“Those who show top management clicks lose. Those who show results win.”

Lena Wouters and Matthias Mezele of Körber explain why data literacy, AI, and demonstrating impact are more important today than traditional reach KPIs.

Lena Wouters and Matthias Mezele of Körber

In many places, communications departments are still fighting for their place at the management table. The reason is often not a lack of performance, but a lack of proof of impact. How can communications be measured and presented in a way that catches the attention of top management? Lena Wouters, Head of Brand & Communication Strategy, and Matthias Mezele, Head of Digital Communications at Körber, discuss with AG CommTech why reach figures alone are no longer enough, why data literacy is now a core responsibility of communicators, and how an AI assistant helps make impact visible and establish a data culture within the team. This interview follows our webinar “How Communications Departments Demonstrate Their Success to Top Management.” You can find the recording of the webinar here

AG CommTech: Lena, Matthias, many communications departments regularly report key metrics. Yet many feel that they aren’t really getting through to top management. Why is that?

Lena Wouters: Because metrics alone don’t prove impact. Many of us come from a tradition where communication is primarily about sending messages and documenting reach. That’s no longer enough today. The key question isn’t: How many people have we reached? But rather: What has changed as a result? That’s exactly the discussion we’re having every day now. Communication is no longer measured solely by what it produces, but by the contribution it makes to the company’s success.

AG CommTech: That sounds like a fundamental shift in roles.

Lena Wouters: Absolutely. The traditional editorial desk is increasingly being replaced by the control desk. Communicators need to be better able to explain how their work contributes to strategy, reputation, or business success. This is significantly changing the demands of our profession. Data literacy, business acumen, and working with AI are now just as much a part of the job as the ability to tell good stories.

AG CommTech: Which skills will be particularly important in the future?

Lena Wouters: For me, four areas are crucial in this context. First, business literacy. If you don’t understand the business, you’ll hardly be able to approach your communications work strategically. Second, data literacy. We need to be able to read and interpret data and translate it into decisions. Third, AI competence. It’s not just about understanding the technology, but using it effectively. And fourth, the ability to demonstrate impact. This is increasingly becoming the core of our profession.

AG CommTech: Matthias, how did you incorporate these requirements into your communications work at Körber?

Matthias Mezele: The starting point is our corporate strategy. Communication must not be an end in itself. That is why our communication strategy is directly derived from the corporate strategy. Ultimately, everything we do must contribute to the company’s strategic goals. This automatically changes the way we measure success as well.

AG CommTech: What does that look like in practice?

Matthias Mezele: We report to the Executive Board on a quarterly basis and have deliberately opted for a highly focused approach. Less is more. Instead of a graveyard of metrics, we concentrate on a few truly relevant KPIs. For each area of communication, we report two to three key metrics. This also aligns with how Executive Board members process information. No one wants to wade through twenty pages of reports.

AG CommTech: Which key metrics does the Executive Board actually care about?

Matthias Mezele: That depends on the company, of course. For us, reputation and brand value play a central role. Beyond that, we look at factors such as the use of key internal communication channels, the reach of our messages in the media, and developments on our digital channels. What’s interesting here is that some metrics that board members like to see aren’t actually the most important ones for our day-to-day operations. Growth in the number of followers on LinkedIn is one example. We’re often more interested in the quality of the target audiences or the quality of the interactions. But you have to understand the perspective that management takes.

AG CommTech: Lena, among other things, you measure brand value. Many communications departments shy away from such business metrics. Why did you choose this approach?

Lena Wouters: Because we wanted to establish a direct link to the corporate strategy. A few years ago, Körber consolidated more than forty individual brands under a single umbrella brand. This automatically raised the question: What value does this brand actually create? We didn’t want to just discuss this in qualitative terms; we wanted to measure it reliably.

AG CommTech: So how did you convince management?

Lena Wouters: We involved the CFO early on. Instead of presenting a finished concept, we engaged him in a dialogue. We explained how brand value is measured, what standards underpin it, and how this metric can be useful. The result was very positive. We are now in ongoing discussions with the various finance functions at Körber regarding these metrics. This has greatly increased acceptance. If you want to demonstrate your impact and value, you should understand the language of the finance department. This builds credibility and opens doors.

AG CommTech: You’ve also integrated an AI-powered assistant into your reporting. What was the idea behind that?

Lena Wouters: The idea was to embed data literacy more broadly within the team. Not every company can afford its own data analyst. At the same time, data work shouldn’t be left entirely up to one person. That’s why we integrated an assistant that analyzes the dashboard and answers questions without making things up.

AG CommTech: What does that mean in everyday life?

Lena Wouters: Colleagues can interact directly with the data. For example, they can ask why media coverage increased in a particular month or which topics performed particularly well. The assistant provides initial analyses and recommendations for action. This significantly lowers the barrier to entry.

AG CommTech: Do you have an example?

Lena Wouters: An analysis by the system showed that two topics generated a particularly strong response: a partnership with Nvidia and communications regarding the construction of our new production facility in Hamburg. From this, we were able to immediately identify which topics might be of particular interest for our media relations efforts in the future. This makes the data significantly more actionable.

AG CommTech: What role does corporate culture play in this?

Lena Wouters: A very big one. Data alone doesn’t change anything. What matters is the data culture. That’s why we’ve firmly integrated analytics into our editorial meetings. That wasn’t the case before. Today, we regularly discuss insights, trends, and impacts. This is gradually fostering a different way of thinking.

AG CommTech: If you could give communications professionals just one piece of advice, where should they start?

Matthias Mezele: It’s all about strategy. If you want to measure impact, you first need to know what impact you’re actually trying to achieve. Without a strategic context, metrics remain arbitrary.

Lena Wouters: And I’d add: Just get started. Many people wait for the perfect solution, the perfect data analyst, or the perfect dashboard. That’s not necessary. What’s important is to take the first steps, regularly incorporate data into discussions, and create a culture where impact is automatically taken into account.

AG CommTech: What do you think is the most important insight?

Lena Wouters: That impact measurement is not a reporting project, but a cultural project. If data is merely collected, it doesn’t change anything. If it helps us make better decisions, it changes everything.

Matthias Mezele: And communication becomes more relevant when it focuses not on its own activities, but on its contribution to the company’s success. That is exactly where the discussion should be focused.