- "In a data-, technology- and integration-driven world, PR has the opportunity to cast off some of its self-doubt and really build its influence. Social media, content-led campaigning, reputation – these are all areas in which communications should be taking the lead."
-Martin Sorrell, founder and CEO, WPP - "It’s a healthy environment for PR as companies are much more focused on how reputational issues inform marketing strategies, which creates a lot of opportunity for PR firms generally."
-Andy Polansky, CEO Weber Shandwick - "We set out quite a few years ago to evolve into an integrated marcomms agency and it’s paying off now."
-Donna Imperato, CEO, Cohn & Wolfe - "The business will be fundamentally different in five years. This is the time to invest and take chances."
-Richard Edelman, president and CEO, Edelman - "Content creation, channeling, and amplification are huge and always changing. It’s creating a whole new discipline."
-Dave Senay, president and CEO, FleishmanHillard - "US growth is strong, as is Asia-Pacific. I am hopeful Europe will turn the corner this year as there is a lot of struggle in most markets."
-Karen van Bergen, global CEO, Porter Novelli - "I dispute the fact that PR is turning into content. It’s a key part of what we do, but by no means everything."
-Paul Newman, North America president, MSLGroup - "We’ve always had a creative services department – it is part of our DNA. As PR changed we were able to blow that out quickly."
-Jen Prosek, managing partner, Prosek Partners - "If we become 100% social and content we just become another social and content shop."
-Stuart Smith, global CEO, Ogilvy Public Relations - "Content creation, driven by data, analytics, and research that is integrated across the board – and not just bolted on as an afterthought – is what we do."
-Don Baer, CEO and global chair, Burson-Marsteller - "Unless we show up differently and offer a more integrated solution, we’re going to have places where we get whittled off."
-Melissa Waggener Zorkin, president, CEO, and cofounder, Waggener Edstrom Communications - "We’re a very humane culture, and when we introduced [our g4 model] we did it gently. Everyone was involved and engaged, but everyone had other jobs to do. Because of that lack of accountability it didn’t progress as fast as I wanted it to."
-Fred Cook, CEO, Golin - "We have healthcare clients we service out of San Francisco. In this global world we work in, we don’t feel the need to be sitting in any particular geographic region."
-Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO, Ruder Finn - "Don’t listen too much to what our competitors say, around the boardroom table people know that if they want a reliable counselor H+K is in the game."
-Mike Coates, president and CEO, the Americas, Hill + Knowlton Strategies - "Developing content that is more in the world of your consumer than your world is very hot and so many clients are interested in that across the spectrum."
-Rob Flaherty, senior partner, CEO and president, Ketchum
15 PR agency soundbites for your PowerPoint deck
PRWeek's Global Agency Report launches on April 27: Here is a sneak preview of the trends agency bosses identified as defining 2014 and shaping the year ahead.
