Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 9:00–10:00 a.m. (CEST).
At the Stiftung Mercator, ProjektZentrum Berlin, Neue Promenade 6, 10178 Berlin
An optional 30-minute networking session will immediately follow as of 10:00 a.m.
Think tanks operate in a highly sensitive environment in which they must navigate issues from controversial donor relationships to political attacks on researchers and institutions. Their trust, credibility, and resilience are constantly put to the test. When reputational risks materialize – be it through misinformation campaigns, political labeling, or public controversy – strategic crisis communication becomes essential to protect influence, authority, and public trust. Crisis communications isn’t just about controlling the narrative; it is about protecting this fragile ecosystem before it cracks.
Our latest WonkComms Breakfast Club brings together communications professionals to examine real-world case studies and offer a practical toolkit for navigating reputational crises in the research and policy sector.
We will be joined by Gabriele Freitag who will share her experiences and lessons learned after the organization she leads, the German Association for East European Studies, was labeled an extremist organization by Russia. For a personal perspective, Isabelle Werenfels will describe how she dealt with a state-orchestrated campaign against her as she became a pawn in a diplomatic crisis between Morocco and Germany. Nina Ohlmeier will discuss the new communication strategy that will take effect at Mercator in 2026 to address the increasing need for crisis communication, which aims to make systematic assessments of reputational risks.
Coffee, croissants, and comms – what could be a better start to your morning?
Speakers:
Gabriele Freitag
Executive Director, German Association for East European Studies (DGO)
Isabelle Werenfels
Senior Fellow, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP)
Nina Ohlmeier
Head of Mercator Center Berlin, Stiftung Mercator
Moderator:
Wiebke Ewering
Head of Communications, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)
Please register for the event HERE by May 12, 2025. Seats will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. Please forward this invitation to any friends and colleagues who you think might be interested.
If you cannot join us for this session, don’t worry, there will be further WonkComms Breakfast Clubs hosted at other Berlin think tanks and foundations this year. Please follow WonkComms and the 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).
About WonkComms Breakfast Clubs: WonkComms is a global network of think tank communications professionals who share ideas and best practices. Our first event was held in the UK in 2013 and we have since expanded our activities to the United States, Latin America, and now to Germany. We organize informal events on subjects that are of practical interest to our community – including previous Breakfast Club series in London and Washington, DC. You can find us on X and LinkedIn. The WonkComms Breakfast Club Berlin is organized by the Think Tank Lab and Soapbox.