“Communication must speak the language of the decision-makers”

Jannik Buchmann, Performance Manager Brand & Strategic Topic Management, ContiTech on impact measurement, reputation and the development of strategic communication controlling

AG CommTech: Jannik, you are Performance Manager at ContiTech, a division of Continental. What is the core of your job?

Jannik Buchmann: I am working on making the success of communication systematically measurable and visible – not just via individual key figures such as clicks or page views, but holistically. My aim is to show what contribution communication really makes to a company’s success – and to do so in a language that board members and controllers can also understand.

AG CommTech: How did you come to this topic?

Jannik Buchmann: My path into communications was rather atypical. I trained as an industrial clerk at Continental and studied at the same time. Even then, it was clear that I was interested in communication. When the opportunity arose in 2018 to establish the first web analysis tools in the company, I was immediately on board. But I quickly realized that web statistics alone were not enough. I wanted to know: What do we actually achieve with our communication? Not just technically, but strategically.

AG CommTech: A topic that not every communicator immediately welcomes with open arms…

Jannik Buchmann: That’s right. Back then it was often said: “Communication needs creative freedom, numbers just get in the way.” That motivated me more. I started working with the impact level model. It gave me a structure to make impact tangible – beyond gut feeling and individual measures.

AG CommTech: Can you briefly explain the model?

Jannik Buchmann: Sure. The impact level model according to the DPRG/ICV reference framework distinguishes between four levels: Input, output, outcome and – depending on the definition – outflow. Input includes resources such as budget, time and personnel. Output is what we create: Content, channels, frequency. Outcome measures whether the target groups have been reached and messages understood. And the outflow shows whether communication has contributed to reputation, brand value or business development. It is simple but effective – and can be applied flexibly to campaigns, topics or entire strategies.

AG CommTech: How did you put this into practice at ContiTech?

Jannik Buchmann: First of all, very pragmatically. I analyzed individual communication measures such as trade fairs: What did we invest? What came out? What effect did it have? Later, I looked at longer periods of time, e.g. half a year of communication in retrospect. And then came the moment that I will never forget: My boss gave me the space to present our results to the Management Board.

AG CommTech: How did the Management Board react?

Jannik Buchmann: Surprisingly positive. For a long time, communication was considered a soft area of a company that was difficult to assess: how do you actually measure the influence of communication on a company’s reputation? During the presentation, I noticed that the topic of measurability of communication and impact was met with great interest. Our CFO, who is also responsible for controlling in our company, particularly welcomed the methodical approach. That was the starting point for our structured communication controlling.

AG CommTech: What does your system look like today?

Jannik Buchmann: We have established a methodically sound management system. Our communication strategy is clearly linked to ContiTech’s corporate strategy.

Topics for our communication are derived from the corporate strategy. These include topics such as energy management, mining and brand & culture. We use so-called reputation dimensions – e.g. employer attractiveness, sustainability or profitability – to categorize communication and measure how ContiTech is perceived externally as a company.

AG CommTech: How does this work in everyday life?

Jannik Buchmann: A simple example: our vision is to be the “first choice”. To make this tangible, we break this vision down along specific reputation dimensions – for example: “first choice in products & services”. We then link this to our strategic topics. Let’s take the topic of energy management at the moment: this becomes very specific: “We want to be the first choice for our products and services in the field of energy management.”

Based on this, we analyze the target groups, select the appropriate channels and develop messages that are precisely tailored to these groups. The resulting campaigns are monitored very closely with our reputation dashboard. We regularly evaluate: has our positioning improved in comparison as a result of our activities?

In this way, we ensure that our communication measures remain transparent and comprehensible – even for managers who make decisions based primarily on figures.

AG CommTech: What role does reputation play in this?

Jannik Buchmann: A centralized. Communication has the task of protecting and building reputation. But this is only possible if we can clearly state what we are contributing to. Our reputation dimensions are the link here: they make communication assessable. And they help us to prioritize goals and make impact visible.

AG CommTech: What has changed in the company as a result?

Jannik Buchmann: Communication is perceived very differently today. We are a strategic partner. We can now demonstrate the value that communication contributes to the company’s success – and that creates trust. This is particularly important at a time when ContiTech is undergoing a transformation and needs to develop its own communicative identity.

AG CommTech: What advice would you give to other communicators who want to get started with impact measurement?

Jannik Buchmann: Get started. It doesn’t have to be perfect – but it has to start. The impact level model helps to bring structure into it. Get allies – especially at management level. And speak the language of the decision-makers. If you can make an impact, you will be heard.