[NEW INSIGHT] Personal branding – what it is and what it isn't
In today’s fast-moving world, the role of a CEO extends far beyond strategy, operations, and financial performance.
Every product launch, hiring decision, or crisis requires careful communication, and a single misstep can have far-reaching consequences for both personal and company reputation.
This article explores the importance of a CEO PR agency in navigating these challenges effectively. We’ll look at what PR really means for executives, the differences between internal teams and external agencies, and how a strong narrative can be built through CEO thought leadership in 2025 and beyond.
CEOs are constantly walking a tightrope. And the bigger the company, the narrower it becomes.
With the rise of modern media, the ever-evolving challenges companies face, and stakeholders having a more prominent voice, much of a CEO’s role now centres on communications.
Planning a product launch? Give a press conference.
Undergoing a hiring spree? Promote your company’s values.
Facing a crisis? Respond before you act.
Hit by systemic supply shortages? Outline a resolution.
These are just a few examples, but the need for real-time communications is virtually endless, with CEOs expected to constantly stay visible and transparent.
But while you can manage your communications yourself, and in some ways, you need to experiment to understand how to craft a message and which channels to prioritise, CEOs are constantly walking a tightrope. And the bigger the company, the narrower it becomes.
For better or worse, the perception of a CEO often precedes, and sometimes overshadows, company performance. A single misstep, and the media will laser in on it, social media will spiral for all the wrong reasons, and your reputation could be tainted.
The repercussions?
Talent may become demotivated to work for you.
Customers may take their loyalty elsewhere.
Your share price can fall.
Just look at CEOs such as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, or Adam Neumann, whose missteps have impacted their business.
Most of the time, miscommunication isn’t malicious, especially if CEOs are inexperienced leaders. Many haven’t spent time in a communications or marketing setting and lack understanding of positioning, tone of voice, timing, and the many other factors that shape how audiences perceive them.
But this is exactly why CEOs need a PR team.
PR has evolved significantly thanks to the advent of the internet, online publications, and social media. But the principles have always remained the same.
PR stands for public relations, which is how you communicate internally and externally to shape stakeholder perceptions.
As explained in the previous section, it’s not something CEOs can easily do themselves, which is why PR has been a highly regarded expertise for the past century.
Of course, PR has evolved significantly thanks to the advent of the internet, online publications, and social media. But the principles have always remained the same.
Staying transparent to maintain a positive reputation.
Crafting strong messaging to drive influence.
Using storytelling as a device to stay memorable.
Understanding key audiences and different channels.
Staying consistent to build trust and credibility with time.
In this day and age, many companies have internal PR teams. The advantages include maintaining consistent messaging across the organisation, responding quickly to media, and building long-term relationships with key audiences.
The other option is hiring a specialised PR agency for CEOs, with deep experience in shaping leadership narratives, profiling, and positioning executives as credible voices.
While an internal team offers a deep understanding of your business, an agency can benchmark you against other CEOs and bring an outsider’s perspective that uncovers opportunities you might otherwise miss.
In either case, though, make sure you hire the right experts, considering the stakes.
If you do decide to work with a CEO PR agency, they will initially audit your profile.
They’ll evaluate how you’re currently perceived online, in the media, and by key stakeholders to identify gaps, opportunities, and risks in your personal and professional visibility that could jeopardise any campaigns.
Typically, up-and-coming CEOs will give agencies far more flexibility to shape their profiles. Meanwhile, mid-career Fortune 500 CEOs with established reputations can either make or break the profiling-building process. In very few cases, some CEOs should avoid the spotlight entirely.
Most of the time, though, agencies can shift negative perceptions with the right strategy and commitment to the process. This starts with a strong narrative that aligns with your goals, encompassing your:
Experience, which gives your insights credibility.
Hobbies and personal interests that humanise you.
Motivations that give your campaigns direction.
Taken together, this forms the foundation for your content, spanning online biographies, social media posts, expressive videos, media coverage, and much more.
To give an example, imagine a tech startup CEO who wants to be recognised as an expert in AI ethics.
The agency might highlight their experience leading innovative AI projects and scaling teams in fast-moving environments, showing they have the credibility to speak on complex issues.
They could incorporate hobbies and personal interests, such as mentoring young engineers or speaking at tech meetups, to humanise the CEO and make them more relatable.
Finally, the agency would clarify the CEO’s motivations, like promoting responsible AI development and diversity in tech, which gives all content a clear purpose and direction.
Here's how this might be translated across various channels:
A compelling LinkedIn post sharing lessons from a project.
A feature interview in a major tech publication.
A short video reflecting on ethical challenges.
A panel discussion at an industry conference.
Each piece reinforces the CEO’s credibility, personality, and vision, consistently building their profile in meaningful ways.
Your entire C-suite can become thought leaders, each owning a specific area of expertise that gives your business credibility across multiple topics.
The profile-building strategy we just shared is a classic example of CEO thought leadership.
This is a more personal approach to building visibility than corporate PR, which involves managing your company’s reputation at an organisational level.
While both are important, what CEO thought leadership gives you that corporate PR doesn’t is a human face – an authentic voice that audiences can relate to, follow, and trust over time.
Best of all: this doesn’t have to be limited to just a CEO. Your entire C-suite can become thought leaders, each owning a specific area of expertise that gives your business credibility across multiple topics, strengthening your brand image and reach, so long as they produce high-quality content.
What does high-quality content look like?
Crafting original insights that don’t regurgitate others’ views, are timely, and move conversations forward, such as with a strong prediction, hot take, or innovative solution.
Using evidence to ground your views, such as with data, in-house case studies, market reports, or real-world anecdotes.
Sharing actionable takeaways audiences can implement in their own lines of work, whether it’s management tips, strategic frameworks, or process improvements.
Maintaining an authentic voice that reflects your true personality across all channels and stays on brand.
Relating to audiences’ needs, interests, and concerns to stay open-minded, adaptable, and relevant in every interaction.
This and consistency are what give you staying power.
This is the 360-degree approach the best PR agencies always take, leaving no stone unturned.
Your CEO thought leadership doesn’t automatically reach your audience. This is where an agency’s practical skill becomes just as important as developing your insights and positioning.
First and foremost, they pitch you to the media. Because while you might assume PRs have a ready-made ‘black book’ of contacts, in reality, they often have to earn coverage.
And if you're wondering what a media pitch is, it's no different to presenting to investors or clients. But rather than selling a product or service, your ideas are sold to the media, which they can either accept or reject.
What often makes the difference here is whether the agency:
Contacts the most relevant journalists.
Presents your experience well.
Highlights your ideas in a punchy manner.
Has a clear call to action, whether that’s an interview, article, or comment you would like to contribute.
And when you finally secure an opportunity, you'll be thoroughly trained to hit your key messaging, avoid saying something that could land you in trouble, and use the right body language.
Other than a reputational boost, our research shows that visibility directly boosts a company’s bottom line.
Another thing to consider: agencies are social media experts. They manage dozens of executive profiles at once, knowing what, when, and how to post content.
As a general rule, they should advise you to:
Post between 1 and 3 times a week to avoid diluting your voice or risk coming across as spammy or inconsistent.
Diversify your content with a mix of longer form insight, ad-hoc updates or company news, multimedia-led posts, professional graphics, and day-in-the life content.
Engage and connect with other peers to build relationships, expand your network, and increase the reach and credibility of your content.
Furthemore, PR agencies will secure you invites to relevant industry conferences, allowing you to connect with audiences in person and physically campaign for the issues you care about. This is essential to show that you’re serious about the insights you share across other channels.
They’ll also arrange events for you, if necessary, such as roundtables you use to connect with journalists or exclusive briefings for key stakeholders.
Lastly, some agencies will provide in-house multimedia services, including headshot shoots, thought leadership videos, or entirely new content streams like podcasts to add polish to your work and help you shine against competitors.
With all things considered, this is the 360-degree approach the best PR agencies always take, leaving no stone unturned.
Without this, efforts to build your CEO profile risk losing momentum. Media coverage will be outranked by recent stories, your social engagement and followers will decline, and audiences will question your genuineness.
Regular, positive exposure raises your company’s profile and can lead to new business opportunities.
If there’s one question executives ask before investing in a CEO PR agency, it’s what’s the return on investment?
That’s understandable considering the budget and time commitment required from CEOs to plan campaigns, create content, and engage with audiences consistently.
The good news is that other than a reputational boost, our research shows that visibility directly boosts a company’s bottom line. And there's various reasons why.
Better retention and recruitment: High-profile CEOs attract top talent and keep employees motivated by demonstrating strong leadership and a clear vision.
Stronger investor confidence: Visibility and credibility reassure investors, making fundraising or stock performance more favourable.
Increased brand awareness: Regular, positive exposure raises a company’s profile and can lead to new business opportunities.
New partnerships become possible: Collaboration, joint ventures, and strategic alliances follow the most influential industry leaders.
Market differentiation: Competitors struggle to catch up when companies position themselves as the go-to authority in their sector.
Crisis recovery: CEOs with a strong reputation have a greater chance at overcoming crises.
And what this means on a personal level? Greater influence over your industry, a legacy you can be proud of, and long-term career security, supporting you wherever you go.
When a CEO shares authentic perspectives, lessons learned, or industry predictions, it builds credibility in a way that no corporate brochure or press release can.
If there's one year CEO PR will be essential, 2026 is it.
Three quarters of consumers trust companies less than they did a year ago, expecting greater certainties on data privacy, AI use, sustainability, and fair treatment of employees, among many other issues.
Comms budgets are expected to rise, not only highlighting the urgency to rebuild trust but how current PR strategies may be underperforming.
Why? Stakeholders have become increasingly savvy. They want genuine transparency, insights and guidance, not marketing dressed up as puffed-up press releases, whitepapers, or generic commentary.
That’s where CEO PR truly stands out.
It’s a strategic tool that shapes perception, builds trust, and positions your leadership as a guiding voice in the market.
There's a huge window to capitalise on, and with the right thought leadership strategy, now is the time.
No matter what you might think or have heard prior, CEO PR isn't just visibility for vanity's sake. It’s a strategic tool that shapes perception, builds trust, and positions your leadership as a guiding voice in the market.
And the benefits for your company? Huge.