Introducing Connected Thought Leadership
In the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, you might have forgotten the greatest single change in “Corporate Purpose” in a generation. In August 2019, The Business Roundtable, a collection of America’s leading CEOs, announced it would no longer endorse the primacy of shareholder value. Going forward, it would reject the idea that “the principal objective of a business enterprise is to generate economic returns to its owners.”
The Business Roundtable statement triggered headlines, and a healthy dose of skepticism, around the world. The Harvard Business Review asked, “Is it just hollow rhetoric?” The New York Times said, “Big Business Pledged Gentler Capitalism. It’s not Happening.”
But the pandemic changed everything. Suddenly, CEOs connected with their employees and other stakeholders like never before. Gone were the days of hiding behind press releases, earnings reports or corporate communications teams. Instead, leaders in the new normal became uniquely accessible, whether via Zoom, social platforms, media interviews, blogs or speeches. And what’s more, the pandemic exposed massive gaps in diversity, equity and inclusion in enterprises throughout the world and a surge in interest in Environmental Social and Governance principles from boards of directors as the impact of climate change proliferated and supply chains around the world became constrained.
But with all these channels, stakeholders and societal concerns pressing on leaders simultaneously, how does a CEO know what to talk about? What platform works best? How often should it be used? And finally, what’s the impact of having these conversations, internally and externally?
Today, Allison+Partners launches Connected Thought Leadership (CTL), our proprietary process for turning business leaders into thought leaders. We developed this product based on more than 20 years helping CEOs lead powerful, dynamic conversations that help them stand out in competitive environments and catalyze societal change.
“This proprietary methodology was built by a team of senior strategists with decades of experience and a diverse set of expertise – from measurement and data analytics to narrative development and integrated communications,” said Matthew Della Croce, Global Partner, Global President + CXO at Allison+Partners. “By tapping these services, our clients can work alongside our thought leadership professionals to develop uniquely coordinated integrated campaigns, which align leadership blogs, press interviews, speeches and paid content around three proven platforms for corporate brand building and storytelling, which are proprietary to our agency.”
The CTL offering is built on data science, and it employs the agency’s data scientists and a broad spectrum of measurement tools to create powerful thought leadership campaigns and reputational dashboards, which articulate how and where messages successfully connect with vital stakeholders and point toward areas for real-time message evolution and enhanced story-telling.
As companies look outward and inward for powerful narratives that will support long-term growth, while communicating visionary ideas, we believe we’ve given businesses and institutions a road map to connected thought leadership.
Category: Corporate
