Executive Branding

An executive's public profile is never only their own. What they say, publish and are known for reflects on the organization, and the organization's fortunes reflect on them. Executive branding manages that link deliberately, usually with closer coordination with communications, legal and investor relations teams than other personal branding work needs.

Why It Matters

Research suggests the effect runs in both directions. A 2017 study in the Academy of Management Journal found that highly regarded chief executives enhance their firms' reputations, sometimes substantially, that negative press about them does damage, and that prominence alone was not linked to a better reputation. Being well known is not the goal; being well regarded is.

Audiences say they notice, too. In a 2019 Sprout Social survey of 1,013 US consumers, 70 percent said they feel more connected to brands whose chief executives are active on social media. That is a survey of stated attitudes, not a measure of behavior, but it shows the expectation leaders now face.

The Executive and the Employer

A 2021 study in the Journal of Marketing of professionals in prestigious posts found that the employer both adds to and draws on a person's professional brand. Among the practices that helped them manage it was a trusted team keeping the brand consistent. For executives, that makes two questions central: what belongs to the person, and what belongs to the role.

What to Settle Before Starting

• Who approves content: the executive alone, or communications and legal as well.
• Which accounts belong to the person and which belong to the company.
• What happens to the profile and audience if the executive changes roles.
• Which topics are off limits for regulatory or confidentiality reasons.

Sources

Each source was read at its publisher, its DOI record or an official index such as PubMed. Findings are summarized in plain words; see how sources are chosen.

1. Love, E. G., Lim, J., and Bednar, M. K. (2017). The Face of the Firm: The Influence of CEOs on Corporate Reputation (opens in a new tab). Academy of Management Journal, 60(4), 1462-1481.
2. Parmentier, M.-A., and Fischer, E. (2021). Working It: Managing Professional Brands in Prestigious Posts (opens in a new tab). Journal of Marketing, 85(2), 110-128.
3. Sprout Social (2019). #BrandsGetReal: What Consumers Want from Brands in a Divided Society (opens in a new tab). Sprout Social.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is executive branding?

Personal branding for senior leaders: managing how an executive is known to employees, investors, customers, the press and their industry, in a way that serves both the person and the organization.

How is executive branding different from corporate communications?

Corporate communications speaks for the organization. Executive branding speaks as a person, in their own voice, while staying consistent with what the organization says.

Who owns an executive's social accounts?

Settle it in writing before work begins, including what happens if the executive leaves. Under this directory's Code of Ethics, accounts and assets built during an engagement belong to the client, so be clear whether the client is the person or the company.

Does an executive need to write their own posts?

Not always. Many work with a ghostwriter. The views must be their own, and they should approve everything published in their name.

Related: Personal Branding, Professional Brand, Thought Leadership, Ghostwriting, Account Ownership · In the Wiki: Personal Branding for Executives: Hiring the Right Help, Personal Branding for Founders: Choosing an Agency