CorpComm Optimizer(TM) Service Aligns Communications to Produce Meaningful

                             Business Outcomes



    NEW YORK, July 28 /EMWNews/ -- Weber Shandwick, one of the world's

leading global public relations firms, today introduced the CorpComm

Optimizer(TM), a new, proprietary consultative service designed to help

chief communications officers (CCOs) ensure that their corporate

communications departments are structured to drive business strategy and

build corporate reputation.



    Using a set of proprietary assessment tools, the CorpComm Optimizer

service evaluates five essential performance dimensions and delivers

recommendations for maximizing corporate communications effectiveness and

efficiency. The five performance dimensions include: alignment with overall

business strategy; organizational value and expectations of corporate

communications; corporate communications operating structure; corporate

communications skill sets; and corporate communications resources.



    "The roles and responsibilities of today's chief communications

officers have been transformed," said Micho Spring, chairperson of Weber

Shandwick's U.S. corporate practice. "To succeed these executives must lead

a communications team designed to quickly and effectively deliver

innovative communications programs that help advance strategic business

plans, achieve company goals, and elevate overall corporate reputation."



    According to The Rising CCO, research conducted by Weber Shandwick and

Spencer Stuart with KRC Research, the vast majority of CCOs (68%) give

themselves six months or less to prove themselves when they take a new

position. This brief amount of time, underscores how CCOs must hit the

ground running today and are under pressure to maximize the performance of

their teams.



    "In recent years we have seen tremendous interest from CCOs in

benchmarking and optimizing their corporate communications departments,"

added Spring. "Our new CorpComm Optimizer will help provide CCOs with data

and insights into best practices among the world's leading corporations."



    For more information about Weber Shandwick's CorpComm Optimizer

service, contact Chris Broderick at 212-445-8145 or

[email protected].

    About Weber Shandwick



    Weber Shandwick is one of the world's leading global public relations

firms with offices in major media, business and government capitals around

the world. The firm specializes in strategic marketing communications,

media relations, public affairs, reputation management, and crisis and

issues management. It also offers corporate communications counseling

services. The firm provides specialized integrated services including Web

relations, advocacy advertising, market research and visual communications.

Weber Shandwick received the highest client-satisfaction honors in the 2007

Agency Excellence Survey by PRWeek U.S. and in 2006, was named Large PR

Firm of the Year (PR News U.S.), European Consultancy of the Year (The

Holmes Report) and Network of the Year (Asia Pacific PR Awards). The firm

also won the 2005, 2006 and 2007 United Nations Grand Award for Outstanding

Achievement in Public Relations. To learn more, please visit:

http://www.webershandwick.com



    Weber Shandwick is a unit of The Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), which

is one of the world's leading organizations of advertising agencies and

marketing services companies.






    Contact:

    Jennifer Norton

    Weber Shandwick

    212-445-8314

    [email protected]