In this post-election edition of Breakfast Club, we’ll be asking battle-scarred comms officers to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and reflect on a chaotic and anxiety-inducing campaign. And we’ll ask a simple question – did think tanks actually make any difference to the German election?
Specifically, we’ll be looking at how think tank communicators shaped and responded to the hot-button election issues. Which messages resonated and which ones fell flat? Which think tanks succeeded in cutting through the noise with evidence-based insights? What did we learn about the role of expertise in a dynamic news environment that is increasingly dominated by populist perspectives? And what now?
Don’t worry, this is a safe space…
Our conversation will be kickstarted by Frank Jordans discussing the ways in which experts talked about energy and climate; Isabelle Schäfer assessing how the research community sought to influence the migration debate; and Julia von Dobeneck explaining the response of think tanks and foundations to issues related to peace and security.
WonkComms Breakfast Club is a series of informal events (and, occasionally, a mutual support group) that brings comms professionals from think tanks together to discuss issues of common interest.
Coffee, croissants, and comms – what could be a better start to your morning?
Speakers:
Julia von Dobeneck
Senior Project Manager, Peace Program, Robert Bosch Stiftung
Frank Jordans
Senior Manager Press and Communications Industry & Hydrogen, Agora Industry
Isabelle Schäfer
Research Fellow, Center for Migration, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)
Moderator:
Wiebke Ewering
Head of Communications, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)
Please register for the meeting here by March 3, 2025. And 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 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).