LONDON — PRovoke Media today launches the 2020 Influence 100, which identifies, profiles and surveys the 100 most influential chief communications officers and chief marketing officers of leading brands around the world.

Now in its ninth year, the Influence 100 – this year sponsored by Lippe Taylor and PAN Communications – showcases the in-house communicators and marketers who have the most clout, in terms of their personal voice, their senior counsel to powerful CEOs, the status of the companies they work for, their budgets, and the agency hiring decisions they make.

In this first tranche of research, the report profiles all 100 influencers, and looks at their backgrounds, education and the sectors they work in, from FMCG, finance/fintech, industry and healthcare, to entertainment, social media and technology.

We’ve also interviewed many of this year’s cohort on their hopes and fears for the communications industry in the year of the Covid-19 pandemic — and how they are keeping inspired and well in lockdown.

For the first time, the list is not only gender-balanced, but has more women than men, with 54% women and 46% men — a 7% uplift in the number of women compared to last year.

In terms of geography, this year 56% of the influencers are from North America, 29% come from EMEA, 13% are from Asia-Pacific and 2% are from Latin America. And we investigated racial diversity in greater detail than in previous editions: this year, the list is 30% people of colour, and 10% Black.

Two further waves of insights, to be released in the coming days, will look at budgets, organisational structures, and how agencies are hired, followed by more in-depth qualitative research into how this most challenging year is unfolding, including a look at diversity and inclusion.

For the first time this year, we’ll also be publishing extended listings of influential comms leaders for each region, beyond the top 100 global CCOs and CMOs.

The study will also identify the Crossover Stars – our ‘hall of fame’ of former CCOs and CMOs who have taken the rare step of moving into a broader management role within their organisation, along with Rising Stars, our annual list of potential CCOs and CMOs of the future.

You can find the Influence 100 Profiles here, along with research into their backgrounds and demographics here.