Calling Jochen Meyer a communication specialist would be a distinct understatement. The entrepreneur from Hohenschambach takes the sting out of local government crises. Whenever construction projects stall, protests surge, and politicians reach the end of their tether, politide comes to the rescue. Meyer knows that he has to save the situation, and fast. His approach is to get to the heart of problems, and talk openly to people about them.
politide is not a product marketing agency, nor has any desire to be. “Sure, we can do corporate design too,” says Meyer, “but it isn’t our core competency.“ Which is listening, discussing problems openly and transparently, and working together to devise solutions. After all, there is never any shortage of crises: here a new beltway, there a factory extension or a new construction site. Meyer is realistic: “My communication will never turn opponents into friends, but I do have to ensure I reach the undecided.” He admits that it is difficult to counter emotions with arguments. “Given that, our approach is to tackle fears before concerned people turn into enraged citizens.” This means stepping in before a situation becomes a problem, or “proactively communicating” in consultancy speak. “We draw up a strategy, and try to intervene as early as possible.”
Talk to them
In Meyer’s philosophy, silence is poison. He believes most clients come along too late, many perhaps assuming they can save themselves the money and everything will somehow work out in the end. However, Meyer’s experience is otherwise: communication in the thick of a crisis becomes more difficult, and thus more expensive. “As a result, projects are postponed, costs soar, and revenue streams such as rents are delayed.” Many first-time clients return, but seek advice at a far earlier stage. “Unfortunately, many drivers of ideas first have to run the gauntlet of civil resistance.”
Meyer rejects the title of “spin doctor,” and is no fan of grandiloquent concepts in general, saying merely: “I want to bring people together.” He recalls an occasion a few years ago when he was introduced to a client as “a guy from an advertising agency.” But the head of administration was delighted to find he could “talk properly” to Meyer, because he spoke people’s language instead of “the usual jargon-ridden ad speak.”
With an extensive network of contacts, Meyer knows exactly who to contact and where. The communication graduate spent years organizing municipal election campaigns for the CSU, always at hyper-local level. Meyer clarifies, “That’s my political direction, which you don’t have to like. But I do.” His main priorities are credibility and consistency.
Just spit it out
Meyer has spent 15 years as a consultant to public clients—municipalities, cities, villages, market towns, counties. His roster also includes semi-public clients such as municipal clinic groups or cooperative building associations. Meyer communicates in a style that people understand, making skillful use of modern media, while pointing out that Instagram naturally needs different content than the local newsletter. His tip is to “think in images,” and to organize campaigns that take people along. To advertise the German Yellow Bin recycling system, for example, he went to local market squares and set up five yellow bins emblazoned with clear messages. “Guerrilla tactics,” says Meyer with a grin. “These days a different kind of communication is needed, using humor and a dash of self-mockery to make sure the messages hit their mark. After all, we and our clients have an obligation to deliver; we have to provide people with information, preferably bite-size and easily digestible, in whichever channel they prefer for their media consumption.”
But politide is more than a savior in a crisis or a spinmeister. Meyer sees his primary role as contributing towards the greater good: “We help make democracy a little better by communicating the arguments of people and policymakers, by taking people’s concerns seriously, and by mediating between the sides.”
The article on Politide also appears in mcbw magazine 2025.