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 Speakers shared real-world AI applications, from generating podcasts and short videos in real-time to monitoring outdated messaging, highlighting its potential but also its limitations.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.

Let’s continue the conversation.

This post was written by Jim Key, VP of Enterprise Solutions at PublicRelay and attendee of TCB’s Corporate Communications event.

For quick-service restaurants (QSRs), the battle for consumer attention has never been more competitive or more price-driven. The past two years have ushered in a new normal in fast food, where value messaging dominates the media narrative and continues to shape brand strategy as we progress into 2025.

PublicRelay’s analysis of media coverage from 10+ QSRs shows a 500%+ increase in QSR messaging focused on value since early 2023. The trend isn’t just a response to inflation; it’s a fundamental shift in how brands communicate their offerings, defend their market share, and shape consumer expectations.

The Data Behind the Value War

QSRs are locked in an escalating cycle of promotional battles, as seen in recent media trends:

• May 2024 Surge: McDonald’s $5 Meal Deal launch ignited a sustained three-month media spike, forcing competitors like Burger King and Wendy’s to introduce rival promotions.
• Seasonal Fluctuations: Holiday campaigns momentarily pushed deal messaging aside in late 2023, while seasonal events (e.g., Lent specials) caused a brief dip in March 2024.

With each major promotion, competitive ripple effects extend media coverage beyond the initial campaign, proving that in today’s QSR landscape, value is a conversation that brands must continually engage in.

Why Value-Driven QSR Messaging is Non-Negotiable

Beyond media hype, economic pressures are making affordability a top priority for both consumers and brands:

• Inflation & Price Sensitivity: Fast food prices have surged 60% since 2014, far outpacing general inflation. Customers are more price-conscious than ever.
• Margin Squeeze: Labor costs have risen 22% since 2019, making cost-effective promotions essential to maintaining profitability.
• The Grocery Threat: Supermarkets now hold a 310-basis-point price advantage over QSRs, meaning fast food must prove its value beyond just price points.

In this environment, QSR messaging that reinforces value-driven storytelling is essential—not just for sales, but for sustaining brand relevance.

What This Means for Communications Leaders

For PR and communications teams, value messaging is a strategic necessity. Here’s what QSR communicators need to keep in mind:

• Short-Term Wins vs. Long-Term Strategy: Promotions create temporary media spikes, but brands must balance them with broader positioning that reinforces long-term brand equity.
• Echo Effects Drive Media Longevity: Competitive responses extend deal-driven media cycles. Smart brands capitalize on this momentum by keeping value narratives fresh.
• Digital Loyalty Is the New Value Play: App-exclusive deals are becoming a critical tool for reinforcing value perception while strengthening customer retention.

The Future of QSR Messaging

Expect value-driven narratives to peak in summer months and taper off during holiday seasons as brands shift focus to festive campaigns. Ensure value messaging remains compelling and sustainable beyond short-term promotions. For communicators, this is a test of agility. How will brands balance short-term promotional buzz with a long-term value platform that keeps customers engaged?

Connect with us to learn how PublicRelay can help your brand adapt to this value-first landscape.

April 10th | 12:00pm ET | Virtual

For many communications teams, AI is no longer a “nice to have”; it’s a mandate. From automating tasks to unlocking new strategic capabilities, AI is reshaping workflows in communications and PR. But how are teams measuring its positive impact? The challenge now is less about AI adoption, and instead about quantifying its value and proving its worth to leadership.

Hosted by Nick Alexopulos, MBA, Senior Manager of Communications at Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), this session will explore:

• How teams are integrating AI to augment or replace tasks
• Ways to measure AI’s value, from productivity gains to strategic impact
• Approaches to empower teams to embrace AI and drive real results

We welcome CCOs, VPs, and Directors of Communications to request an invitation to join this roundtable discussion.

Upon qualification, you will receive a follow up email from a member of our team confirming your participation.

April 16th | 1:00pm ET | Virtual

As the communications industry evolves, so do the expectations of the next generation of Communicators. Many leaders struggle with how to attract, engage, and retain Gen Z employees while also ensuring their teams stay competitive in a rapidly shifting media landscape.

Led by Guest Host Arien Rozelle, M.S., APR, Assistant Teaching Professor of Public Relations at Syracuse University (and PRSA Rochester’s 2024 Educator of the Year), participants will discuss key trends in PR & Communications education and what they reveal about the future workforce.

Specifically, this conversation will explore:

• How classrooms are evolving to meet industry demands and what that means for your hiring and retention strategies.
• The expectations and work styles of incoming Comms professionals. How can leaders better connect with and develop young talent?
• Actionable strategies for fostering adaptability, innovation, and high-impact learning within Communications teams.

If you’re looking to future-proof your communications function and build a strong, engaged team, “Engaging & Retaining the Next Generation of Comms Talent” is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Who should apply? We welcome CCOs, VPs, and Directors of Communications to request an invitation to join this roundtable discussion.

Registration much be qualified. Upon qualification, you will receive a follow up email from a member of our team confirming your participation.

A company’s reputation is influenced by a diverse set of stakeholders, including employees, investors, customers, regulators, business partners, and policymakers. How does media coverage impact each of these groups? Join us for an exclusive 30-min webinar where we’ll unveil key findings from PublicRelay’s latest research on stakeholder sentiment.

Using data-driven insights from our Benchmark, we’ll explore:

• How different stakeholder groups perceive companies in the media and how their sentiment varies.
• Which stakeholders are most sensitive to media narratives and why their reactions are the most volatile.
• Why customers often remain undecided and what this means for corporate messaging.
• How sentiment shifts over time and what it reveals about reputation management strategies.

This live report walkthrough will provide PR and communications leaders with actionable insights to navigate stakeholder sentiment effectively. Don’t miss this opportunity to sharpen your media strategy and better understand the audiences shaping your corporate reputation.

Host: Haley Wilson, Strategic Partnerships Lead at PublicRelay

Register Here

April 24th | 6:00pm PT | Seattle, WA

Communications leaders know their function is critical to brand reputation, stakeholder trust, and business success, but how often does the C-suite truly understand why?

Even with a Chief Communications Officer or other Senior Comms Leader getting a “seat at the table”, comms teams often face a lack of clear understanding of their value, making it difficult to secure resources, gain executive buy-in, and drive strategic influence. Without clear alignment on how communications contributes to business goals, comms leaders risk being viewed as tactical operators rather than strategic advisors.

So, how do you ensure the value of communications is not just recognized, but deeply understood? How do you move beyond “squishy” PR metrics to showcase tangible business outcomes?

This roundtable will explore:

• Elevating comms as a core business driver – how to shape executive conversations around its strategic impact
• Proving value with the right metrics – what works, what doesn’t, and how to align measurement with business priorities
• Educating cross-functional leaders – bridging the knowledge gap with finance, operations, HR, and beyond

This conversation will bring together senior communications leaders to share real-world experiences, challenges, and strategies for elevating the role of comms inside their organizations

There will be no formal presentations – just rich dialogue with peers.

Who should apply? Chief Communications Officers or equivalent function

Registration much be qualified. Upon qualification, you will receive a follow up email from a member of our team confirming your participation.

April 30th | 8:00am ET | New York City

Corporate communications has evolved dramatically in recent years. Once focused primarily on media relations and internal messaging, today’s communicators find themselves at an intersection of blurring roles. Companies are no longer expected to remain neutral in the face of major political, cultural, and social issues. Stakeholders increasingly demand transparency, advocacy, and alignment with values.

Communications leaders must now balance competing priorities: responding to employee expectations, managing investor concerns, addressing regulatory scrutiny, and ensuring brand reputation remains intact. The sheer volume of requests for statements, engagement, and positioning can feel overwhelming.

How do you determine when to take a stance and when to remain silent? How do you manage internal and external pressures without jeopardizing business objectives? Can communications teams develop frameworks to ensure consistency, credibility, and strategic alignment?

Hosted by Chris Jones, Vice President of Communications at FanDuel, this roundtable will encourage candid conversation among senior communications leaders about how to navigate this complex landscape. We’ll explore best practices for managing stakeholder expectations, building proactive issue management strategies, and maintaining corporate credibility in a time when every decision can become a headline.

Who should apply? We welcome CCOs, VPs, and Directors of Communications to request an invitation to join this roundtable discussion.

Registration much be qualified. Upon qualification, you will receive a follow up email from a member of our team confirming your participation.

Watch On-Demand

This 25-minute webinar discussed the complex intersection of geopolitics and corporate reputation.

Using data-driven insights from PublicRelay’s benchmark, we explored when and how companies should engage in geopolitical discourse, balancing risk, reputation, and stakeholder expectations.

Watch on-demand to:

• Learn data-backed strategies for managing corporate reputation in a volatile geopolitical landscape.
• Hear insights on balancing stakeholder pressures while minimizing reputational risk.
• Gain a framework to assess whether your company should engage on a given issue.

Download the Supplemental Worksheet

What is Share of Voice?

Share of Voice (SOV) measures how much attention your brand receives compared to your competitors across various platforms, including social media, traditional news outlets, and other media channels. It’s a metric that PR professionals and communicators often rely on to gauge brand visibility and assess how well they are performing in the marketplace. By counting your brand’s total mentions relative to your industry, you can see what percentage of the total mentions are about your company.

At face value, SOV is a straightforward concept. It provides a snapshot of your brand’s ability to capture public and media attention, making it a valuable starting point for understanding your market presence. Communicators value this because they can see a volume related metric on how they are doing versus competitors. However, relying solely on Share of Voice can be misleading, because at its core it is simply a counting exercise.

The Limits of Share of Voice

While SOV is a useful metric, treating it as a definitive measure of success is a common pitfall. Here are some key reasons why Share of Voice, may not tell the whole story:

1. Sentiment Matters: Imagine your brand commands 50% of the SOV pie. On the surface, this sounds like a win. But what if the majority of your mentions are negative? For example, if your brand is being criticized in news articles or on social media, having a high Share of Voice might highlight a reputational issue rather than a success story. Without analyzing the sentiment behind your media mentions, SOV becomes a blunt instrument, incapable of providing actionable insights.
2. Context is Critical: Not all media mentions are created equal. Coverage in a respected industry journal might carry more weight than a flood of social media chatter. SOV, in isolation, doesn’t account for the context or quality of these mentions.

Turning SOV into a Strategic Tool

To extract real value from Share of Voice metrics, it’s crucial to pair them with deeper analysis. Here are some best practices for using SOV effectively:

1. Prioritize Engagement Metrics: Evaluate how your mentions translate into engagement, such as social media interactions, website visits, or conversions. Pairing SOV with these metrics paints a more complete picture of your success.
2. Focus on Key Message and Reputational Driver SOV: Track whether your brand’s core messages are resonating in your coverage. Are your mentions aligned with the narratives you want to promote or the reputational categories that are most important to your brand? If not, a high SOV may indicate that your message or reputational impact is being lost or misconstrued.
3. Incorporate Sentiment Analysis: Measure the tone of your mentions to determine whether your Share of Voice skews positive, neutral, or negative. Sentiment analysis provides a richer understanding of how your brand is perceived and can help you address reputational challenges proactively.

Conclusion

Share of Voice is an important tool in the PR and communications arsenal, but using it simply as an article counting comparison to competitors doesn’t do anyone much good. Without deeper analysis of areas such as sentiment and context, SOV can lead you astray, masking underlying issues or providing an incomplete view of your brand’s market position. By combining SOV with more nuanced metrics and insights, communicators can turn a blunt instrument into a precision tool, driving meaningful outcomes for their brands.

Understanding Share of Voice’s limitations doesn’t diminish its value but underscores the importance of using it strategically. With the right approach, SOV becomes more than a number. It becomes a pathway to smarter, more impactful communications strategies.