Rebuilding trust — the new mandate for Chief Communications Officers in the Valley
In his article A brief history of Elon Musk’s market-moving Tweets, Wired journalist Alex Davies observes, “The Tesla bossman has long been a big-time tweeter, using the platform to announce product updates, trumpet accomplishments, attack critics, share LOLs over Rick and Morty, and trigger the occasional stock price spasm.” Much of this list is straight out of every organization’s PR agenda. Social media can be a liberating, unfettered channel for a leader. A platform to direct conversations online, engage with the media, set the record straight or manage a crisis in the public eye. Unless of course, the tweet is the crisis. In which case, it’s back to Comms.
Given the access social media offers everyone and its propensity to make a bad situation worse in no time, Chief Communications Officers (CCOs) have to strategize with care and foresight in the digital world. The difficulty has gone up several notches for CCOs in the tech industry, who are required to do this while operating in an environment of simmering mistrust.
The tech industry is reeling from a massive trust deficit, with the breakdown of relationships between tech innovators and stakeholders like customers, employees, and regulators. Spiraling corporate hubris is widening the trust gap — it takes an outcry for companies to pull back or introspect, generally after the fact. Organizations built around individuals are being overwhelmed by their missteps. Discord between tech leaders and the media is eroding trust even further, altering the dynamic of news sharing and dissemination. The 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer shows a “trust crash” in the US, with dipping trust in business and media — people define “media” as both content and platforms. Trust in platforms such as social media feeds, search or news applications also decreased in 21 of 28 countries surveyed.
Against this backdrop, I was recently asked about the role of the chief communications officer in the tech industry. CCOs are the first line of defense for the brand, guiding the narrative that protects or enhances its reputation. But as I see it, CCOs in the tech industry also have the responsibility to bridge the growing trust deficit. Their role has never been more challenging or contribution more crucial to the organization.
Take off the blinkers, stay rooted in reality
In a guest column for The New York Times, Recode’s Kara Swisher examines whether a Chief Ethics Officer might be the answer, to Who will teach Silicon Valley to be ethical? She writes, “Grappling with what to say and do about the disasters they themselves create is only the beginning. Then there are the broader issues that the denizens of Silicon Valley expect their employers to have a stance on: immigration, income inequality, artificial intelligence, automation, transgender rights, climate change, privacy, data rights and whether tech companies should be helping the government do controversial things. It’s an ethical swamp out there.”
Silicon Valley CCOs have to be a part of the larger checks and balances, coming in with their insights and understanding about the issues at stake. Companies don’t operate in a windowless world. CCOs have to create a narrative rooted in reality and the current context. A reality where users continue to harbor concerns over issues like violation of data privacy. Where tech employees are raising ethically-charged issues on a global, very public stage. Where regulator distrust continues to grow, with tech companies under scrutiny and antitrust cases looming. The CCO has to stay alert to the story as it develops, reframing the narrative as the context demands.
Strengthen connections with conversations that matter
2018 was a turbulent year for tech, punctuated by open letters, petitions, and dissent at the workplace. Most recently, thousands of Google employees staged a walkout globally to protest the company’s handling of sexual misconduct. Amazon employees signed an open letter, protesting the company’s sale of facial recognition software to the police. Tech talent is highly prized, with multiple channels internally to connect and engage with them. Yet, the breakdown in communication seems to be worsening. Now, more than ever, CCOs have to establish a dialogue that surfaces different viewpoints rather than stifling or sidelining them.
CCOs lead a function that is collaborative and well-integrated internally. No one is better placed to spot fault lines early. They are also uniquely positioned to script a narrative that employees see as authentic. It has to resonate with their colleagues while being consistent with the organization’s values and what Silicon Valley stands for. As the final step to rekindle trust, CCOs have to necessarily persuade internal stakeholders to refocus the conversation to what is relevant and really matters to employees, before the issue reaches a flashpoint.
Develop a techlash radar
In the current climate, CCOs have to anticipate every curveball, with a highly-developed techlash radar. When Sundar Pichai demoed Duplex, Google’s new voice calling AI system, it triggered an immediate ethical storm around transparency and trust — Duplex sounded uncannily human while scheduling a haircut, but did not reveal it was a machine. Google later clarified it was designing this feature with “disclosure built-in”. Could this discussion have gone another way or been averted with more vigilant, sensitive messaging right at the start?
CCOs are responsible for guiding internal stakeholders on what is appropriate and acceptable, with an assessment of the possible impact, should the organization choose to downplay the advice. They have to in parallel own the mission of informing and educating customers on issues that concern them, to create a shared journey built on trust.
Bring the conversation back on track
CCOs can no longer afford to be pliant, or reactive voices in the boardroom. They have to elevate their role to strategic advisors who are best placed to identify the most important messages for the company, and evolve how best to tell the story. We operate in an industry where founders often are the story. The focus on CEOs with a personality cult tends to derails the broader narrative, taking away from the company’s progress. With corporate profitability at an all-time high and VC money flowing in, there has been little fiscal pressure on individuals or organizations to act with restraint, humility or even transparency. Zenefits flouted insurance laws and at one time was infamous for its frat house, hard-partying culture. Uber’s collection of misdeeds and a spate of bad press considerably damaged its reputation with customers, an online survey by consulting firm cg42 found. Customers’ negative perceptions of Uber tripled, going from 9 to 27 percent, post-news.
CCOs have to guide the board and CEO on the behavior that major stakeholders, especially customers expect at all times, irrespective of the economic climate or valuation of the company. As protectors of their brand, CCOs should be vocal about isolating messages that don’t belong to the broader narrative.
Become the bridge and broker
In conversations with C-suite executives, I alternately hear the media blamed for perpetuating a narrative that is one-sided or chasing the next crisis. One of the reasons founders offer for sidestepping journalists and communicating directly on social media, is their fear of not being able to predict or control the story. Journalists argue they don’t get real access, needed for any meaningful analysis.
Right about here is where the CCO has a critical role to play. Traditionally, Comms was seen as a wall to keep the media out, or a gatekeeper to selectively let them in. CCOs now have to redesign their role to be both bridge and broker. Their primary role is to establish a meaningful dialogue between internal stakeholders and the media, to rebuild trust and regain a lost opportunity. As important as it is for digital engagement, social media cannot be at the cost of journalism, which brings context and explains the “how” and “why” for audiences. It should not be used as an escape valve to avoid potentially difficult conversations. As any CCO or even CEO will admit, an insightful reporter can sometimes uncover parts of a story, understand technology or extrapolate its applications in a way that the company hadn’t thought about. It can be enlightening, at times even indispensable to the innovation process. CCOs have to be able to tap into this value, besides the more obvious advantage of reaching and informing users through the media.
Where earlier, getting the story out or garnering positive press were top priorities for the Comms chief, today’s CCOs have a much more complex mandate, where re-establishing dialogue and influencing conversations that rebuild trust, are also top priorities. It’s a big audacious goal. Exactly the kind CCOs in the Silicon Valley — where persistence is a given — would choose to chase.
The views expressed in this post are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.
