CEO Marketing Priorities

COVID-19 has made CEO marketing priorities synonymous with survival.

CEOs who have a focused, crisp, creative, and clear message, and who understand how to best communicate that message, will navigate the pandemic better than their less-skilled peers.

The following are five tips to help CEOs refine and distribute their message during the coronavirus pandemic.

1. Embrace Distance: Virtual is your new best friend. The days of flying around to town-halls, sitting on the stage at the big event, and attending face-to-face meetings are gone – at least for now. Those chief executives who embrace the video camera will outperform those who do not. The pandemic has given CEOs more time in their day, and with the proper use of technology, they can now cover more ground than ever before.
2. Force Multiplication: Now that your workforce has likely become largely decentralized, your messaging should follow suit. Empower your team to not only amplify your message but to create their own. The more faces and voices you assemble in your media symphony, the louder and more beautiful the music of your message will sound.
3. Don’t Be Tone Deaf: Just because you’re trying to drive revenue doesn’t give you license to have a tin ear. Now is not the time for a hard sell, but neither is it the time to be disingenuous or to pander. The message needs to be relevant, authentic and delivered with empathy and humility.
4. New Channels, Mediums, and Modalities: Catch your audience in the moment by showing up in their timelines. Livestreams, podcasts, and videos are your best options right now. Use them to separate your message from the noise, communicate why you’re different, and be everywhere your audience is right now: LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
5. Lower Costs: No need to hire an ad agency or spend big on production equipment. This is the rebirth of DIY media- think less high production value, and more raw and transparent. The message matters more than the green screen. You can generate more content than ever before with little to no budget. Don’t miss this opportunity to show the world who you are and what you believe in.

As always, we welcome your thoughts. Stay safe out there.