Thought Leadership | 企業広報&パブリック・アフェアーズ

The rapid elevation of communications leadership has given many practitioners a seat at the table but has left them to fill the role without a guidebook. Looking at how the top communications spot has changed since the 1990s – and what its trajectory might look like into the next decade – shows just how extensive this change has been.

In recent years, the corporate communications leadership role has undergone an exceptionally rapid evolution. As a result, while increasing numbers of communications leaders now have a C-level title and influence to match, there has been little clarity on the qualities necessary for success as a chief communications officer (CCO). This ambiguity puts boards and CEOs at risk of misjudging their organization’s ability to successfully navigate the increasingly complex and dynamic communications environment of today and tomorrow.

The combination of overlapping social media networks with passionate and vigilant consumers means that chief marketing officers and chief communications officers are never more than one errant tweet or unflattering video away from a crisis. But while crises generate urgency and headlines, managing a brand today is a 24/7 operation of monitoring, messaging and refinement.

PRWeek, eBay, Egon Zehnder, and Edelman convened senior PR pros from Silicon Valley to discuss best practices and big issues facing the comms and tech sectors during a March panel discussion at eBay's headquarters in San Jose.