Projects

The MCM 2 Chair is involved in research, teaching and practical application with strategic issues of corporate communications. This gives rise to a variety of projects with state and private organisations, where our expertise can be utilised. Our research and consulting activities focus on the following four areas: internal communication, financial communication, reputation and trust – and the increasing integration of these areas through social media.

Internal communication
Under the banner of internal communication we address the following questions, for example:
How can an organisation actively manage its culture? How can a company prepare its organisation for change processes and, in doing so, address all employees equally? How can the internal communication be structured in such a way that all relevant stakeholders are reached emotionally and intellectually?

We examine these questions in a number of research projects. Most notably, we have been assisting the Kempinski Hotel Group for a number of years in redesigning their corporate identity and actively involving staff in these change processes. We deal not only with the current state of internal communications; we also address forward-looking questions.

Investor relations
Investor relations have long been misunderstood as the mere communication of financial figures. Increasingly, however, it is becoming apparent – in part because of the financial crisis – that this is not sufficient. Rather, addressing analysts, investors and other target groups is about presenting a narrative for the company to explain the underlying business model, to demonstrate a vision of the future and to no longer avoid the integration of new media. Our chair works in this field together with partners such as the German Investor Relations Association (DIRK).

Social media
Social media are changing the rules of professional business communication on a fundamental level. In an environment with so many active participants, you must very carefully consider whom to address. Communication today can develop in unexpected ways at any time. Companies must therefore fundamentally consider how to address their target groups from a professional standpoint.

Our chair sees social media not only as a point of interest in terms of communication, per se, but also in terms of their broader social implications. We are therefore interested in how social media are changing established career profiles in marketing and PR.

Reputation and trust
Reputation and trust are the assets of the 21st century, be it for companies, individuals or government institutions. For several years our chair has addressed the question of how the state can use targeted communication to counter the growing political disappointment of its citizens as well as the mistrust of the economy in general.

One key insight in this respect is this: trust cannot be demanded, trust can only be earned. In various research activities, we look at the key drivers of trust and reputation, so that society, the state and the market can in the future speak a common language.