1. What was your personal PR highlight in the first half of 2025?
My personal highlight this year didn’t come from within our own company, but from another organisation – and it emerged from a genuine crisis situation.
I think almost everyone saw what happened at the Coldplay concert with the CEO and Chief HR Officer of Astronomer. Within minutes, memes and criticism were circulating across every platform. What impressed me most was how the company responded: instead of addressing the incident directly, they brought in Gwyneth Paltrow – Chris Martin’s former partner – for a humorous and clever campaign.
From my point of view, it was a masterstroke in crisis communication. Rather than reacting defensively, they shifted the focus back to their brand, reframed the narrative, and elegantly cut the “shitstorm” short. At least in my feed, the debate disappeared remarkably quickly – which is rarely the case.
2. Was there anything that surprised you or made you rethink your approach as a Communications Executive in the first half of the year?
I wouldn’t say I was surprised, but the topic of CommTech definitely gave me food for thought.
I attended a conference earlier this year where very tangible use cases were presented – for example, media training supported by AI. These tools analyze speaking pace, key messages, filler words, and overall delivery, then automatically generate feedback.
What struck me was the speed of development. I attended the same conference last year, and the progress made in just six months was remarkable.
But this rapid pace also brings challenges. The larger the organization, the longer it takes to implement change. It raises the question: if we introduce a new tool today, will it still be relevant in six months’ time?
In big companies, it takes both time and a willingness to learn to integrate new technologies effectively.
3. Which topics do you think will shape communications work in the coming months?
Generative AI will continue to be the dominant topic – but not as a buzzword, rather in its practical application.
If we stop using AI just for the sake of saying we use it, and instead deploy it where it genuinely improves efficiency, then it opens up huge opportunities.
For me, two aspects stand out in particular:
Qualitative media analysis:
We often talk about reach or tone of voice, but what about depth, context, or emotion? Here, AI offers great potential – especially when it comes to reputation management and stakeholder insights.
More time for the human element:
If AI can take over operational tasks such as clippings, reporting, or tool maintenance, we can refocus on what truly matters – people. In media relations, that means having real conversations, developing stories in advance, and understanding journalists better.
At the moment, many communicators simply don’t have the time or headspace for this. AI could help us reclaim that space so we can truly do communication again, rather than just manage processes.
4. Suppose your team no longer had access to the Meltwater platform from tomorrow. What would you miss most in your daily work?
In short: we’d have no idea what was being said about us – or if anything was being said at all.
Especially in an international company like the Rhenus Group, it’s impossible to track everything manually.
Without a platform like Meltwater, we couldn’t reliably monitor media coverage across all regions.
We’d lack the evidence to report to management, the data to measure success, and the insights to justify communications activities.
Practically speaking, we wouldn’t be able to show how a campaign was performing abroad, we wouldn’t be alerted quickly when competitors appeared in the media, and we’d lose routines like our daily press review.
About Julia Völzke
Julia Völzke, Head of Global Media Relations & Reputation Management at Rhenus Logistics
Julia Völzke is Head of Global Media Relations & Reputation Management at Rhenus Logistics, where she is responsible for international media relations and the strategic development of the company’s reputation.
Previously, she worked in internal and corporate communications at SD Worx and HERING SCHUPPENER (now FGS Global). Her experience across industry, consultancy, and logistics now comes together in a clear focus on credible communication and international positioning.
