The new edition of the CommTech Index Report has been released – and it paints a sober yet direction-setting picture of digital communications in the German-speaking region. Published by the CommTech Working Group under the leadership of Thomas Mickeleit, the report is based on the largest survey of its kind to date: 507 experts from companies and agencies shared insights into the current state, challenges, and future outlook of digital transformation.
The central finding: the CommTech Index drops from 45 to 38 points – a decline of seven points. A setback? No. Rather, a sign of growing realism and a wake-up call at the same time.
2024 was characterized by experimentation, tool testing, and AI playgrounds. 2025 marks a phase of sobering reflection and maturation. The decline in the index is not a sign of failure, but the result of a more honest self-assessment. As technological developments accelerate at breathtaking speed, many organizations are realizing that they cannot keep up without structural change. The so-called Red Queen effect makes this clear: companies and agencies must run ever faster just to stay in place.
Nearly 90 percent of respondents are experimenting with artificial intelligence (AI), yet only six percent have strategically aligned their organizations around AI. Short-term measures – such as purchasing individual tools or conducting isolated training sessions – continue to dominate. Long-term system transformation, clear accountability structures, and integrated data strategies remain absent in many organizations.
The strategic importance of CommTech is widely understood, but it has not yet been internalized. Where processes are not clearly defined, data not properly structured, and teams not adequately empowered, even ambitious technology initiatives dissipate in day-to-day operations.
AI has secured its place in the communications workflow, but primarily as an assistant rather than as a structured transformation driver. While 88 percent of respondents use AI-based tools, only eight percent report productive use of so-called AI agents within their organizations. The gap between application and integration remains significant.
A striking pattern emerges: the more regulated the industry, the slower the progress. In the financial sector and the public sector, AI adoption remains particularly cautious. This exacerbates a structural imbalance: while large, data-rich organizations can unlock AI’s potential, smaller teams often remain stuck in experimental mode – effectively playing in the “regional league of digitalization.”
What was once framed as an “efficiency promise” is now increasingly understood as a strategic imperative. The focus is shifting away from the tool itself toward orchestration and intelligent integration. Successful teams integrate CRM systems, journalist databases, and analytics platforms into their processes, transforming data into operational value.
Yet 32 percent of respondents still rely on Excel, and six percent have no structured contact management at all. The gap between digital frontrunners and analog laggards is widening.
Despite growing professionalization, consistent performance measurement remains lacking. Most communications departments continue to measure outputs rather than outcomes – reach instead of impact. Integrated dashboards and data-driven steering remain the exception. The numbers exist, but they often fail to influence decision-making.
As a result, strategies too often continue to rely on gut feeling rather than robust insights. This not only weakens impact measurement but also undermines the legitimacy of communications within organizations.
The most significant transformation is not technological – it is cultural. Only 51 percent of respondents consider themselves capable of identifying new technologies at an early stage (down from 61 percent in 2023). The biggest barriers cited are system integration, skill gaps, and insufficient change management capabilities.
The report identifies five key future skills: curiosity, prompting skills, lifelong learning, change competence, and technological literacy. Successful teams are defined by agility, adaptability, and action: the “Triple A” of transformation.
The CommTech Summit 2025 in Mainz reinforced this message: many communications departments know they need to act, but systematic implementation is lacking. DPRG President Sabine Clausecker spoke of a “structural crisis.” Thomas Mickeleit called for moving “from experimenting with AI to strategic action.” And Susanne Marell of Schwarz Group emphasized that transformation is a core responsibility of communications itself.
The time for excuses is over. Anyone serious about CommTech must establish processes, clarify responsibilities, make data usable, and embed technology into strategic routines.
Our Perspective at Nicarus
In our daily work, we see it clearly: CommTech is not self-executing. Licensing tools is not enough. Communications needs translators, enablers, and strategists: people who can bridge the gap between technology and organizational culture.
This is where we come in: with realistic potential assessments, concrete use cases, and structural embedding into everyday operations.
The CommTech Index 2025/26 is not a complaint – it is a compass. It shows that the industry is moving. And those who position themselves decisively now can not only manage digital transformation, but actively shape it.
Learn more about the CommTech Index Report 2025/26
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