Executive positioning: what is it, and how do you do it right?
Executive positioning is a strategic approach that aims to establish and enhance the credibility, visibility and reputation of an organisation’s top leadership team. In turn, the individual’s likeability and influence across the board from employees and customers through to prospects and the public is strengthened, having a positive impact on the brand. Executive reputation should be weaved into communications and marketing strategy as it can play a crucial role in business success – any guesses why X’s ad-revenue was down 54% compared to when it was Twitter? Just saying.
Whether it’s the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Sustainability Officer, or another member of the leadership team, there is public demand for leaders to be visible, reliable and relatable. What’s needed is a well-considered executive positioning strategy that is tailored to the individual. Here’s how to get started on putting that strategy together:
1. Define the purpose of profiling the executive
The purpose of the executive positioning strategy should align with the corporate strategy and business objectives. It should help differentiate the brand from competitors and contribute to overall brand personality. Think about what needs to be communicated with stakeholders and why that is best coming from a business leader, rather than via another avenue (e.g. a company newsletter or social media post).
2. Craft the narrative and hone their story
The executive’s narrative should communicate what they stand for professionally and should authentically align with their personal values – remember, this is their story and should be in their voice, not the voice of the business. That said, the narrative should connect to the goals of the business and always align with the brand strategy to avoid confusing audiences – the executive is an authoritative figure who can further amplify key messages and gain trust from the audience.
There is no need for a CEO to talk about everything and anything as this will dilute their key messages – two to three focus areas should be determined for them. This should be taken into consideration for all executives being profiled. For example, when it comes to future plans of the business or recent profit results, those are relevant topics for a CEO to discuss, but why not utilise a Chief People Office to lead employer branding topics? When defining their focus areas, it’s not just what they ‘should’ be talking about and what they’re knowledgeable on, it’s also about where their passions lie. To leave a lasting positive impact on people, that passion needs to come through naturally.
3. Identify thought leadership opportunities
Once the purpose is understood, and their focus areas defined, it’s time to develop their thought leadership approach both internally and externally. Internally, how can the executive inspire, motivate and reassure the workforce – think about town halls, regular face-to-face opportunities, or personal newsletters. Externally, target relevant news outlets and publications for interview and commentary opportunities that will help communicate the key messages whilst reaching the desired audiences. Speaking opportunities at conferences and events are a great way to have the executive profiled alongside industry peers and can help demonstrate sector expertise.
The above helps build online presence and SEO for the executive. When starting out with the executive profiling strategy, remember to set-up relevant social media pages or review existing ones to ensure that their social media profiles are professional. LinkedIn is a particularly important platform for executives to be active on – there, they can share thought leadership articles, provide commentary on trending topics, share company updates in a quick and personal way, and highlight any interviews or speaking opportunities they have been a part of.
4. Ensure they are crisis ready
All organisations should have an approach for identifying and handling potential crises. When a company has a high-level executive known to the media, it’s important to understand that they may be called upon or expected to speak on behalf of the organisation should a crisis that attracts public or industry attention arise. Ensure your executives are well media-trained and actively hold refresher training every few months. If there is a crisis, the executive should be fully briefed and aware of all the details of the problem – they should then work with their experienced PR agency or communications advisors to prepare a statement and approach to addressing the issue.
Sinclair has worked with multiple brands across industries and sectors to build executive positioning and thought leadership strategies. If this something you would like to explore in more detail, we would be happy to discuss your needs.
