Larry Weber

Chairman & CEO of W2 Group

Larry Weber, Chairman and CEO of W2 Group, a digitally driven group of marketing companies including Racepoint Group, a global PR firm, and Digital Influence Group, a digital marketing agency, is the recipient of this year's Diane Davis Beacon Award for lifetime achievement in public relations.  Upon accepting the award, Larry, who is known as a visionary and for being ahead of the trend curve, was asked the following questions:

1. Where do you think public relations is headed in the future?

I think social media, the greatest marketing phenomenon of the past decade, is a great opportunity, not a threat to PR.  Social media gives PR so many more ways of communicating with a multitude of different stakeholder groups.  Instead of being limited to communicating through the mainstream media, PR can now also go direct to various audiences.  PR practitioners have to get beyond the traditional press release and traditional media and embrace new, more interactive forms of communication.

2. How do you see the media landscape evolving over the next few years?

Mainstream media are still struggling with to find the the right business model in an increasingly digital world.  I think it's interesting to note that the TIME just appointed the CEO of Digitas as its new CEO.  Some outlets are figuring it out and others will fade away.

3.  What do you think about rich media? 

We live in an increasingly visual and interactive world.  Look at the growth of YouTube, Hulu and the success of the iPhone and iPad.  A little girl came over our house the other day and was trying to swipe the TV set just like she does on her phone.  It was amazing.  Future generations are not going to sit comatose in front of TV sets without some form of interaction.

4.  What other trends do you think are going to be big?

I'm not sure it's a major trend but I think digital couponing is going to be huge.  Look at the success of Groupon and Living Social.  In a tough economy, people are in search of discounts and deals and they want to be able to access them from anytime, anywhere.

5. What advice would you give to young PR professionals?

Be a student of the media - traditional and digital.  Do constituency mapping and know who your stakeholders are and what channels they get information from and engage with.  These are the fundamental of public relations - ironically, the same as 100 years ago.