Boosting your CEO’s personal brand

It’s often said that reputation is a company’s most precious asset. Hard to build and maintain, and dangerously easy to taint, reputation can make or break a company’s success. In fact, according to PR Week, corporate reputation accounts for over a third of stock market valuations. 

Reputation is based on the values an organisation lives and breathes: from having a positive impact on the local community, to upholding the highest sustainability standards. 

And when it comes to embodying those values, no one is more important in the public’s eyes than the CEO.

The role of the CEO has changed

Because the reputation of the CEO and that of a company are so closely connected, managing the CEO’s public image should never be considered a vanity project. Until recently, profits were the main parameter according to which a CEO’s performance was measured. But with today’s ever-stronger focus on brand purpose, CEOs are expected to do more than maximise revenues. 

Customers and stakeholders expect CEOs to be the company’s representative, and to have a public persona that is coherent with the organisation’s mission and purpose. To achieve that, communicating frequently and effectively, both internally and externally, is crucial. So crucial, in fact, that many organisations are hiring dedicated professionals to make sure it’s done properly, such as a Head of CEO Communications or Head of CEO Branding. 

What’s more, according to PR software provider, Meltwater, the role of the CEO has become even more critical after the COVID-19 pandemic, when a lack of trust in traditional media, government bodies and NGO caused the public opinion to look for guidance from businesses. The 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer stated that, ‘business is the only institution seen as competent and ethical.’ With 62% of respondents putting their trust in private companies, today’s businesses have an important responsibility to carry - one that may sometimes feel disproportionately heavy.

Is taking a stand too much of a risk?

Businesses in the private sector are now expected to lead the conversation on timely and urgent challenges, with CEOs being the primary brand spokespeople. From climate change to the cost of living crisis, research shows that people expect CEOs to take a stand on societal issues, especially if they are relevant to brand values. 

Taking a position on topical issues is not just good for PR – it also influences profits. A survey from Weber Shandwick found that CEO activism influences purchase intent, with 40% of consumers saying they are more likely to buy from a company when they agree with the CEO’s position. And it’s not just consumers who expect CEOs to take a stand: investors might also factor a CEO’s response to global challenges into their investment decisions. 

Taking a stand on topical challenges offers the concrete chance of quickly becoming a thought leader in these subjects. However, one must remember that media exposure comes with some risks, and that there’s always a chance that public attention could backfire. 

The most important thing to do to minimise those risks is to ensure that the CEO’s image and values are completely in sync with the company’s. This will help in presenting a coherent and consistent brand messaging both through the company’s owned media (website, socials, podcasts etc) and through its CEO’s public appearances or media interactions. 

However, don’t dismiss the value of taking risks. Sure, public exposure can open the CEO to criticism, but it also offers the opportunity to receive unfiltered feedback from customers and the wider public. By carefully taking note of how the intended audience responds to CEO communications, companies can learn valuable lessons to inform their overall comms strategy, adjusting it to reflect their audience’s needs and expectations. 

In this sense, taking a stance on topical issues, whether this leads to thought leadership or to honest and fresh feedback, is a win-win. 

To social, or not to social? 

One thing to highlight about CEO communication is that it has to be timely. There’s little value in offering your contribution to a conversation when it’s already fizzling out. On the other hand, failing to offer a timely response in case of incidents, scandals or emergency situations can have devastating consequences for a company.

Luckily, social media offers the chance to address a vast audience extremely quickly, and to create viral content that can be shared by interested parties. So, should CEOs be active on social media? 

The answer, as well as the choice of platform, will of course depend on the brand. However, research suggests that a CEO with a good digital presence could benefit a company’s bottom line. The BRANDfog CEO, Social Media and Leadership survey revealed that 82% of respondents were more likely to trust a brand when the senior leadership and CEO are using social media. 

Social media also gives CEOs the power to control their personal brand and steer it in the right direction, but it’s important to use it correctly. The motto is “choose your battles wisely.” This means that CEOs should not necessarily comment on any topical issue or jump into any social media trend just for exposure’s sake. They should instead comment in a timely manner on issues that have a particular relevance to the business, or that closely align with its values and mission. 

Five rules to help you turn your CEO into a brand asset

We’ve seen that CEO communications are critical to an organisation’s success. But how are they executed correctly? And are there any rules to follow? Although the style and content of CEO comms will largely depend on the organisation, there are some basic guidelines that can help shape a successful CEO communication strategy.

1. Be authentic

Communicating with authenticity is incredibly important. CEO communications should convey a true sense of purpose, in line with the company’s values and mission. This reinforces the idea of a genuinely purpose-driven brand, rather than one that uses values as buzzwords – helping to build customer and stakeholder trust.

2. Tell your story

Sharing a CEO’s journey to success, including challenges and disappointments overcome along the way, can be a powerful way of humanising a brand and creating a strong connection to its audience. If you’re interested in learning more about how to use storytelling in a B2B context, take a look at this blog post.

3. Start with why

Have you ever heard of the Golden Circle Theory? It’s a leadership theory that suggests effective messages should target the limbic brain – the area that controls emotions and behaviour – rather than just focus on figures and data. In other words, our gut feelings play a big role in whether we trust a brand and its products, and strongly influence our purchasing decisions. This means that when CEOs share why they do what they do, they can create a lasting connection based on shared values. If you’re curious to learn more about the Golden Circle Theory, check out this blog post.

4. Get your timing right

Timely strategic communication is always important, but becomes especially critical at times of uncertainty or during emergencies. For example, a heartfelt, genuine message of solidarity in the immediate aftermath of an accident can create an authentic connection to your audience. However, the same message just a couple of days later can sound trite and out of touch, while failing to respond entirely can communicate a lack of leadership or, worse, a lack of empathy. 

5. Test and learn

It might be tempting to think that great communicators have a special gift. In reality, communicating effectively is a skill to be learned. You might be a great communicator in everyday life, but your innate skills may not be enough to lead an organisation. Working with an experienced PR professional can help CEOs steer their comms strategy in the right direction. For example, our PR consultants can help CEOs manage their social media profiles, deliver impactful interviews, and draft inspiring thought-leadership content. 

These golden rules can give CEOs a good base to follow best practice, but for more bespoke advice, why not get in touch with the comms experts at The Marketing Pod? With specialists in strategy, content, PR, creative and digital marketing, we can help boost a CEO’s personal brand, and ensure it stays relevant and in line with the evolution of the brand.