Volkswagen’s Corporate Newsroom “The Bridge”

A corporate newsroom has been regarded as an agile form of collaboration and integrated communication for years. It has been a tradition at our company since 2012. To this day, it has lost none of its appeal. This was confirmed by over 100 participants at the first Corporate Newsroom Day in Hanover last week. However, it is also clear that introducing a newsroom is a multidimensional change that needs to be managed professionally. Even at Volkswagen AG, its introduction initially failed. Then Michael Manske, Niko Thorke, and Naïs Graswald from CEO Communications made a new attempt, as they reported on site. On December 1, 2021, Volkswagen’s corporate newsroom “The Bridge” was launched. There are a number of lessons to be learned from this genesis.

1. Pay attention to the language used in change

Terms play an important role in managing change initiatives. We see this time and again. This is because terms can have positive or negative connotations for those who are expected to embrace a change. It is important to identify these in advance. If a negative connotation is identified, it can help to rename things. For example, where the term “open-plan office” triggers aversion, the alternative word “team area” may have less negative emotional connotations (see: Change Management in New Work Projects).

Those responsible at Volkswagen AG took the same approach. There, the term “newsroom” had been burned due to a previously failed change project with the same content. Instead, the newsroom is now called “The Bridge.” The reasoning behind this is that this unit is intended to build communicative bridges both within and outside the company (communications and technical departments) as well as to the public in global markets.

2. A shared vision for emotional motivation

Of course, choosing an alternative term is not enough to overcome negative associations, reservations, or even fears and resistance. This also requires a common understanding of what a particular word is meant to mean. It therefore makes sense to develop a common understanding of the term “corporate newsroom” within the team. In addition, we always recommend jointly developing a vision.

Agreeing on common working principles can also help. This is exactly what the 12-member team at Volkswagen’s corporate newsroom “The Bridge” did. Essentially, these principles stipulate that the corporate newsroom should only communicate content that contributes to Volkswagen’s “New Auto” strategy. However, the five principles also include rules for productive cooperation. In our experience, such principles, like visions, contribute to social and emotional motivation in change projects.

The shared vision or principles of a corporate newsroom should definitely include a mindset of open collaboration characterized by mutual trust. After all, there is no place for silo thinking and silo behavior in such an agile working environment. Without this attitude, any newsroom is doomed to failure, even if all the technical requirements are met. Christoph Hardt learned this lesson at the Archdiocese of Cologne, as he reported in an interview with Thomas Mickeleit.

3. Align processes and structures to your own needs

There is no off-the-shelf solution for a corporate newsroom. The needs, sensitivities, and cultures are different in every organization. Nevertheless, there is a widespread belief that every newsroom must be composed of two strictly separate groups. On the one hand, those responsible for specific topics should research, write, and offer stories. On the other side are those responsible for media channels. They know their respective communities and should decide whether and which stories to communicate and in what form.

However, the reality often deviates from the textbook on this point as well. This strict separation did not meet the needs of Volkswagen AG. The CEO Communications team is primarily responsible for speeches, interviews, social media, and press relations for the CEO. In addition, they monitor and manage the community, analyze media, and produce morning newsletters.

Given these complex tasks, the team at Volkswagen’s corporate newsroom “The Bridge” opted instead for a more permeable system between topics and channels.

• Agenda setters determine the messages based on the strategy and write texts for the specific channels whose communities they also manage.
• Image builders work with the agenda setters to prepare these messages visually using videos, photos, and graphics, with support from agencies.
• Success managers then generate and deliver data and media analyses. The entire team uses this information to create quarterly reports on the achievement of previously set KPIs.

Incidentally, the head of The Bridge newsroom is the Head of CEO & Digital Communications at Volkswagen AG. There is also a newsroom manager/editor-in-chief. Their role and title are also borrowed from the media. In a corporate newsroom, this function can rotate on a weekly basis or at other (longer) intervals.

4. Choose your CommTech tool carefully

A newsroom cannot function without networked thinking and action among team members. There are a number of corporate newsrooms that failed due to that. On the technical side, there is also an essential feature without which a newsroom cannot work. It’s the CommTech tool.

The simplest version consists of an Excel spreadsheet that all team members can access. Even The Bridge newsroom started with such a simple tool to plan its topics and measures. And it worked: in the first few months of its existence, the team led by boss Michael Manske mainly sent content from and with CEO Herbert Diess from the newsroom (albeit not always perfectly presented).

Attentive observers will remember, for example, his ride on the Mittelland Canal on an electric surfboard developed by the group’s subsidiary Audi. Equipped with an action camera, Diess thanked the employees for “a sensationally good first half of 2021” while surfing and wished the workforce a nice factory holiday.

Volkswagen’s corporate newsroom “The Bridge” has now also opted for a professional CommTech tool. It is important for the success of this project and similar change initiatives that those who will later use the software are involved in its selection. We at viadoo Change Guides have had good experiences with working groups of volunteers who are dedicated to this task.

Volkswagen’s corporate newsroom will run 24/7

The example of Volkswagen AG shows that even large corporations can initially fail when introducing a corporate newsroom. On the other hand, the experience gained at Volkswagen serves as a role model for other organizations. This also applies to the openness with which Michael Manske’s team talks about the change project. This openness is also cultivated within the team and contributes to the success of The Bridge newsroom.

What’s more, these lessons learned apply not only to the introduction of corporate newsrooms, but basically to any change project: In every transformation, it is crucial to pay attention to the language used in change communication, to develop a common vision and mindset, to align processes and structures with your own needs, and to carefully select software tools.

“The Bridge” team wants to operate the newsroom 24/7 and internationally in the future, similar to what large media companies such as Handelsblatt have been doing for some time. We at viadoo Change Guides wish the Volkswagen CEO Communications team and all other operators of corporate newsrooms continued success.

Picture: Naïs Graswald, Niko Thorke and Michael Manske (left to right) at the Corporate Newsroom Day in Hannover. © Faust / viadoo GmbH