Whatever your viewpoint, Brexit and objectivity have made poor bedfellows.

As a lesson in communications the hypothesis that Remain got it wrong is regarded as a self evident truth.

‘Project Fear’ has been blamed but it could be argued that fear of immigration and European federalism was simply greater. Any communications professional  knows that overturning entrenched perception can be remarkably difficult.

At present uncertainly is possibly the greatest threat to business growth.  Companies are generally nervous about spending money on expansion or new ventures when they are unclear about the likely structure of their target markets. Many businesses are already making contingency plans based on a range of scenarios. At present there seems to be a prevailing view that the ‘experts’ got it wrong. Again. A viewpoint encouraged by reports in even the more responsible parts of the media.

Objectivity requires that we actually read the full reports prepared by the economists and analysts. Such reports generally indicated a range of outcomes, based on a large number of variables. It’s the “if this happens, the likely outcome is…” game. It’s only when the information is used selectively that it becomes misleading.

We have experience of gathering information and applying it to specific markets to help businesses plan. That information will need to be reviewed regularly but it should be possible to develop best and worst case scenarios and – even better – to identify potential opportunities before others jump on the bandwagon. June 23rd was only the beginning and the only certainly is that Brexit really is a never ending story.