I recently returned from a two week visit to the United States to spend some time in the St Louis, New York and Washington offices of our global associate, Fleishman-Hillard.

What struck me, as has always been the case in my dealings with Fleishman-Hillard, is the incredible internal culture that underpins this global success story. A business that now operates more than 80 offices around the world (23 of which are in the US), Fleishman-Hillard – under the stewardship of CEO Dave Senay – has never been more closely aligned in achieving 100% client satisfaction.

As a new addition to the extended Fleishman family, Rowland has already benefited from the network, with many of our people sharing case studies, opportunities and IP in order to help our existing stable of clients.

Thinking about the cultural fit and the shared opportunities on the flight back to Australia, I considered how this relationship would have played out 10 years ago, maybe even just five years ago. In the many conversations I had while in the US, it was clear technology largely underpins much of today’s traditional PR and communication work. Whether that’s out of the major St Louis and Washington offices (the “motherships” of Fleishman’s Digital practise) or any of the other offices around the world, dedicated online resources, tools and case studies are made readily available for internal colleagues to share with clients.

The business places a high emphasis on technology as a medium to share information and I can only begin to imagine how Australian businesses will evolve, especially with the dawning of the National Broadband Network.

There are many Australian businesses with overseas interests and engaging them in a way that is true to the organisation’s values and responsive to their needs will be critical. The provision of communication mediums, from a simple Intranet to dedicated servers and practise-specific portals, will allow organisations to share critical information and insights, irrespective of time zones.