We’ve all seen the change coming for over a decade now – brands adopting ‘human voice’ in their communications, the explosion in tools, platforms, and networks for mass communication, and those fearless leaders among us stepping out from behind the protection of their corporate comms teams to develop their own voice.
We’ve watched brands open up a plethora of new communications channels for the world to communicate directly with them, promising clarity, transparency, and accountability for every element of the business’s existence. Gone are the days when corporate statements, triple checked by legal, devoid of life and meaning, were sufficient and acceptable responses to markets and customers seeking information and clarity.
Whether brands were forced or went willingly, we’ve arrived in a world where consumers have a powerful voice and brands have to be vocal in response. This world is, on the whole, far better for brands and their communication practitioners, but we have undeniably reached the point where the leaders of these brands, the CEOs, are expected to have their own public voice. The business operates under the instruction of the CEO and the CEO needs to be able to speak for themselves.