Turning and facing the change

Communication and marketing have changed dramatically since Fleurot's early days in the business and he has embraced new technology. "My generation, when we started to work, we had no mobile phone, no Web, nothing," he says. "Now we have a lot. I think we have to learn how to use these tools in an efficient way. I've been interested in technology all my life. It's natural for me to be interested in technology anyway."

Technology has reduced the power of traditional media and put it in the hands of different people and communication platforms, according to Fleurot.

"Now it is very different, because you can do it on the Web and reach a large audience almost with no cost, if you have a very interesting blog or a lot of followers and fans. That's a huge difference," he says.

Companies have to engage their audience in a different way, he adds.

"Today you have less control, because people are having conversations, on your ground, on your brand, on your company," he says. "You have to engage with them, which means you have to be part of the conversation."

The first step is listening to these conversations and then deciding which are the most influential voices, Fleurot says. This used to be easy because it was limited to traditional media - television, newspapers and magazines - but today the options are far larger and more diverse.

Speed of communication has changed drastically too and companies have to react, adds Fleurot. "I would say transparency is also a new law," he says. "People can have access to all kinds of information, so trying to hide something I think is the wrong strategy."

Companies should have a clear idea of what they will say and communicate it quickly in the event of a public relations problem, he adds.