The CEO's Role in Corporate Communications

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WEBINAR
THE ROLE OF THE CEO
IN CORP COMM
25/
04/
2013
FINN Public Relations
RAF WEVERBERGH
MANAGING PARTNER
www.finn.be
raf.weverbergh@finn.be
Twitter: @rafweverbergh
FB: facebook.com/FINNPR

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THE CEO IN CORPORATE COMM
#FINNWEBINAR
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SLIDESHARE

CONTEXT
GEVOLGEN
PRAKTIJK
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WHAT DO CEOS EXPECT
FROM COMMUNICATION?

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“THERE IS A STRONG (AND POTENTIALLY
DANGEROUS) LINK BETWEEN THE REPUTATION
OF THE ORGANISATION AND THE PERSON WHO
HEADS IT.
ONE CEO WENT SO FAR AS TO SAY THAT THE
REPUTATION OF THE COMPANY AND THE
REPUTATION OF THE CEO ARE ONE AND THE
SAME THING.”
“CEOS’ VIEWS ON REPUTATION MANAGEMENT,” JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT VOL. 9

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“WE CAN
AFFORD TO
LOSE A LOT
OF MONEY.
WE CANNOT
AFFORD TO
LOSE EVEN
A SHRED OF
REPUTATION.” BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY LETTER TO SHAREHOLDERS, 2010

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HTTP://WWW.ENGADGET.COM/2013/02/14/ADOBE-CEO-DODGES-PRICING-QUESTIONS/

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“MAYBE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ACTUALLY OWN THE SOFTWARE THIS WAY, AND I
UNDERSTAND THAT. MAYBE YOU DON’T TRUST ADOBE FOR VARIOUS REASONS
INCLUDING THE SHADY, DODGY WAY THAT THE CEO AVOIDS TALKING ABOUT
REAL ISSUES. I GET THAT TOO. “
HTTP://FSTOPPERS.COM/OBJECTIVELY-ANALYZING-THE-ADOBE-CREATIVE-CLOUD-SHOULD-YOU-WANT-IT

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CONCLUSION 1: MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE, THE CEO IS THE STEWARD OF
CORPORATE REPUTATION.
HOWEVER, IT WOULD BE WRONG TO INTERPRET THIS STEWARDSHIP AS A
DEFENSIVE, “LET’S NOT MAKE ANY MISTAKES” APPROACH. IT IS THE JOB OF THE
CEO TO BUILD THE REPUTATION.

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CONCLUSION 2: IT FOLLOWS THAT THE CEO BRAND IS NOT A VANITY PROJECT:
“STAKEHOLDERS PROJECT A PERSONAL BRAND ONTO THE CEO IN ANY EVENT
AND UNLESS THIS IS ACTIVELY MANAGED, A FALSE AND DETRIMENTAL IMAGE
CAN EMERGE. IN SOME CASES, THE IMPACT ON PERSONAL AND CORPORATE
REPUTATION CAN BE PROFOUND.”

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STEP 1: FIND THE CEO’S PERSONAL
MISSION STATEMENT, USING PERSONAL
OR PROFESSIONAL STORIES. LOOK FOR
SHARED VALUES.

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“I’M NOT SMARTER THAN OTHER PEOPLE.
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO DRIVE.
WE HAVE 24 HOURS A DAY.
ONLY THOSE THAT CONSISTENTLY WORK
AN HOUR MORE THAN OTHERS
WILL BE BETTER OFF.”

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1. TELL ME ABOUT A CHALLENGE OR SIGNIFICANT EVENT IN YOUR CHILDHOOD.
2. TELL ME ABOUT SOMEONE IN YOUR EARLY YEARS WHO MADE AN IMPACT ON YOU
AND WHY.
3. RECALL A STORY FROM YOUR EARLY CAREER—A SIGNIFICANT EVENT YOU SHARE
OFTEN WITH OTHERS.
4. TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU GOT A PROMOTION, OR DIDN’T, AND HOW YOU FELT.
5. TELL ME ABOUT ONE OF THE MOST EMBARRASSING, AWKWARD, OR DIFFICULT EVENTS
IN YOUR CAREER.
6. SHARE ONE OF YOUR GREATEST SUCCESSES. WHAT HAPPENED, AND WHY DO YOU
REMEMBER IT?
7. SHARE ONE OF YOUR GREATEST FAILURES. WHAT HAPPENED, AND WHY DO YOU
REMEMBER IT?
8. TELL ME ABOUT A MOMENT WHEN YOU HAD TO MAKE A DIFFICULT DECISION, AND
WHAT YOU DID.
9. TELL ME ABOUT A RECENT EVENT THAT MADE YOU QUESTION YOURSELF OR A
DECISION YOU HAD MADE.
10. TELL ME ABOUT A PERSON WHO IS HEAVILY INFLUENCING YOU RIGHT NOW.
SOURCE: SUZANNE BATES, DISCOVER YOUR CEO BRAND.

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STEP 2: CONNECT THE PERSONAL
MISSION STATEMENT & VALUES TO THE
BRAND VALUES OF THE COMPANY.

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DON’T OVERDO IT

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“...A CELEBRITY CEO CAN BE ENORMOUSLY
HELPFUL. WHERE WOULD BEN & JERRY’S BE
WITHOUT BEN COHEN AND JERRY GREENFIELD?
THEY MADE BEN & JERRY’S THE BRAND IT IS
TODAY”.
AL & LAURA RIES, “THE FALL OF ADVERTISING AND THE RISE OF PR”, P. 137

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“DELIVERING HAPPINESS”
TONY HSIEH
(ZAPPOS)

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TONY HSIEH (ZAPPOS, SOLD TO AMAZON.COM FOR $ 1.2 BN)
“DELIVERING HAPPINESS” BOOK
“DELIVERING HAPPINESS” BUS TOUR (!)
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
COMMUNICATE ABOUT VALUES

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“I CAN’T MEASURE IT EXACTLY, BUT
WE’VE HAD A VERY GOOD YEAR -
MORE THAN 5% IN A CRISIS YEAR.
I THINK OUR PR HAS HELPED
US, ESPECIALLY IF YOU GET
CONSISTENTLY POSITIVE MEDIA
COVERAGE.
I’M QUITE CONFIDENT THAT IT HELPS
IF PEOPLE KNOW AND TRUST YOUR
BRAND WHEN THE MOMENT COMES
TO CHOOSE WHERE TO SPEND THEIR
MONEY.”
TORFS SHOES

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FOR CEOS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED COMPANIES, THERE IS ALMOST NO
DOWNSIDE TO BEING THE FACE OF THE COMPANY. FOR LARGER COMPANIES
WITH MULTIPLE AND/OR INTERNATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS (UNIONS,
SHAREHOLDERS, COUNTRIES AND GOVERNMENTS...) THE SITUATION IS MORE
COMPLEX.

STEP 3: HAND THEM THE KEYS
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THE CEO AS LEADER:
KEEPER OF THE NARRATIVE:
(S)HE
DEFINES
OR
CHANGES
THE
COMPANY
STORY

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“WILL UBER BECOME A STRONG, REPUTABLE SERVICE BRAND, OR WILL IT GO
THE WAY OF ZYNGA AND GROUPON?
SO FAR, THEY SEEM TO BE ABLE TO CONTAIN THE CONFLICT. BUT VERY SOON,
THEY WILL HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO TRANSCEND IT.
FINN @ FORBES, MARCH 2014

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THE CEO NEEDS TO BE HANDED THE TOOLS TO
CREATE, SHAPE OR CHANGE THE CORPORATE
STORY TO FIT THEIR VISION AND STRATEGY.
THIS MEANS THEY NEED TO BE COACHED TO
UNDERSTAND HOW THEIR COMMUNICATIONS
AND ACTIONS WILL IMPACT THE NARRATIVE
AND THUS, THE REPUTATION.

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LOOK AT HOW MICROSOFT GAVE
SATYA NADELLA 4 STORY OPTIONS FOR
HIS TENURE AS CEO (SLIGHTLY TOO
OBVIOUS MAYBE).

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“FACEBOOK FOUNDER”

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“APPLE EXEC”

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“BUSINESS SCHOOL PROF”

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“CORPORATE TIGER”

STEP 4: LIVING THE BRAND.
SET BEACONS.
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“SKILLED LEADERS FIND WAYS TO STOKE
EMOTIONS THAT FUEL TANGIBLE AND
DESIRABLE ACTIONS. THEY LINK...”
SOURCE: “SCALING UP EXCELLENCE”, ROBERT I. SUTTON, HAYAGREEVA RAO
“HOT CAUSES
TO...
...COOL
SOLUTIONS”
INNOVATION
CSR
VALUES
CULTURE
MISSION
VISION
...
PRODUCTS
STRATEGY
GOVERNANCE
EMPLOYMENT
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
NUMBERS
...

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COMMON CEO PROFILE IN EXTERNAL
COMMUNICATION: DEFENSIVE

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COMMON MISTAKES:
“I DIDN’T INVENT THIS INNOVATION. I WILL NOT
TAKE CREDIT FOR IT”
“I DON’T NEED TO BE FAMOUS”
“I NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHAT I SAY BECAUSE
WE ARE PUBLICLY LISTED”
“WE’RE A MODEST COMPANY, WE DON’T BRAG
ABOUT ALL OUR ACHIEVEMENTS”
“FOR ME, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT
THE PEOPLE ON THE FLOOR KNOW HOW I FEEL
ABOUT THEM. I DON’T NEED TO TALK ABOUT ALL
THAT STUFF”
“OUR VALUES HAVEN’T CHANGED FOR AGES,
WHY WOULD I TALK ABOUT THOSE?”

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"INCREASINGLY PUBLIC RELATIONS IS SEEN TO BENEFIT CEOS IN HELPING THEM
TO ALIGN AND INSPIRE EMPLOYEES. AGAIN, THESE ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
ISSUES FOR COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORS TO FOCUS ON."
HUMAN RESOURCES &
CORPORATE CULTURE

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THE IMPORTANCE
OF CORPORATE
CULTURE FOR
MILLENNIALS:
“GENERATION Y
IS LOOKING FOR
A LEADER WHO
SHARES THEIR
VALUES, A CAUSE
THAT THEY CAN
FOLLOW.”
PROF. PEDRO DEBRUYCKERE

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“MOST OF THE READERS VIEW THE CEO AS A CORPORATE SPOKESPERSON
REPRESENTING COMPANY’S VALUES AND ARE EAGER TO LISTEN TO THE
‘MASTER’S VOICE ‘
THE SPECIFIC AREA OF CSR IS CONSISTENT WITH RESEARCH DONE ON USING
CEOS AS SPOKESPEOPLE IN CSR REPORTS (FERNS ET AL., 2008).”
CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY

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0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
PA
COMPANY STRATEGY
RESULTS
EMPLOYMENT
VALUES
INDUSTRY
BONUS
CSR
COMPANY PRODUCTS
INNOVATION
Living the brand: the CEO as a leader who links "hot causes" with "cool solutions"
COOL SOLUTIONS HOT CAUSES

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ADDITIONALLY, COMMUNICATION IS A TWO-WAY PROCESS. BY ENGAGING
STAKEHOLDERS IN A DIALOGUE, THE CEO/ORGANIZATION CAN SHOW EMPATHY
AND CLOSENESS TO THE COMMUNITY. COMMUNICATION IS ALSO IMPORTANT
TO GAIN INSIGHTS FROM THE COMMUNITY OF STAKEHOLDERS:
“THE CEO HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE CREATION OF A LISTENING
ORGANIZATION”

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“THE MODERN DAY
BUSINESS LEADER MUST
BE LIKE THE SAMURAI
- ABLE TO MASTER
THE MARTIAL ARTS OF
BUSINESS COMBAT, BUT
ALSO ABLE TO LEARN THE
SKILLS OF THE POET OR
PHILOSOPHER”
“MANAGING CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS”, ROSELLA GAMBETTI (ED.)

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“MOBILE FIRST & CLOUD FIRST”
“OUR CORE IS PRODUCTIVITY”
“OBSESS OVER CUSTOMER”
“MOVE FASTER”, “LEAN”
“MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS”
“COURAGE IN THE FACE OF
OPPORTUNITY” (07/2014)

GUARDRAILS. PROTECT THE
CEO FROM THESE THINGS:
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WITTHE CEO AS
“SANDWICHMAN”

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“THE TONE OF PRODUCT-RELATED COVERAGE HAD THE LOWEST CORRELATION
WITH CEO TONE, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT A CEO’S MEDIA IMAGE IS NOT
CLOSELY TIED TO HOW THE MEDIA COVER A COMPANY’S PRODUCTS. BECAUSE
OF THIS, PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTITIONERS WORKING WITH A CEO WHO HAS
A NEGATIVE IMAGE MAY WISH TO HIGHLIGHT THEIR COMPANY’S PRODUCTS
RATHER THAN OTHER ORGANIZATION NEWS.”
RESEARCH
“MEDIA COVERAGE OF CEOS: WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? WHY?”, JAMES T. HAMILTON (DUKE), RICHARD ZECKHAUSER
(HARVARD UNIVERSITY), 2004,

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“...HEADED THE STATUE OF
LIBERTY RENOVATION, JOINED A
CONGRESSIONAL COMMISSION ON
BUDGET REDUCTION AND WROTE
A SECOND BOOK, A SYNDICATED
NEWSPAPER COLUMN, BOUGHT AN
ITALIAN VILLA WHERE HE STARTED
BOTTLING HIS OWN WINE AND OLIVE
OIL .... CRITICS CONTEND IT ALL
DISTRACTED HIM, AND WAS A ROOT
CAUSE OF CHRYSLER’S CURRENT
PROBLEMS .... IT’S CLEAR THAT BEING A
FOLK HERO IS A DEMANDING SIDELINE.”
WALL STREET JOURNAL ON LEE IACOCCA (AS QUOTED IN “GOOD TO GREAT”)

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“IN SOME CASES THE PURSUIT OF CELEBRITY LEVELS OF COVERAGE MAY
COME AT THE EXPENSE OF SHAREHOLDER INTERESTS, AS A CEO USES
COMPANY RESOURCES FOR PUBLICITY AND DEVOTES LESS TIME TO FIRM
BUSINESS. IN CASES WHERE CEO REPUTATION BUILDING ADDS LITTLE TO A
FIRM’S FORTUNES BUT BUILDS THE EXTERNAL REPUTATION OF AN EXECUTIVE,
PUBLICITY CAN PROMOTE A CEO’S MOBILITY AND ULTIMATELY LEAVE THE
COMPANY WITH MORE TRAINING COSTS TO BEAR WHEN THE EXECUTIVE
MOVES ON.”

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“THE GREATER THE PERCENTAGE OF STORIES
ABOUT THE CEO, THE MORE LIKELY THE FIRM
WAS TO BE INVOLVED IN SCANDAL IN 2001-2002.
(...)”
“CEOS WHO GIVE INTERVIEWS AND SEARCH OUT
SOFT NEWS COVERAGE ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE
THE ONES THAT ABUSE THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT
RELATIONSHIP IN WAYS THAT RESULT IN THEIR
INDICTMENT OR RESIGNATION LATER”.

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CAREFUL WITH HIGHLY PAID EXECUTIVES (& BONUSES): ISSUE CAN BE TOXIC -
ESPECIALLY TOUCHY SUBJECTS LIKE CRISIS:
“THESE FINDINGS ARE CONSISTENT WITH FINDINGS FROM THE ADVERTISING
FIELD THAT FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES ARE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN CEOS WHEN
COMMUNICATING ABOUT TOPICS RELATED” TO CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
(STEPHENS & FARANDA, 1993).”

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“THE RIDICULE FACTOR”
ELI GOLD

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COKE “SCARE” (1999), OPEN LETTER TO BELGIAN CONSUMERS FROM DOUGLAS
IVESTER: “WHO IS THIS STRANGE GUY?” (HUMO: “DEAR DOUG”)

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IT’S NEVER ABOUT THEM

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TONY HAYWARD, CEO
>>>BP
2010:“I WANT MY LIFE BACK”

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TONY HAYWARD
EX-CEO BP//
2011: “I SHOULD HAVE SURROUNDED MYSELF
WITH A MORE SENIOR MEDIA TEAM”

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“THE ONLY BAD NEWS WAS NO NEWS.
CONTROVERSY WAS WHAT YOU
WANTED”.
“WHY ABERCROMBIE IS LOSING ITS
SHIRT”- THE NEW YORK TIMES, 2014

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OH AND PUHLEAZE: BE NICE TO CHILDREN,
ELDERLY PEOPLE AND PETS?

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FINN IS...
CORPORATE COMMUNICATION
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
BRAND PR
CONTENT MARKETING
CONVERSATION MANAGEMENT
DIGITAL
AND ALSO FINN IS...HIRING
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
SENIOR CONSULTANT.
PLEASE TELL YOUR NETWORK!
OH, AND ONE MORE THING.

IF YOU LIKED OUR PRESENTATION, SAY SOMETHING
NICE ABOUT US TO SOMEONE :)
IT’S GOOD KARMA
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The CEO's Role in Corporate Communications

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