CEO Activists Reap Rewards; But Not Without Incurring Risks 

With CEO activism in its early stages, companies and their leaders need to proceed with a healthy dose of caution if they engage deeply on issues that are squarely and controversially in the public realm.

CEO activism has at times been very effective. In the past year or so, a number of CEOs have spoken out about social and environmental issues such as climate change, income fairness, same-sex marriage, immigration, gun control and discrimination – all issues that are not necessarily tied to the bottom line.

 

This onrush of public announcements has been so evident that one CEO declared a “third [political] party emerging in this country, which is the party of CEOs.” (Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, CNN, June 12, 2015) Such activism by America’s business leaders has the potential to shape not only the reputation of CEOs but also that of their companies and the likelihood that consumers will buy or not buy their brands.

Activism Encouraged But Not Always a Plus 

 

As noted above, a sizeable segment of Americans (38 percent) believe CEOs have a responsibility to speak out on hotly debated issues.

 

The belief that CEOs carry such a responsibility is most likely to translate to favorable opinion toward CEOs who do speak out. When respondents are asked their opinion of CEOs who take public positions on hot button issues, the scales tip in favor of the CEO (31 percent more favorable vs. 22 percent less favorable). Yet, when the issues are not directly linked to a company’s bottom line, the reverse is true and Americans feel less favorable (32 percent less favorable vs. 20 percent more favorable). Favorability is thus dependent on how strongly an issue’s link is to the bottom line, the data showed.

Favorability toward CEOs Taking Public Positions on Hotly Debated Current Issues

 

Opinion of CEOs who take a public position	In general	When issue is NOT tied to company business
More favorable	31%	20%
Makes no difference	34%	32%
Less favorable	22%	32%
Don’t know	13%	16%

CEO Activism Influences Purchase Intent

A CEO’s stance on controversial issues can also work for or against the company when it comes to sales. While four in 10 Americans (40 percent) say they are more likely to buy from a company when they agree with the CEO on an issue, a comparable segment (45 percent) say they are less likely to buy if they disagree with the CEO’s position. Since a CEO’s external stance may affect behavior as basic as buying a product, companies need to have a firm understanding of the attitudes of key customers and other stakeholders before CEO activism goes public.

 

Americans Unsure of Motivation

The public does not fully credit CEOs’ motives for taking public positions on hotly debated issues. Americans believe the top reason for CEO activism is “to get media attention” (36 percent). Four other reasons tie for second place with 21 percent of respondents saying each of the following: “to build a CEO’s reputation,” “to sell more products or services,” “to be open and honest about how the issue aligns with company values” and “to be open and honest about how they personally feel about an issue.” Among these top five cited reasons, only the last two demonstrate trust in CEO activism motives. Adding to the skepticism, only 14 percent cite “to do what is right for society” and fewer (11 percent) cite “to speak up on behalf of the company’s employees and customers.” At the bottom of the list is “to attract and retain the best employees” (7 percent). Clearly, if CEOs want to signal that the well-being of employees is at the heart of their activism, their message is not resonating loud enough.

Media attention, of course, may not necessarily be a total negative since activist CEOs are attempting to bring attention to an issue that they wish to influence and about which they feel passionately. Still, many Americans think that CEOs speak up out of self-interest, whether it be seeking media coverage or building personal reputations. CEOs need to make their rationale for participation in this type of public dialogue crystal clear in an attempt to alleviate such doubts about CEO motives.

 

According to Weber Shandwick’s chief reputation strategist Leslie Gaines-Ross, “As the world grows more complex, polarized and politically-charged, our research provides an early roadmap for CEO activists to consider when speaking up on pressing societal issues. It is understood that CEOs have to carefully balance many constituencies but they will find themselves increasingly in the spotlight as they try to make a difference in a world that requires them to stand up and be counted. This new strain of CEO activism requires leaders to articulate their positions in a straightforward, unambiguous and meaningful way in order to be fully understood.

Millennials Are On Board More

 

Millennials (18-35 year olds) are the generation more inclined to favor CEO activism. They are more likely than other Americans to be aware of CEOs having taken public positions on controversial issues, to feel favorably toward CEOs who speak out, and to say that they will buy from companies whose CEOs take a public position they agree with.

 

For companies looking to appeal to the next generation, CEO activism might just be the right course of action.

 

Generational Attitudes toward CEO Activism

(% Total Americans)

 

	Millennials (18-35)	Gen Xers (36-51)	Boomers (52-70)
Have heard/read about CEOs taking public positions on hotly debated current issues	39%	33%	29%
Are more favorable toward CEOs taking public positions on hotly debated current issues	35%	29%	27%
Would be much more likely to buy from company whose CEO takes public position on issue you AGREE with	46%	40%	35%

Guiding Principles for CEO Activists

 

Without a doubt, companies and their leaders need to deliberate whether to speak out on controversial issues of the day and to decide which issues should be addressed. Weber Shandwick’s report provides 12 guidelines for leaders and their companies to consider. Following are several rules of the road:

 

• Recognize that CEO activism is an emerging dynamic that is only going to increase as CEOs become more deeply engaged in the new world order.
• Carefully evaluate the impact of the CEO’s stance among key stakeholders.
• Establish a link between the issue and the company’s values and business.
• Consider employees. Assess how it will impact them and gauge their support. If some employees disagree with the CEO’s stance, will they feel excluded, less productive, less loyal?
• Look in the mirror. Make sure there are no skeletons in the closet related to the issue. This is a good time to put one’s house in order.
• Consider the channels, messages and tone of voice used. Ensure that the reasons behind the public stance are clearly and transparently articulated and voiced over time, not just one time when the issue first appears in the news.
• Have a crisis preparedness plan ready for a media, stakeholder or social media backlash.

 

Click here to access The Dawn of CEO Activism report.

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About the Research

The Dawn of CEO Activism was an online survey commissioned by Weber Shandwick and conducted by KRC Research. The survey sampled 1,027 U.S. adults 18 years of age and older and interviewed them in May 2016.

 

About Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick is a leading global communications and engagement firm in 78 cities across 34 countries with a network extending to 126 cities in 81 countries. The firm’s diverse team of strategists, analysts, producers, designers, developers and campaign activators has won the most prestigious awards in the world for innovative, creative approaches and impactful work, including being honored as PRWeek’s Global Agency of the Year in 2015 and 2016, an Ad Age A-List Agency in 2014 and 2015, and The Holmes Report’s Global Agency of the Year in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2015. Weber Shandwick and its Prime unit have won a combined 31 Cannes Lions since 2009. Weber Shandwick was also named a Best Place to Work by Ad Age in 2014 and 2015 and PRWeek in 2013 and 2014. The firm deploys deep expertise across sectors and specialty areas, including consumer marketing, corporate reputation, healthcare, technology, public affairs, financial services, corporate social responsibility, financial communications and crisis management, using proprietary social, digital and analytics methodologies. Weber Shandwick is part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). For more information, visit https://www.webershandwick.com/.

About KRC Research

KRC Research is a global full-service nonpartisan opinion research and strategy firm. A unit of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG), KRC Research offers the quality and custom service of a small firm with the reach of a global organization. For over 30 years, KRC Research has worked on behalf of corporations, governments, not-for-profits and the communications firms that represent them. Staffed with multidisciplinary research professionals, KRC combines sophisticated research tools with real-world communications experience. For more information, visit www.krcresearch.com