Leadership Visibility in the Digital Age: Bolstering Trust, Impact, and Differentiation

Now more than ever, leadership visibility is crucial for companies. Consumers increasingly seek out companies that align with their values and priorities. They are not looking to be sold merely on a product’s merits, but also often look for brands that match their lifestyle. Being able to see, interact with, and put a face to a brand is incredibly important when building credibility, communicating values, establishing a loyal consumer base, and much more. 

Value Alignment 

In today’s perpetually online world, maintaining a public presence is an especially valuable tool for company executives. Consumers often expect their companies to align with their values. Almost 50% of millennials expect CEOs to speak out on social issues. For younger consumers, this number is even higher. 

This is why many clothing brands have begun to emphasize the reduced carbon footprint of their items. Especially in the consumer sector, not signaling company values can be costly. Target, long known for its extensive Pride Month collection, received criticism after cutting back on this year’s Pride offerings. Yet, Target made this decision in light of criticism that it focused too much on social issues, making it difficult to know how to navigate such topics. 

CEO Activism 

CEO activism, on the other hand, is a growing trend, and it seems to strike a balance between maintaining neutrality on an organizational level, and signaling to consumers that you care about various social issues that may also be in alignment with their corporate values. In the age of social media, silence on such topics can often be more lethal than speaking out. CEO activism can help draw in new consumers, who feel similarly about social justice issues. 

Yet, leadership visibility is not merely important when it comes to projecting social values. More broadly, it can help establish a brand’s credibility, broaden its reach, and increase customer loyalty. 

Establishing Trust and a Unique Brand Image

For tech and finance companies in particular, establishing trust is paramount. With increasing concerns over data privacy and cybersecurity, tech companies must gain consumer’s trust by demonstrating robust security measures and reliability. According to Davos 2024, public option was divided on AI, with many hesitant about its perils. Similarly, for finance companies, trust is fundamental because clients must believe their assets and data are secure. The reassurance consumers need is often best conveyed by strong, public-facing executives.  

Leadership visibility is also an important aspect of humanizing the company and differentiating it from others by building a brand identity. In tech, with multitudes of new startups and established brands, companies must set themselves apart, not only through their innovation but through their brand image. A company’s CEO is often the face of this image. 

Steve Jobs, founder of Apple became synonymous with his brand. Apple’s current CEO, Tim Cook, has also become equally associated with his brand. Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, has also helped to cultivate customer trust in new technologies. When Apple announced Apple Intelligence earlier this month, it was Craig Federighi who spoke on the continued guarantee of data privacy, amidst concerns sparked by a new partnership with OpenAI.  All of the big names in tech– from Mark Zuckerberg to Jeff Bezos– have become inextricably identified with their companies. They have done this by mastering the art of social media. 

The Art of Social Media 

In an increasingly online world, sharing your vision online is imperative. Big media headlines are not the only way to grab consumer’s attention anymore. A social media presence could be a consumer’s first introduction to a company’s leadership, which can in turn build trust and drive sales. Companies’ CEOs often have larger social media followings than their company. Mark Zuckerberg, as an example, has 13.9M Instagram followers, whereas Meta has 3.8. 

A reported 82% of people are more likely to trust a company when its senior executives are active on social media, and a reported 77% of consumers are more likely to buy when the CEO of the business uses social media. 

Public Appearance and Events 

Public appearances are another way that company leaders can build rapport. Dr. Joy Buolamwini, founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, gave a TED talk about neutral AI programming, in light of face IDs’ failure to properly recognize the faces of people of color. By publicly establishing her credibility and brand, she has since become an expert on bias minimization in AI programming. 

Navigating Uncertainty 

In times of uncertainty or crisis, having leaders with strong public presence is important to maintain faith and loyalty. The COVID-19 pandemic was a prime example of this, with companies that had outspoken leaders inspired greater investor confidence than those that did not. Similarly, in times of internal mishaps, having a pre-established line of communication between executives and their audience can be key to explaining shortcomings and restoring stakeholder confidence.

When it comes to company executives building their own public presence, consistency and authenticity are key. Aligning one’s image with that of the brand and its desired audience helps the company to weave its own unique and cohesive storyline. It not only helps drive growth and instill confidence in the company as a whole, but it helps answer the question: who am I and why trust me? 

Stay up to date on our latest posts by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on LinkedIn and Instagram.