1. What was your standout PR moment in the first half of 2025?
What stood out most to me was witnessing a genuine cultural shift - moderation moving confidently from a niche idea to a mainstream expectation - and seeing that alignment between a company’s purpose and the public’s mindset reflected in conversations. At HEINEKEN, this is close to our heart as we intentionally offer choice through our non-alcoholic beer portfolio. What made this moment special was that it wasn’t just about corporate messaging: it was about media, consumers, and partners amplifying the story themselves. For me, the highlight was knowing that through thoughtful partnerships, consistent storytelling, and a clear sense of purpose, HEINEKEN helped make those choices visible and aspirational.
You could feel this trend come to life in the places where culture evolves - at festivals like Coachella, where the energy was high but the pressure to drink has noticeably eased, and at the Dutch Formula 1 Grand Prix, where fans confidently raised Heineken® 0.0 as part of the celebration. These weren’t isolated activations; they are proof points of a broader movement we’ve helped shape. As a communications leader, moments like these are incredibly rewarding because they show how purpose and culture can meet in a way that feels authentic and lasting.
2. Did anything surprise you or make you rethink your role as a communicator this year?
What has most prompted me to pause and rethink my role as a communicator is the sheer velocity with which generative AI is reshaping our discipline. Practically overnight, we’ve moved from static planning cycles to an environment where we can test narratives in real time, anticipate sentiment shifts, and adapt our strategies with far greater precision. This year has been one of intentional experimentation with my team, and the takeaway is clear: AI isn’t narrowing the communicator’s role - it’s expanding it. It is elevating our contribution, pushing us to operate with more foresight, more strategic clarity, and more impact.
At the same time, the fundamentals remain unchanged. Effective communication still starts with listening. Technology can surface insights, but it cannot determine what matters to people - that’s our responsibility. The real value emerges when we use AI as an accelerator for human judgment: applying insights thoughtfully, shaping messages that reflect our values, and building relevance with stakeholders and consumers.
My key reflection this year is about integration. The future of communications lies in pairing the intelligence of AI with the empathy and contextual understanding that only humans bring. When we anchor every decision in listening and human insight, AI becomes not a disruptor, but a powerful force multiplier for meaningful, trustworthy communication.
3. Which topics do you think will shape communication and PR work in the coming months?
Looking ahead, I believe the issues that will shape communications and PR are less about any single technological breakthrough and more about our capacity to sustain human connection in an environment defined by constant change. The pace of transformation - across markets, society and the workplace - means employees and stakeholders don’t just want information; they want context. They want help making sense of what’s shifting around them. Engagement will increasingly hinge on our ability to translate complexity, acknowledge ambiguity, and create clarity where there is none.
This elevates the communicator’s role from storyteller to sense-maker. We are becoming the integrators who help organizations stay grounded, aligned and connected during rapid transformation. That requires empathy, credibility and a willingness to show up with transparency even when all the answers aren’t yet clear.
Our leadership responsibility is to articulate the bigger picture, show confidence in navigating change, and equip our teams and stakeholders to do the same. When we do this well, we don’t just support people - we strengthen organizational trust and reputation from the inside out. And that, ultimately, is what will differentiate communications in the months ahead: the ability to combine human insight with strategic clarity to guide organisations through uncertainty with coherence and confidence.
4. If your team suddenly no longer had access to the Meltwater platform, what would you miss most in your daily work?
If we lost access to a media intelligence tool, what I’d miss most is the ability to see the bigger picture in real time. In today’s environment, conversations move fast, and reputation can shift overnight. Having that visibility allows us to anticipate, respond, and guide narratives with confidence. Without it, we’d lose the agility that’s so critical for protecting and building trust.
But beyond speed, what matters most is context. It’s not just about monitoring headlines - it’s about understanding sentiment and impact across markets. For a global organization like HEINEKEN, that perspective helps us connect insights to action and make decisions that are grounded in reality. Sometimes tools change, but the principle remains: insights-driven communications is what helps us shift from reactive to strategic.
To see how Meltwater helps Heineken gain insights. Read the Heineken case-study here.
About Joanna Price
Joanna Price, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, The Heineken Company
Appointed Chief Corporate Affairs Officer in 2023, Joanna joins HEINEKEN from The Coca-Cola Company where she served for 20 years in a variety of leadership roles, including most recently as Chief of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at The Coca Cola Company North America Operating Unit.
Joanna served on the boards of The International Dyslexia Association, the national board of The YWCA and The Atlanta Women’s Foundation. Prior to Coca-Cola, Joanna held senior corporate positions at Kellogg, ACNielsen and News Corporation in public affairs, communication, strategy and research roles
