where theories are tested and results are documented, communication can be the stage where messages are shaped and impacts are measured.

In other words, if science is the search for truth through experimentation, communication is the art of making that truth accessible and understandable to everyone. Communicating is not only vital, it is essential. Communication thus becomes imperative to ensure that knowledge is available to everyone. But it is necessary to know how to do it, with technical knowledge, strategic vision, creative thinking, and analytical skills. This leads us to the next article, which will focus more on communication in the blue economy and bioeconomy.