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4 • www.brandfog.com

2011 brandfog ceo social media leadership surveyForeword by Ann Charles, CEO BRANDfogIn today’s digital world, social media has become an increasingly important communications channel for building a connection between brands and their most vocal advocates. While most companies have begun to understand the important role that social media plays in brand building, they have not yet realized the full potential of social media to showcase thought leadership. While the vast majority of CEOs and C-Suite executives are conspicuously absent from social channels like Twitter, there is rising expectation that highly influential and highly skilled CEOs should be using Twitter to increase transparency, share insights and provide guidance about company strategy.

This raises an important question:

If social media engagement is a critical component of digital marketing strategies for brands, why is it ignored by the C-Suite and executive leaders?

ceo, social media & leadership survey • 5

By the end of 2011, 61% of Fortune 500 brands were participating in social media, while less than 5% of Fortune 500 CEOs were represented across social channels. And more than half of the Fortune 500 CEO social media accounts were inactive. Social media provides very different value propositions for a brand than it does for a company’s leaders. For brands, social media offers the opportunity to build loyalty, improve customer relationships and increase customer retention. For C-Suite and senior business executives, social media engagement humanizes the brand, builds thought leadership, and sets the tone for the corporate culture.

“quote here”Aman Singh, writer for Forbes, CSR expert and contributor to the 2011 BRANDfog CEO Social Media Leadership Survey.

Social Media: Industry SnapshotThere are a few key trends that are reshaping the relationship landscape between companies and the customers they serve. Customers expect to have more engagement with brands, and they are beginning to request more access to business leadership as well. It has been established that there is a direct connection between social engagement, purchase intent and increased loyalty to a brand. According to a recent report, 50% of consumers stated they were more likely to purchase from a company and recommend that brand to others after following a company’s tweets. This shift in customer expectations and consumer behavior coincides with another emerging trend, the rise of the Social Enterprise. A Social Enterprise is a profit-oriented business that aims to solve social and environmental problems as part of its mission. Conscious consumers are now seeking out brands that serve a larger societal purpose, and this is incentivizing brands to showcase their commitment to various causes through social media. Going forward, consumers will increasingly look to a company’s leaders to articulate the corporate values and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives that support the brand. Business leaders who engage on social media can positively contribute to the perception of a company’s brand image, and play a role in increasing brand loyalty.


Survey ObjectivesBRANDfog’s CEO, Social Media and Leadership Survey set out to better understand the attitudes of both customers and employees toward the engagement of C-Suite executives on social media channels. The aim of the survey was to determine the connection between C-Suite and senior executive participation in social media, and the effect this has on brand image, customer loyalty, purchase intent, and better leadership.

Survey ResultsThe survey results demonstrate that executive engagement in social media channels is a Brand Elevation Play™, providing positive, cascading effects for the overall corporate brand. Respondents overwhelmingly believe that C-Suite executives who engage in social media are better equipped to lead a company, communicate values and shape a company’s reputation. When company leaders actively participate in social media to communicate with consumers, employees, and investors, it starts a chain of events that leads to greater trust, brand loyalty and purchase intent.

Survey MethodologyBRANDfog’s CEO Social Media Leadership Survey surveyed several hundred employees of diverse companies, spanning in size from startups to Fortune 500 companies, and working at all levels of their respective organizations. Respondents representing a wide selection of industries, professions and regions were asked to answer questions pertaining to social media participation by their organization and executive leadership team.


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survey resultsThe results of the survey were staggeringly in favor of CEOs and C-Suite executive teams engaging on social media in order to build better business leadership.

81% of respondents believe that CEOs who engage with social media are better equipped than their peers to lead companies in a web 2.0 world.

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yes: 81%not: 10%not sure: 9%

Do you believe that CEOs who engage in social media are better equipped to successfully lead a company in a web 2.0 world?


employees

Large majorities of respondents believe that CEOs can use social media channels to improve engagement with multiple stakeholders across their organizations. Building better connections with customers topped the list at 84.7%, but engagement with employees (84.7%) and investors (66.3%) also came in very strong.

Improving connections with company stakeholders is one way that executives benefit from social media engagement. When asked what benefits C-Suite engagement in social media can lead to, Better Communication was cited as the biggest positive outcome at 78%, and Improved Brand Image came in at 71%, with Increased Transparency cited at 64%.

Q2 Do you think that CEOs who participate in social media can build better connections with (select all that apply):

customers investors other

89.3% 84.7% 66.3% 31.4%


Q3 CEOs’ participation in social media leads to (select all that apply):

more transparency better communication better leadership

improved company morale

improved brand image none of the above

When asked what benefits C-Suite engagement in social media can lead to, 78% cited Better Communication as the biggest positive benefit

64% 78%

71%

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Q4 How important is it for CEOs to actively engage on social media?

The survey asked respondents to rate how important it is for CEOs to engage on social media and the response was overwhelming. This is indicative of the rise of consumer expectations that CEOs become present and accountable on social media channels.

95% of respondents rated CEO social media engagement as mission critical, very important, or somewhat important.

very important: 50% somewhat important: 31%mission critical : 5% not important: 14%


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