Written by Jim Key, VP of Enterprise Solutions
Last week, The Conference Board hosted Corporate Communications: Driving the Business Forward, bringing together top industry leaders to discuss the evolving role of communications in today’s business landscape. Below are some of the most compelling insights that emerged from the event.
The Business-First CCO: What CEOs Expect from Communications
The event’s opening session set the tone with a clear message: “CEOs are looking for CCOs who are business partners first, communications experts second.”
Denise Dahlhoff of The Conference Board bolstered this with data, and the theme was echoed by Thrivent’s CCO Greg McCullough and CEO Terry Rasmussen. Today’s most valued communicators:
- Possess strong business acumen
- Align messaging with corporate goals
- Prioritize outcomes over outputs
- Deliver and measure business impact
Throughout the conference, speakers reinforced this shift from traditional PR roles to strategic advisory positions:
- Jessica Kleiman (Lennar): Communications plays a critical role in talent acquisition, particularly for companies facing large-scale hiring needs.
- Golin: Their analysis found that CEOs with high media visibility in transformation and growth narratives boost corporate reputation, providing a key opportunity for CCOs.
- Katie Hill (NFL): The NFL is broadening its media reach, tracking not just sports media but also diverse outlets and influencers to engage new audiences.
In sum, Communications isn’t just about storytelling; it’s about driving measurable business success.
Reputation as a Business Asset
In a standout session, Allyson Park (Walmart) and Beatriz Perez (Coca-Cola) broke down why reputation should be treated as a business asset:
- 25% of a company’s market capitalization is tied to reputation.
- Reputation is shaped not just by messaging but by corporate actions. What you say yes and no to matters.
- When a new CEO arrives, redefining corporate purpose is a key moment for communicators to add value.
One major shift: Internal audiences—employees and customers—are now the priority over media relationships. Companies are focusing on building credibility internally, knowing that reputation starts from within.
AI’s Growing Role in Communications
Of course, AI was a hot topic throughout the event. Speakers shared real-world AI applications, from generating podcasts and short videos in real-time to monitoring outdated messaging, highlighting its potential but also its limitations. Points included:
- Use AI for efficiencies – fact-checking, summarizing news, and automating repetitive tasks.
- Lean on SMEs (subject matter experts) for nuance, judgment, and context.
- AI accelerates workflows, but it can’t replace human intuition, especially in areas like crisis comms and reputation management.
In sum, general agreement was that, while it can do incredible things on its own, AI should enhance human expertise, not replace it.
Navigating Corporate Engagement in Cultural & Political Issues
Panelists addressed the increasingly complex role of corporations in social issues. Key insights included:
- Companies are rethinking their approach to ESG & DEI messaging. They’re not pulling back entirely, but focusing on alignment between mission and business.
- Paul Dyer (/prompt) & Claudine Patel (Opella) shared that being culturally relevant is now a business imperative. They stated that the best approach was to follow societal trends, not marketing fads.
- Anna Frable (Novo Nordisk): Novo Nordisk’s efforts to elevate the conversation around obesity align with its business goals, making advocacy feel natural rather than forced.
Takeaway: Corporate activism isn’t disappearing, but companies are being more intentional about when, where, and how they engage.
The Communications-Marketing Partnership is Stronger Than Ever
Several sessions explored the increasing convergence of Communications and Marketing.
- Rob Jekielek (The Harris Poll): A unified PESO (Paid-Earned-Shared-Owned) approach is more effective than focusing on SEO.
- Data-driven storytelling is becoming the norm, requiring closer collaboration between comms and marketing teams.
What’s this mean for Communications leaders? You should be embracing cross-functional collaboration to maximize impact.
Final Thoughts
The Conference Board’s event highlighted a fundamental shift in the communications function: CCOs are no longer just storytellers. They are business strategists.
Communications teams that can demonstrate business impact, align with corporate goals, and leverage AI effectively will be best positioned for success. If you’re a communications leader looking to drive real business impact, these takeaways are just the beginning.
