German industrial companies are changing business models, reorganising teams and looking for ways to reduce costs. Changes need to be explained to employees, demanding projects discussed with stakeholders, and management teams shown how communication contributes to business results. At the same time, the very budgets and teams responsible for this work are being cut. Anja Schlicht, founder and managing director of navos public dialogue consultants, sees this as the biggest challenge facing the German PR profession: companies’ growing communication needs accompanied by ever fewer resources to meet them.
Her assessment is backed by more than 30 years of experience in strategic communications consulting. After holding leadership positions in international agency networks, she founded navos in 2011, with the aim of rethinking and reshaping communication and dialogue. She established dialogue and participation as guiding principles, developing comprehensive stakeholder engagement in some of the most significant infrastructure projects in Germany. The agency has grown to more than 100 employees, and the projects she has led have won numerous national and international awards.
She also works to professionalise the industry as co-founder and current advisory board member of the German Association for Political Consulting, a jury member of the International German PR Prize and the author of numerous specialist publications. The PRO PR Globe People Achievement Award provides the occasion for a conversation about a profession that must demonstrate its impact while both client needs and ways of working are changing. We speak with Anja about the position of communication in German companies, the gap between the promise of “Made in Germany” and today’s perception of the country, the use of artificial intelligence and the increasingly uncertain entry of young people into PR.
For many of our readers, the PR landscape in Germany is still relatively unfamiliar. What is the current status of the profession, and how far do management teams recognise its importance?
Germany has a mature, professional PR industry. Nobody seriously doubts its relevance. We have strong associations such as DPRG, GPRA and BdKom, established training paths and ethical standards, for example through the German Council for Public Relations. In large corporations, communication typically sits close to the board and is part of strategy, reputation, crisis preparedness and investor relations.
That said, there is no single status of the profession. It is a picture with many facets. We have moved away from pure media relations towards positioning, stakeholder management, public affairs and internal communication, currently above all transformation and change communication.
Corporations have largely recognised the relevance of PR, not least through crises and the need for stakeholder communication around demanding infrastructure projects, such as those in the energy transition. Tensions over budgets and proof of impact remain. Increasingly, communication is seen as a competitive factor, not a “nice to have”, and this now includes the strong German Mittelstand. PR is taken seriously when it measurably contributes to business success. That requires data literacy and real business understanding.
Germany’s global perception is shifting from a technological and economic leader to a country facing instability and political challenges. What is the biggest communication challenge right now?
There are many, but they are connected. First, almost every industrial company is in transformation in Germany at the moment. They must become more efficient, adapt business models, change structures and processes, and produce at lower cost, etc. All of this needs communication, above all change communication internally, but also externally.
Second, there is an image gap. “Made in Germany”, with its promise of reliability and engineering excellence, has dissolved in people’s own perception: too much bureaucracy, crumbling infrastructure, a digital lag and a weak economy. That creates considerable frustration. What is missing is a credible, forward-looking narrative. Instead of “we used to be leading”, we need “this is how we shape the transformation”.
Third, global uncertainty and domestic politics reinforce people’s insecurity, and we see a shift away from the stable centre towards the political fringes. This is also visible in eastern Germany, but it would be too simple to blame East-West history and mistakes after reunification. The AfD, Alternative for Germany, a right-wing extremist party is also gaining ground in western states, not just in the East.
Add polarisation and disinformation, and factual debate becomes harder. Communication needs clear facts and a clear stance, and it must aim at real exchange rather than deepening the divides.
How far is AI already part of daily PR work? Does the legal framework sufficiently protect human knowledge and creativity? Could AI replace certain roles?
AI is firmly part of everyday work. I don’t know of a single communications department or agency that doesn’t use it, although the depth of integration varies. No agency today is without a GEO offering or AI-automated workflows. Agencies tend to be faster and more systematic than companies, where data protection, compliance and missing guidelines still slow things down. I am convinced that agencies without extensive AI use have no future, and we must always stay one step ahead of the corporations.
At navos, we have clear guidelines including labelling rules, training, approval processes and our own central AI platform, so we can use AI safely, flexibly and in compliance with data protection. No client works with us without an AI agent. Clients now expect this efficiency gain to be reflected in pricing, including in tenders.
Will AI replace jobs in PR? Definitely, and it already has. But creativity and human sparring will remain valuable services. In fact, the more AI-generated content there is, the more valuable authenticity and human credibility become.
What are the biggest challenges facing PR professionals in Germany today?
The biggest challenge is the industrial transformation itself. It is leading to budget and team cuts in communication, just when companies need communication most. At the same time, we have to stay ahead of the AI transformation. We must build new skills without losing quality or ethics, and there is simply no time to rest.
This also affects the next generation. The economic crisis and AI mean far fewer entry-level jobs in PR, and it is unclear how practical training of young professionals will work in future.
Our profession also has to prove its value. We need to demonstrate real business impact, not just reach. And we must make fact-based communication succeed in a flood of emotional and fake content, which takes smart channel management.
Finally, there is the speed. We communicate in real time and in permanent crisis mode, whether it is geopolitics, the economy or cybersecurity.
You received the PRO PR Globe People Achievement Award. What does this recognition mean to you?
I have always campaigned for professionalising our industry, and for that reason also for international exchange. So this award means a great deal.
It is a great honour and an appreciation of a long journey. But it also belongs to my team and to the people who have accompanied me, some of them for a very long time. Success in PR is always a team achievement.
It is also an obligation: to support young talent, set standards and help shape the industry. That matters more than ever right now. The award confirms a path built on integrity, curiosity and courage. And it motivates me to keep working on the future of communication, with AI, with a clear stance and with international networking.
