What is reputation and how do you measure it? What about the digitization of internal communications? And where is CommTech headed? Communications managers have to ask themselves these questions and many more every day on their digitalization path. The answers to these questions may not always be immediately obvious, which makes it all the more important to exchange ideas with like-minded people in order to learn from and support each other.
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but also blog posts. Here, communications professionals deal with topics related to the digitization of the communications industry and digital transformation processes. You can find all previous posts here:
Automation is playing an increasingly important role in the world of corporate communication – at least when it comes to the wishes and expectations of those responsible for communication. A recent survey conducted by the Process Automation Initiative in the CommTech working group provides revealing insights into this trend.
The recently published Communications Trend Radar 2024 speaks a clear language. The pressure to change due to social developments, changes in the business environment and new technologies is high. Communication managers are not only under pressure to act, but also under time pressure.
Change has always existed – and so have those who communicate it. However, digitalization is primarily changing communication itself. Job profiles are changing, priorities are shifting.
The use of AI in communication and marketing offers many opportunities, but also risks. What the political agreement on the AI Act means and what communicators should think about – this is what AG CommTech member Andreas Rossbach has been thinking about.
It is an honorable concern of the DRPR to provide PR professionals with binding rules for dealing with AI. And he is not alone in this. Many national governments, the EU and international organizations are discussing or already regulating how artificial intelligence should be put on a leash.
Artificial intelligence (AI) brings us communicators impressive technical possibilities, but at the center of this profound change is the human being. This raises organizational questions above all: Who in the team has what attitude and previous experience with AI, what image do we have of our future collaboration, and how do we want to approach the topic?
It is true, Artificial Intelligence, namely the so-called LLMs (Large Language Models) will democratize communication work. Where recently a lot of money or personnel were required to generate different derivatives for numerous channels from one text, for example, today AI spits out the content in the right formats and tonalities at the push of a button in seconds for free.
The rapidly changing world presents us with new challenges, from economic difficulties to social upheaval. In this era of the dawn of Internet 3.0, characterized by enterprise and technological advances, exciting opportunities are opening up. Amidst the abundance of data, however, one constant remains: our love of stories. Good storytelling not only captures our attention, but also creates trust and identification. In an uncertain world, companies have a responsibility to build trust and create bonds. Communication plays a key role here. Integrating AI technologies like ChatGPT can help gain the trust of customers and prospects through effective storytelling.
A key idea of CommTech is the adaptation of the customer journey in the form of a stakeholder journey to corporate communications. Anyone who considers the idea will subsequently wonder in amazement why communications has so far failed across the board to maintain a continuous dialog with individual stakeholders beyond the “attention” stage, in which the “connectedness” stage is finally reached.
No nesting follows now, although the results of the recently published Global CommTech Report 2023 would give cause to do so. One must put a question mark in front of the parenthesis as to whether a sample of 329 participants worldwide is representative of the status of CommTech in companies and agencies.
The path to transformation: Learn how cross-functional teams and self-organization are shaping the future. Oliver Lönker provides insight into Siemens Healthineers’ successful transformation and shares his insights for moving toward an agile organization.
ChatGPT changes lives, work and education. This offers opportunities – but also risks. In an open letter, a group of prominent entrepreneurs, researchers and intellectuals call for a pause in the development of AI systems like ChatGPT.
It’s just the two of us. That’s why we can talk about this grievance quite openly: Almost no communication department is able to capture the response in the individual channels AND make them comparable with each other.
Why is CommTech becoming increasingly important, especially in PR? Should we worry about our jobs as communications professionals because of ChatGPT? And doesn’t artificial intelligence perhaps have its own agenda after all.
For 99 percent of communications managers, reputation is very important or important. So for almost everyone. That’s according to a survey conducted by AG CommTech in October 2022. Wow! With such a clear vote, one would expect that reputation is measured and managed in many companies – in other words, that there is a reputation management system.
The Excellence Forum #54, which took place at Henkel in Düsseldorf at the end of November and is considered the ‘elite circle’ among CommTech enthusiasts, had given itself the heading ‘Data Wellness’. A title that initially triggers question marks.
“It doesn’t suit us. The classic newsroom doesn’t fit Sennheiser!” After saying this sentence out loud for the first time, we were somewhat relieved, because at least we knew what we didn’t want.
Communications lags behind in data usage overall. The situation is only worse for IC, as a recent survey by Meltwater and the IMWF confirmed. Without data no KPIs, without KPIs no measurability, without measurability no value creation, without value creation no raison d’être.
Communication is lagging behind in the digitization of its core processes. This is not a new insight. In the CommTech Blog, Thomas Mickeleit sheds light on the situation and offers six practical tips on how to accelerate digital transformation.
Should journalists be part of the stakeholder journey? We encountered this question again and again in the course of our CommTech work. My clear opinion is: yes, we must even understand it as an essential part of it. But we need standards and a transparent approach.
The use of digital technologies, challenges in internal workflows or the implications of the stakeholder journey: Topics that were discussed at the University of Leipzig at the beginning of April under one question: Where is CommTech headed?
Thomas Mickeleit knows his way around newsrooms. As head of communications at Microsoft Germany for many years, he was an early adopter of the newsroom model and ran it successfully. As a consultant, he now helps companies digitize their communications, including the introduction of newsrooms.
When we asked communications executives in the CommTech WG at the start of the initiative about the biggest hurdles in implementing tech tools, data protection ranked at the top. WG 8, led by Tanja Irion and Kay Nungesser, has meanwhile looked into this in depth and gained some interesting insights.
Where buzzwords become trends, classifying a topic along the heavyweight concept of “culture” is obvious. The use of “data culture” in German-speaking countries is still shy and the mostly US-American “data culture” is spreading over the so-called “data-driven companies” and their vision.
When it comes to media analysis, the demands in press offices have obviously grown considerably. Reach and the number of mentions are still the two most important indicators for press spokespersons -this suits classic media analysis service providers.
CommTech is sweeping across the Atlantic as a concept and new model for communication. With all sympathy and a bit of admiration, the idea of optimally developing all stakeholders into “fans and advocates” goes beyond the mark.
If comms professionals want to be seen as key players in their organization, they need to use the language of management and report successes accordingly. This brings us to the core of the “problem”.
Process automation in communication – still more of a wish than a reality at the moment
Automation is playing an increasingly important role in the world of corporate communication – at least when it comes to the wishes and expectations of those responsible for communication. A recent survey conducted by the Process Automation Initiative in the CommTech working group provides revealing insights into this trend.
The future of communication: key findings from the Communications Trend Radar 2024
The recently published Communications Trend Radar 2024 speaks a clear language. The pressure to change due to social developments, changes in the business environment and new technologies is high. Communication managers are not only under pressure to act, but also under time pressure.
Careers in times of transformation
Change has always existed – and so have those who communicate it. However, digitalization is primarily changing communication itself. Job profiles are changing, priorities are shifting.
EU AI Act: between overregulation and risk minimization
The use of AI in communication and marketing offers many opportunities, but also risks. What the political agreement on the AI Act means and what communicators should think about – this is what AG CommTech member Andreas Rossbach has been thinking about.
In search of the right approach to AI: The German Council for Public Relations (DRPR) adopts guidelines
It is an honorable concern of the DRPR to provide PR professionals with binding rules for dealing with AI. And he is not alone in this. Many national governments, the EU and international organizations are discussing or already regulating how artificial intelligence should be put on a leash.
Recommended for imitation: A workshop example for AI introduction
Artificial intelligence (AI) brings us communicators impressive technical possibilities, but at the center of this profound change is the human being. This raises organizational questions above all: Who in the team has what attitude and previous experience with AI, what image do we have of our future collaboration, and how do we want to approach the topic?
When the AI only talks to itself
It is true, Artificial Intelligence, namely the so-called LLMs (Large Language Models) will democratize communication work. Where recently a lot of money or personnel were required to generate different derivatives for numerous channels from one text, for example, today AI spits out the content in the right formats and tonalities at the push of a button in seconds for free.
AI StorySelling for Business
The rapidly changing world presents us with new challenges, from economic difficulties to social upheaval. In this era of the dawn of Internet 3.0, characterized by enterprise and technological advances, exciting opportunities are opening up. Amidst the abundance of data, however, one constant remains: our love of stories. Good storytelling not only captures our attention, but also creates trust and identification. In an uncertain world, companies have a responsibility to build trust and create bonds. Communication plays a key role here. Integrating AI technologies like ChatGPT can help gain the trust of customers and prospects through effective storytelling.
The age of dialogue in communication has begun
A key idea of CommTech is the adaptation of the customer journey in the form of a stakeholder journey to corporate communications. Anyone who considers the idea will subsequently wonder in amazement why communications has so far failed across the board to maintain a continuous dialog with individual stakeholders beyond the “attention” stage, in which the “connectedness” stage is finally reached.
Global CommTech Report 2023: The hubris of communication
No nesting follows now, although the results of the recently published Global CommTech Report 2023 would give cause to do so. One must put a question mark in front of the parenthesis as to whether a sample of 329 participants worldwide is representative of the status of CommTech in companies and agencies.
Agility in corporate communications: more than just a fashion
The path to transformation: Learn how cross-functional teams and self-organization are shaping the future. Oliver Lönker provides insight into Siemens Healthineers’ successful transformation and shares his insights for moving toward an agile organization.
ChatGPT we need to talk
ChatGPT changes lives, work and education. This offers opportunities – but also risks. In an open letter, a group of prominent entrepreneurs, researchers and intellectuals call for a pause in the development of AI systems like ChatGPT.
The intimate love of apples and pears in communications departments
It’s just the two of us. That’s why we can talk about this grievance quite openly: Almost no communication department is able to capture the response in the individual channels AND make them comparable with each other.
Interview with ChatGPT
Why is CommTech becoming increasingly important, especially in PR? Should we worry about our jobs as communications professionals because of ChatGPT? And doesn’t artificial intelligence perhaps have its own agenda after all.
What is reputation, anyway? And how do you measure it?
For 99 percent of communications managers, reputation is very important or important. So for almost everyone. That’s according to a survey conducted by AG CommTech in October 2022. Wow! With such a clear vote, one would expect that reputation is measured and managed in many companies – in other words, that there is a reputation management system.
Data wellness – relaxation through data?
The Excellence Forum #54, which took place at Henkel in Düsseldorf at the end of November and is considered the ‘elite circle’ among CommTech enthusiasts, had given itself the heading ‘Data Wellness’. A title that initially triggers question marks.
The Sennheiser newsroom: Circles, squads and lots of data
“It doesn’t suit us. The classic newsroom doesn’t fit Sennheiser!” After saying this sentence out loud for the first time, we were somewhat relieved, because at least we knew what we didn’t want.
IK flying blind
Communications lags behind in data usage overall. The situation is only worse for IC, as a recent survey by Meltwater and the IMWF confirmed. Without data no KPIs, without KPIs no measurability, without measurability no value creation, without value creation no raison d’être.
Digitize communication – here’s how
Communication is lagging behind in the digitization of its core processes. This is not a new insight. In the CommTech Blog, Thomas Mickeleit sheds light on the situation and offers six practical tips on how to accelerate digital transformation.
Does the Stakeholder Journey also include journalists?
Should journalists be part of the stakeholder journey? We encountered this question again and again in the course of our CommTech work. My clear opinion is: yes, we must even understand it as an essential part of it. But we need standards and a transparent approach.
Where is CommTech headed?
The use of digital technologies, challenges in internal workflows or the implications of the stakeholder journey: Topics that were discussed at the University of Leipzig at the beginning of April under one question: Where is CommTech headed?
The six success factors of Newsroom
Thomas Mickeleit knows his way around newsrooms. As head of communications at Microsoft Germany for many years, he was an early adopter of the newsroom model and ran it successfully. As a consultant, he now helps companies digitize their communications, including the introduction of newsrooms.
Data protection issues are becoming increasingly important in communications
When we asked communications executives in the CommTech WG at the start of the initiative about the biggest hurdles in implementing tech tools, data protection ranked at the top. WG 8, led by Tanja Irion and Kay Nungesser, has meanwhile looked into this in depth and gained some interesting insights.
Data Culture – How can data culture grow
Where buzzwords become trends, classifying a topic along the heavyweight concept of “culture” is obvious. The use of “data culture” in German-speaking countries is still shy and the mostly US-American “data culture” is spreading over the so-called “data-driven companies” and their vision.
Media analyses: The disdainful standard is not enough
When it comes to media analysis, the demands in press offices have obviously grown considerably. Reach and the number of mentions are still the two most important indicators for press spokespersons -this suits classic media analysis service providers.
Debate: Thinking about the Stakeholder Journey in European terms!
CommTech is sweeping across the Atlantic as a concept and new model for communication. With all sympathy and a bit of admiration, the idea of optimally developing all stakeholders into “fans and advocates” goes beyond the mark.
Data makes the difference in PR
If comms professionals want to be seen as key players in their organization, they need to use the language of management and report successes accordingly. This brings us to the core of the “problem”.
