Salon M: Building trust through communication in turbulent times
Communication as the central instrument for building and (re)establishing trust in companies, organizations and institutions - in the context of global change and artificial intelligence. This was the topic of this year's first Salon M.
More than 80 guests followed the invitation to the discussion with Prof. Dr. Christof Ehrhart (EVP Corporate Communications & Governmental Affairs, Bosch), Byung-Hun Park (VP Corporate Communications, Viessmann & Communicator of the Year 2023) and Markus Schindler (CEO & Founder, PANTARHEI) at the Munich DesignWerkschau. The evening was hosted by journalist and bestselling author Nena Brockhaus.
Munich, 7 March 2024 - Companies, organizations and institutions currently have to do more than ever before. Expectations of communication are also rising. Prof. Dr. Christof Ehrhart, Executive Vice President Corporate Communications & Governmental Affairs at Bosch, explains why communication management is crucial to a company's success: "In a time of disruption, communication management has a decisive role to play in guiding a company's success. The decisive success factor here is not so much the ability to generate predictable results with target groups with the help of magical instruments. What is critical to success is a convincing communicative business model that enables the management of complex dilemma constellations between economic opportunities and social expectations in an increasingly fragmented public sphere."
In times of artificial intelligence, deepfakes and fake news, communication is becoming increasingly important in order to build and secure trust. Byung-Hun Park, VP Corporate Communications at Viessmann, described exactly where communication comes in: "In addition to climate change, there will be an equally great challenge for humanity in the future: Distinguishing between truth and falsehood - a task of the century that can only be solved through trustworthy, authentic communication."
In order to master the changing technological and cultural requirements, communication must be used in a targeted manner. This was also emphasized by host Markus Schindler, CEO Pantarhei Corporate Advisors: "Communication is the central management tool in change. The world is constantly changing. Only those who can tell their story under these changing conditions have a chance of being heard, asserting their interests and making change a success."
In order to tell these stories, companies need the right framework conditions. Markus Kirchschlager, Managing Director of Pantarhei Munich, knows what is important: "The professional use of communication as a management tool determines whether a crisis and transformation can be successfully overcome and whether trust can be (re)established. To do this, companies need the right structures, processes and skills in their teams."
About Salon M
Salon M is the leading platform for change, communication and public affairs managers and takes place once a quarter at the DesignWerkschau (Alter Fruchthof in Munich). It is hosted by Pantarhei Corporate Advisors, a communications consultancy with offices in Munich, Vienna and Brussels. Under the motto "Communication as a management tool in times of global change and artificial intelligence", a high-quality panel will discuss a current topic. Previous guests have included Birgit Dengel (Director Communications, Telefónica Germany), Andreas Bartels (Senior Vice President, Head of Corporate Communications, Lufthansa Group), Alexander Bilgeri (Vice President Communications, BMW Group) and Ines Schurin (Group Director Corporate Communications, REWE Group). Around 80 executives, professionals and high-potentials from the communications and marketing industry always follow the invitation to Salon M.