Chatroom: Weber Shandwick Chairman Jack Leslie

Weber Shandwick, a public relations and communications firm owned by New York-based Interpublic Group of Cos., has more than 75 offices internationally and clients that include General Motors Corp., Microsoft Corp. and American Airlines.

For Leslie and other top strategists, the Internet has changed the game. The speed at which consumers around the globe become aware of issues and events makes effective crisis communications even more imperative. And consumers are more engaged than ever, looking to nontraditional sources like online consumer reviews for information.

Communications strategists are also contending with globalization, an economic downturn, consolidation in the media industry and a growing focus on corporate responsibility.

Earlier this month, Leslie hosted a forum with top communications officers for Siemens USA, MasterCard Inc., Lazard Ltd. and the U.S. Army. He hopes the event was the start of a series of conversations among communications officers about the challenges facing their industry.

"The role of the chief marketing officer has really come to the fore of late," Leslie said. "They now have a seat at the table among the most senior players in the company and they frankly need to be much more strategic in how they behave and how they see their role."

What follows are edited excerpts from a recent Associated Press interview with Leslie.

Q: What are some of the challenges and opportunities that the Web offers to corporate communicators?

A: We're really seeing a sea change that usually only comes around once or twice every generation. (It's) a little reminiscent for me of 20 some-odd years ago when I started in the business as a political media consultant and saw a technology--then it was television--totally change the communications dynamic. And now (the Internet) is changing it because people are looking to others like themselves for the most trusted information on what they should buy or how they should vote or what cause they should support, rather than traditional information sources. All of our research shows that this kind of peer-to-peer communication is far more effective. And so everybody is grappling with this.

Here at this office, I used to have a sign that said, "It's not the technology, stupid." It's not the technology itself, it's what it allows you to do. Creativity is still the single most important thing that we can offer our clients because that's what's going to come up with the ideas--no matter what channel or platform is used--that are going to engage consumers and get them excited.