The CEO as Spokesperson
GM’s decision to feature Chairman Ed Whitacre in advertising sparked some debate and numerous raised eyebrows in the advertising community. Advertising Age quoted several industry pundits, none of whom showed much enthusiasm for the concept of the executive spokesperson. It boiled down to four key reasons:
- The rising power of digital tomato throwers in this age of digital media
- Current social bias against senior executives
- Risk in associating the company with one person with no track record
- Difficulty in making an impact with a tired concept
All of this reminds me of one of my favorite quotes.
“If a client moans and groans, make his logo twice as big,
And if he is still refractory, show a picture of his factory,
But only in the dire cases, should you show the client’s faces.” David Ogilvy
Realistically, though, the chief executive—for public companies as well as startups—has always had a public role as a company spokesperson, even if few subjected themselves to advertising stardom. And, before the days of digital media, they were more able to select their audience as they directed their comments to specific groups such as the business and investment communities. So, for healthcare communication professionals today, it’s not a matter of whether or not we use the CEO as a spokesperson, but how best to deploy him or her for specific communication objectives.
- Defining a role: What is the most credible role for the chief executive? Should he/she be a product champion, like Fred Perdue, who made his chicken famous because of his distinct and befitting mannerisms? Can he/she play a credible role as a corporate visionary along the lines of Lee Iacocca or Richard Branson?
- The right media: While few can achieve stardom in 30- to 60-second commercials, most chief executives can find their voices in the host of other media options available today. Chief executives who are thought leaders but not necessarily charismatic public speakers like Steve Jobs can Twitter, blog or otherwise write commentaries. Many can be trained to become polished speakers in one-on-one interviews or panels.
- The message and living up to it. Today’s digital content “feast” breeds extremely discriminating audiences who need to be actively engaged with relevance, newsworthiness and the authenticity of the message and its delivery. Now more than ever, a combination of public skepticism as well as powerful archiving and, more important, search capabilities makes it easier for audiences to hold the spokesperson to his/her words.
Please post your comments and share your experience helping senior executives craft, deliver and manage their messages.