CommPRO Editorial Staff

PublicRelay, a leading communications analytics and advisory company, recently announced the addition of industry veteran and thought leader Mark Weiner as its Chief Insights Officer. In this newly created role, Mark will be responsible for enhancing and growing PublicRelay’s insights and consulting practice and accelerating the delivery of advanced, data-informed analysis and guidance. 

Mark is an expert on communications-related research and analysis and author of “PR Technology, Data and Insights” (published by Kogan Page in 2021). He has more than 35 years of experience, previously serving 12 years as CEO of PRIME Research before transitioning to Chief Insights Officer at Cision following its acquisition of PRIME. Mark also previously led Ketchum’s global research practice and was part of the executive leadership team of Delahaye Medialink during its IPO on NASDAQ. In addition, Mark is a member of The Arthur Page Society, on PR Daily’s Advisory Board, and a Trustee for the Institute for Public Relations. 

We recently talked with Mark and PublicRelay CEO Eric Koefoot to discuss the need to create this new role. 

Mark joins PublicRelay during a time of change in the industry, brought about by the pandemic, such as communicators now having higher visibility in the C-suite and a new respect for quality data and insights leading to more data-driven decisions. Eric said, “The CCO should be a true partner to the CEO at every single organization. It’s required to work with a CEO— to have smart, data-driven and data-based observations, predictions and recommendations.”

While technology is great in terms of accessibility, efficiency and consistency, Mark says it’s missing uniquely human elements—the ability to interpret and convert those discoveries into actionable insights. 

Of all the companies that reached out to Mark about joining their organizations, PublicRelay stood out. In their first conversation, Mark says what appealed to him was Eric’s desire for someone to not only provide interpretive analysis and guidance but also someone who could act as an advisor and consultant. They seemed to have the same vision.

Eric says Mark has a unique understanding of the marriage of technology and people. “PublicRelay has a tremendous technology stack, three and a half million lines of proprietary code, that allows our software to do a lot of work, but also integrates directly with our analysts, and their ability to process and analyze and visualize with incredible speed and efficiency and effectiveness and accuracy. Mark understands and gets that.”

“Mark brings an understanding and very deep connection to many CCOs around the world—their needs, their challenges, their perspectives. And that's who we sell to, that's who we work with. We are not a software seller; we are a solution. We are a partner and advisor to the CCO to make them almost like the bionic man—better, stronger and faster,” said Eric. He said Mark’s strategic mind will be an asset as PublicRelay positions what they’re doing as more advisory, not just analysis. 

Mark has the ability, and credibility, to advise CCOs on what they should be doing next. And that's a unique thing, Eric says. You don't get that by going to school. You haven't seen the battles, the wins and losses, and successes and failures of spending many years in the business. That’s seasoning. 

Eric summed it up by saying, “the combination of Mark's experience and our technology and abilities puts us in a unique position in the marketplace today.”