The CEO as brand ambassador

While the need for companies to develop effective public relations strategies is gaining in momentum, there can be no neglecting the role of the head executive, or chief executive officer (CEO), in forming perceptions. This is according to researchers Namibia Media Monitoring (NaMedia), following a study of the local media landscape. Stressing the importance of a strong relationship between CEOs and their public communications divisions, the pollsters suggest that the highest ranking corporate officer in fact represents a networking machine on their own, given their power over internal and external communication. “A brand is more than a name, it is often a company’s single greatest asset,” NaMedia Managing Director Natasja Beyleveld argues. “An effective brand needs solid communication investment from the CEO in both internal and external communication avenues,” she says. Citing the top eight communicating CEO brands in the country, as per NaMedia’s 2013 data analysis, she names FNB Namibia, SAB Miller, Bank Windhoek, Standard Bank Namibia, Ohlthaver & List, MTC, the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) and Dundee Precious Metals (DPM) as the most exemplary in this regard. The organisation’s research also covered the top reputation threats for CEOs as covered in the local media throughout 2013, with issues around the resignation and firing of board members and executives, and adherence to government regulations, as most frequently experienced. “Company executive officers are charged with brand stewardship, and need to publically discuss challenges that affect the brand. Different strokes for different industries means you have to make a conscious effort to keep your stakeholders in the loop,” Beyleveld says. Most importantly, she suggests, is that the CEO, his executive leadership and the company’s public relations division “fill the umbrella that covers general public perception about your brand, and be sure to do so purposefully”. The CEO especially, she says, has the power to get rid of red tape and ensure that, instead of reacting to controversy or crisis with silence, the company airs itself in the best light. “You can only create support where there is understanding and appreciation, and that is one of the reasons why the reputation of the CEO brand is so closely linked to the reputation of the company brand.”