Most Important and Challenging Communication Task for Communicators

Tom Marshall is the managing director at UNICEPTA, UK

In today’s global, always-on business environment, successful positioning of your CEO to maintain and improve both individual and company reputation is one of the most important and challenging tasks communicators are facing. 

CEO Reputations are meaningful, within an organization and outside of it. Perception and reality matter. Yet how is it measured and determined?

It can be explained by Tom Marshall, who has 21 years of experience in the media intelligence industry, and is the managing director of UNICEPTA UK, a media, marketing and corporate intelligence company that helps companies learn what’s relevant, sense developments and make better decisions.

He talks about the CEO Reputation Index in this Communication Intelligence feature.

The service’s conceptualization and build was a response to a pressing need in business.

“It was simple really, the CEO is perhaps the most important player in an organization, especially in large companies with complex communication requirements,” Marshall says.

“What she, he, they says carries weight and will be picked up by the media, and creates waves in the wider industry (in which they operate). In today’s global, always-on business environment, successful positioning of your CEO to maintain and improve both individual and company reputation is one of the most important and challenging tasks communicators are facing.”

Reputation, he says, can be measured from media intelligence, which can then be used to, “provide communications departments with data-based insights helping them to manage their communications.”

This is accomplished by paying attention.

“Listening is the beginning of everything,” Marshall states. “We help companies listen, and to leverage data-driven insights for their strategic positioning and concrete measures and actions. If a company or CEO would like to position itself on a specific topic, you must understand and know who the relevant stakeholder groups are.”

Interestingly enough and maybe contrary to popular opinion, Marshall says that, “a CEO’s reputation cannot be considered in isolation,” because, as he asserts, “it is closely linked to corporate reputation, financial performance and corporate strategy.”

In other words, the reputation of the CEO and the organization are interdependent.

Ideally, he claims, “The CEO should benefit the company,” and this means it is vital that their reputation, “is better than that of the company.”

This can prove critically valuable in, “difficult economic times, (as) it is the CEO who must credibly embody and communicate the corporate strategy. So, it is particularly important that the CEO also has a positive reputation and high credibility.”

It’s become readily apparent more and more and therefore excuses are not accepted by media and society, that social responsibility is a part, even if unwanted, for leaders and their companies.

“We are also seeing that companies — and therefore the CEO — have to increasingly speak more openly on socially relevant topics, for example diversity and inclusion or sustainability,” Marshall says. “People are demanding answers to the really pressing questions of our time.” No surprise then, he says, that “Credibility is key here.” 

UNICEPTA claims it can deliver “precise reputation status.” As to how this can be calculated and what determines precision, Marshall explains.

“We usually measure reputation on a monthly basis using hybrid analysis methods, combining AI-based technology with human expertise. In addition, reputation analyses in the context of specific topics or issues are also possible. Our service range varies from monthly reporting to real-time listening and live analytics on both a regional and global scale,” he says, adding, “Visibility, reach and tonality are important KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) which form the basis for a reputation index.”

The index pays attention to what are said to be “key topics and drivers” for a CEO and company.

“We capture data from 460 million sources across all media to analyze mega-topics and trending topics, as well as relevant stakeholder groups and players driving these topics,” Marshall says.

“If a company wants to position itself in the area of green sustainability, for example, then it is important to fully understand this topic and determine what opportunities, issues and risks may occur.

“In addition, competition analysis is highly interesting. How are your competitors positioned? Which industry is leading?”

It’s not just data analysis though, he says, as it’s important to additionally provide recommendations and strategic advisory.

Reputation is important to most CEOs and organizations. Errors in decision making and actions however make it seem otherwise sometimes. UNICEPTA says, “when reputation is as much individual as organizational, smart communicators and CEOs know to take it personally.”

By this, Marshall says, “The point is that decision-makers must personally care about the issue.” As for the why, that is so, he says, “a CEO must be able to personally address the most pressing topics to that company.”

This can be made possible and easier, he says, through, “data-based insights to strategically position and manage its reputation within the evolving market.”