"Communications officially a must-have for corporations"

by Phil Morabito on Mar. 1, 2007

In more than 25 years in public relations, our practice has never been more highly respected in corporate board rooms than it is today.  When I began, PR was practically an afterthought that was relegated to the ranks of junior team members.  Today, I sit across the table from CEOs of Fortune 100 companies regularly to discuss public relations strategy and corporate positioning.  Strategic communications is no longer a nice-to-have bonus for the CEO’s ego.  It is a respected, strategic part of successful companies.

Why?  Globalization… Commoditization… the Internet… take your pick.  Whichever you choose, you’ll find that competition is increasing, prices are dropping and companies are losing their audience.  That means organizations must now educate, engage and entertain to gain market share — a far more sophisticated endeavor than simply throwing money into a TV ad campaign.  

In addition, the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been.  Solid operations are no longer enough.  Corporations must understand and communicate with many audiences — customers, investors, communities, activists — and respond constantly to changes in the marketplace to stay noticed, stay relevant and stay on top.

Read Phil Morabito’s biography