LONDON — Brands2Life has launched a new executive communications offer to help business leaders use LinkedIn and the media more effectively.

The proposition includes a methodology for assessing executive effectiveness on LinkedIn and in the media. The agency’s aim is to blend its media relations, social and digital, planning and insights specialisms with messaging, storytelling, copywriting and community engagement, to elevate executives on social media and traditional media platforms.

As part of the launch, Brands2Life conducted a media and LinkedIn audit of 100 global CEOs in nine industries – banking, insurance & finance; consumer goods; energy & utilities; information technology; infrastructure; media & communications; pharmaceuticals & healthcare; retail & fashion; and travel & hospitality – and found many leaders are failing to meet benchmarks across core areas such as presence, expertise, networking, audience engagement and media leadership.

The research reveals that the average CEO has only completed the basics of their LinkedIn profile, posts three times a month and talks about their company twice as much as any other topic. They offer little opinion in their posts and write a comment on one of their connection’s posts about once a month. In the main, their posts do not engage much beyond the employee base.

In contrast, top-performing CEOs have fully filled-out profiles with professional profile and header pictures, featured posts, the follow option enabled, and a compelling ‘About’ section. They post twice a week to build and maintain their audience, and they talk about their industry, society and personal topics as much as their own business. They share insights with original thinking and comment on a connection’s post at least once a week. Their content generates strong engagement, including from those outside their company.

The audit also analysed the quantity and quality of media coverage of the 100 CEOs in top-tier publications since March 2023, and created a Net Sentiment Score methodology (similar to Net Promoter Score). Half of the CEOs had a score above 80%, suggesting well-functioning media relations efforts.

Brands2Life co-founder Giles Fraser said: “We’re in the midst of a challenging economic environment, with relentless internal and external pressures and a fierce battle for attention. Brands need to build up their executives’ presence to get their visions across and develop an approach that mixes earned, paid and social media to get the best chance of enhancing their reputation. Our Executive Communications proposition will empower executives to tell better stories with bigger impact to the audiences that matter.”