The ranking is based on real-time conversation – attributed to a specific CEO – across the entire digital, social and media landscape. It measures the actions of the Fortune 100 CEOs during the relevant time periods (January 1, 2020 – February 28, 2020 and March 1, 2020 – April 15, 2020)
The CEO’s that rank highest on the Leader board are:
- using multiple channels to get their messages across traditional and digital channels, and they’re creating a unique communication strategy geared toward each stakeholder – one that ladders up to a great brand strategy
- have reacted to the mega crisis with humility, empathy and direct communications that connect with employees, customers, and other stakeholders on an authentic, human level. Gone is the c-suite view from 30,000 feet – now they are responding to every imaginable disruption; supply chain, workforce, revenue, employee health and safety
Leading the Pack - the CEO’s who have a clear communications plan for their customers, their employees and their partners
1. Retail’s shining moment (7 of top 25 CEO’s are from retail) – managing everything from panic buying to stressed supply chains and work staff management while on the front lines
o Encouraging new services like curb side pickup, increasing employee pay and advocating for them as essential workers, activating new healthcare services like drive-through testing
2. Big Tech – navigating how to support quarantine life with home schooling and work-from-home, all demonstrating the essential nature of their products and services
o Establishing bonds with employees, making tech and hardware available for relief efforts, leveraging social media following to celebrate teachers
3. The Visible and Valuable CEO – positive ranking correlates with CEO and brand communications being closely integrated
o Leading the brand by appearing in ads, leveraging brand publishing as primary customer hub, pivoting entire brand campaigns to pandemic-relevant themes
CEO’s jumping the ranks
- Doug McMillon, Walmart – store fulfilment centre visits, frequent social postings and voicing a national commercial
- Rodney McMullen, Kroger – from stock clerk to CEO, Kroger CEO launched a downloadable Blueprint, a playbook with marketing materials to be used by any business, servant leadership was apparent putting his customers and employees first
- Hand Vestberg, Verizon – steady presence, tech-forward persona and recognized Verizon’s outsized role in a quarantined America – he became the ubiquitous spokesperson and explainer for the brand, announcing free/expanded coverage, bonus student programs (i.e. free access to NY times), realities of peak usage, etc effectively and seamlessly positioning Verizon as essential infrastructure for today and the future
- Marvin Ellison, Lowe’s – delivered seamless corporate narrative “thank you” campaign as a backdrop to sharing news and focusing on employee support
- Nike, mass Mutual, Alberton’s - on the fly innovation and conversion to PPE, essentials and advocating for employees as essential workers respectively
Methodology
It’s a complete picture of everything about a person that exists in the digital world
- providing a view of how an individual is perceived based on all the information about that individual across traditional and social media, conversations and any other information.
- Scanned 6M pieces of information - 1.8M Facebook posts, 900K tweets, 703K LinkedIn posts, 820K IG posts, 680 YouTube comments, 498K news sites, 307K RSS feeds, 225K blogs
Inspired Companies Insights
Crisis presents opportunities to sharpen business strategy, renew bonds with employees, step up communications and better serve customers
CEO’s have:
- moved from the board room to the living room
- become highly visible company ambassadors, representing actions and response efforts in highly personal and brand-forward ways
- been proactive in finding their authentic voice
- prioritized strategic clarity over the following day’s stock price
Common threads of high-ranking CEO behaviour:
- They’re on the pulse
- They’re clear and direct
- They have something human and emotional to say
- 56% of the top 25 CEO’s regularly publish on LinkedIn (only 33% of the bottom 75 do)
