On Thursday, October 1, 2026,
more than 150 communications professionals gathered at La Royale Belge in Brussels for Client Day 2026.
The guiding theme of this edition: “Who shapes your reputation now?” In other words, who is shaping your reputation today?
Indeed, a brand’s reputation is no longer shaped solely by traditional media. Various stakeholders across social media and generative AI platforms also play a role in building and influencing that reputation.
Following an introductory session on the topic by Arnaud Steinkuhler (CEO) and Dimme Vanderstappen (Chief Revenue Officer), the morning was structured around two key sessions: “Decoding the New Influence Equation”, exploring how this landscape is evolving, and “From Reflection to Action”, focusing on practical solutions and Auxipress innovations.
Baptiste van Outryve: From Media Relations to Stakeholder Management
The Director PR, Communications & Public Affairs at Landal opened the discussion on how the communications profession is evolving.
For a long time, the media were the primary point of contact for communications professionals. Today, however, they must navigate an ecosystem of eleven stakeholder categories – ranging from customers and employees to property owners, political decision-makers, local communities, NGOs and experts – all of whose perceptions contribute to shaping a company’s reputation.
The challenge therefore goes beyond asking, “What are the media saying about us?” It is also about identifying who is speaking, understanding their influence and power, and recognising which voices really matter. According to Baptiste van Outryve, this analysis needs to happen upstream, enabling organisations to anticipate reactions rather than simply assess the situation a posteriori.
A Panel Bringing Together Four Perspectives
Dimme Vanderstappen and Hugo Laporte, Market Intelligence Manager, then brought this approach to life through several client case studies. The examples explored interactions between consumers and influencers, the role of experts in industry debates, statements made by political decision-makers, as well as signals and reactions from local communities.
The discussion continued with a panel bringing together four communications professionals from different sectors, all addressing the same question: “How is the role of communications evolving in this new influence equation?”
The panel featured:
- Baptiste van Outryve,
- Florence Muls, Chief Communication & CSR Officer at ENGIE Belgium,
- Sandra Plasschaert, Press & Media Officer – Spokesperson at Stichting tegen Kanker,
- Sarah Heuninck, PR & Communication Manager at Neuhaus.
Despite working in very different sectors, their discussions revealed a shared challenge: identifying the stakeholders who genuinely influence a brand’s reputation and knowing how to listen to their signals in time to take action.
Workshops: From Reflection to Action
The second part of the morning featured three hands-on sessions led by our experts:
- Auxipress’ Roadmap
Marc Uytdenbroek, Chief Information Officer, and Cédric Muberuka, Solutions Development Manager, presented our latest developments: a mobile app, Microsoft 365 integration, personalised press reviews, and YouTube and LinkedIn monitoring.
- Using AI Prompts for Faster Insights
Using a real-life salmonella-related crisis as an example, Stef Put, Customer Success Manager, and Vladimir Krol, Solution Consultant, demonstrated how to turn data into valuable insights and translate those insights into concrete actions.
- Beyond Media and Social: AI Chatbots
Finally, David Kervyn, Senior Media & Data Analyst, and Emilien Meeùs, Media & Data Analyst, explored the growing role of generative AI in shaping the way we access and consume information.
We look forward to welcoming you back for the next edition of Client Day in 2027!
