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CEO SpeakOut

Written by: Andy Marken

Article Overview: The Best Way to Project A Company’s Brand

CEO SpeakOut

In the rush of the dotcom world, startups struggle desperately for eyeballs and a real or imagined reason for existence. Flush with millions of other people’s money and no positive cashflow in sight they move rapidly to establish mindshare in an industry that changes on a daily basis.

To quickly sell their intangible benefits, many borrowed recognition and credibility by hiring William Shatner, Whoopi Goldberg and other spokespersons. Others like Amazon.com, eBay and AOL took a different path. They leverage their key asset, their CEOs, to build unique stars people can identify with and trust.

When the final tabulations were made, individuals and companies voted with their checkbooks. The winners were clearly Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Meg Whitman (eBay) and Steve Case (AOL).

Properly positioned, properly trained and properly used the company’s CEO is the organization’s most powerful marketing asset. He or she, better than anyone else, can establish the company’s market position and project the organization’s brand franchise and charter for existence.

Historically PR people have taken minor and major issues and developed them into position statements for clients. They have done the research and legwork to develop opportunities for company executives to speak with reporters and before audiences. They brief the press. And they briefed CEOs on questions they could expect and potential responses. When they are good they can deflect and reroute situations so they end up being positive for the company and management.

For the most part, media training for CEOs and their senior managers has been casual. It is only over the past two years that business-based subjects have been thrust to the media forefront…print, radio, television and on-line.

The Surprise Question

Earlier this year, the inadequacy of this approach was brought home to us. We had garnered an interview slot for the company president on one of the growing number of TV shows that cover computer, communications and entertainment technology. The host and crew went through a number of dry runs with our boss to make him more comfortable and more expressive in front of the camera.

A typical, thoughtful president of a computer industry company; our CEO found it tough to get “excited” about the technology and product he had helped nurture for more than three years.

When they were satisfied with his on-camera comfort and still subdued enthusiasm, they did their final take. Everything went smoothly during the five-minute interview…until the closing question. The host asked a question from left field regarding competitive products. Having done live and taped TV shows for a number of years ourselves, we immediately saw the surprise in our CEO’s eyes and beads of sweat form on his upper lip. Despite being caught off guard, our man did a decent job of recovering and answering the question.

Leveling the Playing Field

Immediately after the taping we did a post mortum. He knew that the volume of such interviews was going to increase and that we couldn’t deflect or protect him from every query. He understood that questions like these would arise and he had to learn how to turn even antagonistic encounters to his advantage.

He agreed that if he was going to be the effective company spokesperson he had to learn how to develop and present the soundbites that reporters and interviewers hunt for to produce lively copy and interviews. Simply stating the facts and sticking to a script wasn’t an option. We had him interview three media training organizations. On his own time, and at his own expense, he got the training he needed to be effective with the media.

Like most CEOs he still prefers the well-scripted and “friendly” product and market-focused interviews. However, we find that we no longer have to redirect or deflect/reshape many of the questions. Instead we can see that he can almost visualize the story as it will appear. He is able to make his points and inject his soundbites at just the right time.

He’s more comfortable. He’s more effective. And increasingly the reporter or interviewer goes away with a good story that serves his readers, listeners or viewers. They also leave with a story that meets corporate and marketing objectives.

The Changing CEO Role

In companies of every size the CEO is a pivotal asset. Many times there is no substitute. Unfortunately most CEOs don’t acknowledge and aren’t comfortable in this role. They refuse to be responsible for one of their key corporate functions. At the same time, they hold public relations responsible for not getting their company the same level and quality of exposure as other firms in the industry.

While they hide behind engineering, manufacturing and “business” tasks, they subconsciously envy the coverage others in their industry receive. Their reluctance to step from behind the curtain makes the PR job extremely difficult and at times impossible.

The Resource Challenge

The challenge for corporations today is that there is no longer time to carry out an escalating program of building brand equity for a company. It must be done quickly and it is an effort that is constantly changing. The only way to develop and nurture branding on a global scale is to use your people resources properly.

Some CEOs understand that being the company spokesperson is part of their job description. No one else adds reality to the message. Even if the president is publicity shy, management needs get to the point where they can comfortably and effectively be the one who adds credibility to the message.

Those CEOs who seize the opportunity for their companies don’t have to be megalomaniacs. They don’t have to be egotists. They simply have to be helped to understand all of the aspects of their jobs.

Fortunately, there are some excellent examples we can point to in making the point.

Solid CEO Brands

 Intel – Few firms have had a series of strong leaders as has Intel. Gordon Moore became an industry legend by setting the direction and seeing the future of the semiconductor and computer industries. He passed the mantle to a very driven, outspoken and astute marketeer, Andy Grove, who made it popular to be paranoid about your business and its survival. Yes, it was Andy Grove who underestimated the impact of a few postings on the Web regarding problems with the Pentium processor but he quickly learned how to use the Internet to the company’s advantage. Much less combative and more thoughtful, Craig Barrett has taken the helm and is developing his own image as a strategic technology leader.
 AT&T – Following the breakup of MaBell, AT&T languished for years inventing great technology but protecting its long-distance goldmine while the best people left to build the data industry. Mike Armstrong stepped into the bloated and rudderless organization and like Patton instantly took command reshaping and redirecting the company in less than a year. No one will yet claim that AT&T is a lean, mean fighting machine or that it will in fact survive. But the charismatic motorcycle-riding grandfather has moved the 3-minute phone call company into the mainstream of the Internet infrastructure marketplace.
 IBM – Hundreds if not thousands of people in the industry thought IBM’s board had lost its collective mind when Lou Gerstner was plucked from American Express to head the bleeding dinosaur. The competition was relieved the credit card guy had taken on the job of burying Big Blue. Rather than planning the wake; the tough, fast learner put the dinosaur on a rigid diet and forced it to adapt to its new surroundings. Today, he walks the walk and talks the talk of the Internet and when he says his is the leading Internet service provider company…Wall Street and companies large and small take note.
 Oracle – People describe Larry Ellison with words like iconoclast, visionary, chameleon and survivor. But the street-wise head of the world’s leading data base software company has strong images of tomorrow and equally strong statements regarding his competitors. Whether he is flying his French fighter jet, sailing in a race or promoting his idea of tomorrow’s television service; he makes it clear to the press, competition and organization that success is with his and his company’s grasp. You don’t always believe him but you’re just as certain nothing will stand in his way.
 HP – While the jury is still out on the company’s success, the change that has taken place since Carly Florina took over the revered instrumentation and computer company is phenomenal. After being seduced away from Lucent – the AT&T lodestone that became a global success when it set out on its own – she has been one of the most vocal and visible spokespersons for ecommerce. Her directions, words and actions have put a burning fire in the guts of employees. A cheerleader and coach she has made people believe – inside and outside the company – that the company will be a global commerce leader in the 21st century.
 Amazon – Every dotcom entrepreneur wants to be like Jeff Bezos when they grow up. His click and order company first took on traditional brick and mortar bookstores and despite a phenomenal IPO few people felt it would survive when Barnes and Noble set its sites on the on-line upstart. Bezos, despite the fact that his company continues to show red on its bottom line, has expanded the company into on-line CD sales, auctions and other business ventures turning it into what could be called a virtual everyman’s shopping mall. He’s got lots of detractors inside and outside the industry as well as on Wall Street. But he makes himself very available to the media and is always ready to answer the easy, hard and antagonistic question.
 Sun Micro and Cisco Systems – Even though you can’t group the two firms in the same category Scott McNeally and John Chambers are very similar. McNeally aggressively promoted one common theme and direction for Sun – the network is the computer. He and his team shifted the company’s focus to the Internet and proclaimed that they put the dot in dotcom. Chambers for years quietly promoted Cisco as the network infrastructure company. He made an easy transition to the Internet infrastructure company and most recently the spokesman for enabling e-commerce. Both men are strong-willed and even tempered. They are also very adamant in their beliefs and aggressively protect their company’s image and direction. Deeply involved in running their organizations, they also realize that one of their primary jobs is also to be the primary spokesperson for their companies – inside and outside the firms.
 Chrysler – As a change of pace, recall the PR activities Lee Iacocca carried out when he left his Mustang behind and took on the task of reviving and revitalizing Chrysler…the company and the brand. Despite his many years at Ford, he became Chrysler to Congress, the battle-weary employees, the media and car buyers around the world. While he earned millions in stock options, he set a new standard for CEOs who took over troubled companies – including Steve Jobs at Apple – of an annual salary of $l. Iacocca accepted the role of Chrysler spokesperson and quickly became the most visible company president in the automotive industry.

There are hundreds of other CEOs you could cite around the globe in large companies and small who have become the brand identities for their firm. They have positions. They have opinions. They have visions of the role their companies will play in tomorrow’s marketplace.

So do you. It is the support team’s – including public relations – challenge to help the company president get the message to the media. If he or she doesn’t look beyond quarterly results or the next new product, positive things won’t/can’t happen.
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