At last month’s WonkComms Breakfast Club hosted by Bertelsmann Foundation in Berlin, one thing was clear: in 2025, influence isn’t just about visibility. It’s about trust, timing and the quiet power of relationships.
Influencing the influencers: What Think Tanks can learn from Berlin’s attention economy
Co-organised with the Think Tank Lab, the session brought together Katja Muñoz (German Council on Foreign Relations), Adrian Rosenthal (MSL Germany) and others from the research communications community for a sharp look at how influence actually works in the fragmented digital landscape.
1. The attention economy has splintered — and so has influence
The social media ecosystem is fractured. Between X, Threads, BlueSky and a dozen niche platforms, audiences are no longer concentrated in one place. That means messages can’t rely on reach alone. To be effective, think tanks need to understand which fragments their audiences live in — and who the trusted figures are within them.
Attention is the scarce resource — and those who can mobilise people around ideas, not just impressions, are the real influencers.
2. Mobilisation matters more than reach
Having a large audience doesn’t make someone influential — the ability to move people does. The presenters described credibility and trust as an algorithm of their own. The more consistent and transparent a voice, the greater its multiplier effect across networks.
For think tanks, this means identifying creators with mobilisation potential — those who can persuade, convene and activate communities around ideas, not just amplify them.
3. Collaboration beats control
Influence grows through co-creation, not coordination. When think tanks invite creators into the process — rather than handing over pre-approved talking points — the results are far more authentic and resonant.
Think of it as partnership, not placement.
4. Authenticity beats polish
Younger audiences want people, not perfection. Adrian shared a campaign case study from Bertelsmann Stiftung where low-fi, human content outperformed the slick, agency-produced version by a wide margin.
An unpolished phone video of a researcher explaining a policy issue from their desk can build more trust than a flawless studio clip — if it speaks the audience’s language. The rough edges signal honesty, but you still need to understand your target group’s tone, trends and culture; what works for young male voters will differ from what resonates with political stakeholders.
5. Quiet collaboration lasts longer than paid campaigns
Not every partnership needs a contract or a hashtag. Katja described the value of “silent collaboration” — where think tanks supply trusted creators with reliable, digestible insights they can use organically. It’s slower work but more durable: influencers gain useful content, and organisations gain advocates who reference their work naturally over time.
6. Influence is a two-way street
Influence isn’t something you do to audiences — it’s something you build with them. That means listening, responding and being willing to change course when the conversation moves.
The most effective communicators are those who stay in the comments, not just the headlines.
7. Measure relationships, not reach
Ten thousand views doesn’t mean ten thousand people cared. The new frontier is relational analytics — tracking who comes back, who collaborates again, who quotes your work without being asked. Influence now lives in those sustained interactions that compound into credibility.
Influence in 2025 isn’t about louder messages. It’s about smarter networks, human relationships and the quiet craft of credibility. For think tanks, that means stepping out of the broadcast mindset — and designing communications around connection.