Executive Edits: A Seat at the Table—Why Communications are Fundamental to Effective Business Strategies

Years ago, the role of communications—or PR—was more easily defined. Communications professionals served as storytellers and relationship-keepers with an established media community. They were called upon to deliver a narrative and mitigate negative publicity. If you had a robust rolodex filled with trusted journalists, you could deliver value to your clients. That paradigm has shifted. Companies are less dependent on gatekeepers or even a definable media establishment. Management has the ability to create direct lines of contact with its strategic constituencies, and therefore the old model has given way to specialized advisory services where communications professionals help companies shape—rather than deliver—content across multiple channels.