Chief Communications Officers might be outpacing CMOs to the c-suite
A new report from Page reveals that senior communications professionals have arrived at the nexus of business transformation and are stepping up to manage everything from brands, corporate purpose and digital engagement, as well as the traditional realms of issues management and media liaison. Two-thirds now ‘own’ the corporate brand and influence how budget is spent across organisations. Digital disruption and data ubiquity has resulted in company CEOs driving the greatest wave of enterprise transformation in decades that meets the changing expectations of customers, employees, investors, governments and the public. This requires a multi-stakeholder perspective and an appreciation of the new drivers of reputation. Comms professionals, or chief communications officers, are becoming the CEO’s go-to.
Key points
- The definition of brand has expanded to how all stakeholders experience the brand across every touch point of an organisation, from a customer service call to how companies communicate through the media. CCOs ensure that companies are “on brand”
- CCOs are reinventing themselves to take on the new world of micro-communication and extreme personalisation across all stakeholders – and CCOs have a broader view than only the customer
- This phenomenon has led to the development of ‘commtech’, which harnesses the wealth of data available to create content that targets individual stakeholders to build reputation, earn trust and achieve measurable results. It can do for comms, Page says, what martech has done for marketing
- CMOs may need to watch their back as CCOs take on traditional marketing roles - Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s, Uber and Taco Bell have all done away with CMO roles and elevated CCOs to fill the gaps.
The elevation of chief communications officers in the C-suite hierarchy is the industry’s existential moment. They have control of brand, budgets, data, societal value – and, critically, the ear of the CEO.
It makes business sense to have communications at the heart of an organisation. If you can engage a variously hostile or disinterested stakeholder – the journalist – convince them to write a positive story and deliver corporate messages, other stakeholders will be a cakewalk.
Comms professionals tend to have a tacit knowledge of the world – beyond the organisation and its customer – that takes into account geo-political, government, societal, investor and environmental values that envelop a corporate brand.
Granted, Page is a comms industry association so would lean towards the CCO’s growing influence. The study is, however, robust – 200 senior communications leader interviews and a survey of 170 more around the world. It would be interesting to see the study replicated here. I am guessing Australia is somewhat behind, given that our marketer cousins are still coming to terms with the data deluge and what to do with it.
But it’s an interesting trajectory – and CCO’s are in the sweet spot to step up. So the humble Chief Flack is not so humble any more. Their importance and influence with CEOs is growing – but comms professionals need some swift upskilling to effectively use data and influence in the era of extreme personalisation, scepticism and the evaporation of trust in business.
