Archive · 6 Dec 2025
Weber Shandwick CEO Discusses PR Industry Changes
Jim O’Leary, the CEO of Weber Shandwick, talked about how the PR industry is changing a lot.
He said American brands like Apple and Nike are still popular worldwide, even with debates about America First policies.
The PR business is going through big changes, and in the next five years, it will change more than it has in the last 50 years.
O’Leary mentioned five new economies that are important: the attention economy, where brands need to get noticed; the experience economy, where physical and digital experiences mix; the creator economy, which is all about social media creators; the stakeholder economy, where culture affects company value; and the intelligence economy, driven by AI.
Weber Shandwick is using AI to help their clients more effectively.
They have a new AI system called Halo that helps with their work.
O’Leary believes AI can make things better, faster, and cheaper for clients.
American brands like Apple and Nike remain strong globally despite America First policy debates.
The PR industry is undergoing rapid transformation, with more changes expected in the next five years than in the past five decades.
Five new economies are shaping the industry: attention, experience, creator, stakeholder, and intelligence.
Weber Shandwick has integrated AI into its workflow with a new system called Halo, partnering with Google.
AI is expected to improve client outcomes by enhancing productivity, lowering costs, and delivering strong results.
- Who
- Jim O’Leary, Global President and CEO of Weber Shandwick North America
- What
- Discussion on the PR industry's transformation and the strength of American brands
- When
- Present and future (next five years)
- Where
- Global, with a focus on the US
- Why
- To adapt to rapid changes in the PR industry and leverage AI for better client outcomes
- CEO
- Jim O’Leary
- Company
- Weber Shandwick
- AI Initiative
- Halo
- AI Partner
- Key Economies
- Attention, Experience, Creator, Stakeholder, Intelligence