The Think Tank Lab, WonkComms, Soapbox, and the Bertelsmann Foundation cordially invite you to an in-person event:
WonkComms Breakfast Club:
Influencing the Influencers – Lessons for Think Tank Communicators
Wednesday, October 29, 2025, 9:00–10:00 a.m. (CEST).
An optional 30-minute networking session will immediately follow at 10:00 a.m.
Location: Bertelsmann Foundation, Werderscher Markt 6, 10117 Berlin, Germany
News consumption has made a decisive shift to social media in recent years, yet many think tank communications departments (not to mention think tank leaders and funders) still behave as if traditional media were dominant.
And with the rise of social media has come the rise of the influencers – many of them with plenty to say about policy and politics.
Why aren't think tanks working with them?
WonkComms Breakfast Club is a series of informal events which bring together think tank communications professionals to discuss issues of common interest.
In this session, we will explore how working with influencers can strengthen democratic dialogue and lead to positive policy impact. We will hear about practical examples of campaigns working with influencers on policy issues. And we will be asking whether researchers and think tank leaders should adopt an influencer model in their own communications.
Our conversation will be kick-started by Dr. Katja Muñoz, who will discuss her recent report Influencers, Disinformation and Democracy in the Digital Age; and Adrian Rosenthal who will outline examples from MSL’s work with influencers on behalf of the Bertelsmann Foundation.
Coffee, croissants and comms—what could be a better start to your morning?
Speakers:
Dr. Katja Muñoz
Research Fellow, Center for Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, and Technology, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)
Adrian Rosenthal
Head of Digital and Social Media, MSL Germany
Moderator:
Wiebke Ewering
Lead Communications, More In Common
Please register for the meeting here by October 27, 2025. And please forward this invitation to any friends and colleagues you think might be interested. As spaces are limited, registrations will be considered on a first come, first serve basis. So, if you can’t come for any reason, please let us know asap so that we can offer the space to someone else.
If you cannot join us for this session, don’t worry, there will be further WonkComms Breakfast Clubs hosted in Berlin in the coming months. Please follow WonkComms and Think Tank Lab on LinkedIn for further announcements. In the meantime, please feel free to get in touch to offer suggestions for future topics and speakers.
For any questions, please contact John Schwartz (john.schwartz@designbysoapbox.com) or the Think Tank Lab team (hello@thinktanklab.org).
We look forward to seeing you soon!
About WonkComms Breakfast Clubs: WonkComms is a global network of think tank communications professionals who share ideas and best practices. Our first event was in the UK in 2013 and we have since expanded our activities to Washington DC, Berlin, Brussels, Madrid and Buenos Aires. We organize informal events on subjects that are of practical interest to our community. You can find us on LinkedIn.The WonkComms Breakfast Club Berlin is organized by Soapbox and the Think Tank Lab.