Public Relay examined the different types of CEOs and the impact of CEO perception on organizational reputation.
A content analysis of earned media from 50 major organizations was conducted from January 2022 – June 2024. The perception of CEOs and their impact ratings in the earned media were combined to identify their archetype.
Key findings include:
1.) Nine archetypes were identified:
—The Self-Promoter: A CEO who is focused on their personal brand rather than team recognition.
—The Influencer: A CEO whose personal brand clouds the organization’s brand.
—The Brand Ambassador: A passionate CEO who is transparent about organizational efforts and highlights team achievements.
—The Scapegoat: A CEO who is connected to controversies but serves as a shield for the organization.
—The Steady Operator: A CEO who offers steady leadership but lacks flair to grab media attention.
—The Reluctant Hero: A CEO whose rare media appearances focus on the organization’s success.
—The Villain: A CEO who leads the organization into controversies and struggles to respond to crises.
—The Latent Liability: An out-of-touch CEO whose personal behavior interferes with the organization’s media attention.
—The Provocateur: A CEO who receives negative media attention but attracts curiosity about the organization.
2.) CEOs who were positively perceived in the media and had a positive impact on their organization were identified as the most effective.
3.) Brand Ambassador CEOs, who had positive perception ratings and positive impact ratings, were described to be a “maximally effective PR asset.”
Read the full report here
