Corporate Communication Review provides a unique platform that bridges the gap between academic research and corporate communication practice. The magazine provides valuable insights for both practitioners and researchers in the field. Guided by a distinguished editorial board of leading experts from academia and industry, it combines academically rigorous research with practical relevance, making it an indispensable resource for the communication field.
Academic Society for Management & Communication
The state and future of evaluation in corporate communication: an overview
Measurement and evaluation (M&E) is central to demonstrating how corporate communication creates value for organizations. Despite decades of professional and academic efforts to establish standards and frameworks, studies suggest that practitioners continue to apply these inconsistently. This overview outlines key evaluation frameworks, highlights common pitfalls in implementation, and examines how contemporary developments such as digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) are changing the field. We make the case that evaluation should be a management practice that supports learning, adaptation, and more informed decision-making.
Copyright (c) 2026 Emma Tolderlund Vegel, Sophia Charlotte Volk, Alexander Buhmann https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Evaluation beyond myriad models, “silver bullets,” and outputs
Evaluation of corporate communication and related practices including government and organizational communication and public relations has a long and problematic history. Based on academic research and practical experience working with the World Health Organization during the COVID-19 pandemic, this article identifies three key barriers to evaluation and offers insights for best practice.
Copyright (c) 2026 Jim Macnamara https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Value formation in corporate communication
Executives recognize that communication is essential to organizational performance and value creation, yet corporate communication‘s specific contribution to value creation remains difficult to articulate. In this article, I introduce a conceptual framework with practical applications that clarifies how value is formed across the corporate communication management process – from identifying stakeholder needs to realizing and capturing value – and pinpoints where value slips away. The framework helps communication managers to determine precisely how and when value is created.
Copyright (c) 2026 Rickard Andersson https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Rethinking corporate communication: providing orientation in times of radical uncertainty
In times of fundamental change, the anticipatory management of known complexities must be complemented by adaptive managing of the unexpected. This also requires a new perspective on the role and approaches of corporate communication. Alongside the well-established strategic-instrumental task of achieving predefined communicative goals, a more strategic-orienting role in guiding fundamental business decision-making becomes crucial. This article highlights three key competencies for corporate communication as an orientation function: validation through communicative relationality, calibration through contextual leadership, and interpretation through perceptual organization.
Copyright (c) 2026 Christof Ehrhart https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Lessons on value creation from Ahold Delhaize and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
Measuring the impact of communication is central to business strategy. How do communication leaders pinpoint where their efforts deliver the greatest return, set meaningful objectives, and prove their contribution to the business? And in what ways does AI support or complicate the measurement of success? Elvira Bos (Ahold Delhaize) and Shanna Wendt (Coca-Cola Europacific Partners) share their experiences in turning strategy, data, and technology into demonstrable business impact.
Copyright (c) 2026 Elvira Bos, Shanna Wendt https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Essential reads: algorithms, positivity, and the work of CCOs
Professors Sharan Sandhu (Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart) and Daniel Wolfgruber (University of Southern Denmark), along with editorial board member Stephen Waddington, take a closer look at three notable books. In this article, they share their key insights and takeaways, highlighting the ideas that resonated most from their reading.
Copyright (c) 2026 Swaran Sandhu, Stephen Waddington, Daniel Wolfgruber https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Study highlights: AI, reputation, and the changing communication landscape
Technology, reputation, and human behavior are all in flux – and they are changing faster than most organizations can keep up. Recent studies point to mounting pressure on organizations, a widening gap between AI capability and governance, and shifting expectations among employees and audiences alike. The reports gathered here cover AI developments, reputation, corporate affairs, media habits, and workforce trends, offering insights for shaping strategy, storytelling, and influence in an environment that is growing more fragmented and harder to control.
Copyright (c) 2026 Michelle Wloka https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The rise of subversive strategic communication
The landscape of reputational threats has evolved. Actors such as trolls, populists, and activist groups are increasingly deploying subversive tactics – including deepfakes and corporate character assassination – to target companies, executives, and public figures. These methods amplify the speed, sophistication, and impact of reputational crises, making them more difficult to manage. This article examines the implications of these tactics for reputational risk management and explores strategies such as inoculation approaches to help communication professionals strengthen their pre-crisis planning and respond to emerging digital threats.
Copyright (c) 2026 Sergei Samoilenko https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Global insights: Workplace well-being in communications
Public relations professionals are expected to build trust and help organizations navigate complexity. Yet many PR professionals, educators, and academics experience or consider PR work to be undervalued, ethically strained, or disconnected from leadership. This article presents findings from a global Delphi study with nearly 300 participants from 24 countries, suggesting that workplace well-being in public relations depends less on perks and more on alignment with professional PR approaches. The findings show that practitioners thrive when they feel successful, able to act in an ethical way, and connected to leadership. However, they struggle when cut off from management and purpose-relevant decision-making, as well as when professional values clash with commercial priorities.
Copyright (c) 2026 Anca Anton, Nicky Garsten, Dalien Rene Benecke, Eugen Glăvan, Anthony Tibaingana https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Corporate communication in South Africa: between governance, trust, and transformation
Corporate communication in South Africa has evolved within a uniquely complex sociopolitical environment. Shaped by the country’s post-apartheid transformation, diverse stakeholder landscape, and strong governance frameworks, corporate communication must navigate a pluralistic society in which transformation, equity, and social justice are central to both stakeholder relationships and organizational legitimacy. Drawing on the expertise of Corne Meintjes (University of Johannesburg) and Thabisile Phumo (Sibanye-Stillwater), this article provides an overview of current practices, challenges, and future directions in South African corporate communication, integrating both academic and practical experience.
Copyright (c) 2026 Corne Meintjes, Thabisile Phumo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0