Best Practices: Executive Blogs
Jenny Wang
A Capstone Project
Presented to The Faculty of the School of Communication
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Degree of Masters of Arts in Public Communication
Supervisor: Prof. Lauren Feldman
April 25, 2013
1 COPYRIGHT
Jenny Wang
2013
2 Acknowledgments
I would like to express my gratitude and thanks to my parents.
They have been supportive of every goal each step of the way.
3 Abstract
This study sought to examine and analyze prominent examples of CEO blogs in
order to compare and contrast their key differences and similarities. Research
conducted included expert in-depth interviews with corporate communications
professionals in addition to case study analyses of the selected CEO blogs.
Using information gathered, a set of best practices for executive blogs are
presented.
4 Table of Contents
Introduction … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … p. 6
Literature Review … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … p. 8
Corporate Communication … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .p.8
Corporate Blogs … … … … … … … … … … ... … … … … … … ..p. 10
Executive Blogs … … … … … … … … … ... … … … … … … … .. p. 16
Statement of Research Objectives … … … … … … … … … … … p. 17
Methods … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …p. 18
CEO Profiles … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .p. 20
Results … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … p. 22
Blog Analysis … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … . p. 22
Interviews … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .. p. 27
Discussion … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …p. 32
Best Practices … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … p. 33
Limitations and Future Implications … … … … … … … … … … . p. 35
References … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ... p. 37
Appendix … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ..p. 40
5 INTRODUCTION
The social phenomenon of blogging has increased exponentially in the
last decade as more and more individuals have sought to share their viewpoints,
chronicle their experiences, and document their lives virtually. Blogging enables
people to publish information in journal style and moderate viewers’ comments
on individual posts. The blogging phenomenon has also more recently infiltrated
how corporations and organizations communicate with their consumers and
intended audiences; more so than ever, companies and their public relations
practitioners are realizing the immense potential for corporate blogs to be used
as “organizational tools for marketing, building brand relationships, and customer
relationship management” (Ahuja & Medury, 2010, p. 91). More of a “hybrid of
the personal blog and a corporate website,” corporate blogs are defined as a
blog that is “endorsed explicitly or implicitly by a company; and posted by a
person (or a group of people) who are affiliated with the company” (Cho & Huh,
2010, p. 32).
An increasing number of CEOs have become high-profile faces of their
organizations. A recent survey by Weber Shandwick (2012) showed that twothirds of consumers say that their perceptions of CEOs affect their opinions of
company reputations; executives also acknowledged that a CEO is responsible
for almost one-half of a company’s overall reputation. Therefore, an executive
blog can be a highly influential asset for connecting with existing and potential
publics. In general, blogs have the potential to be an advantageous corporate
communication tool because they can enable corporations to appear more
6 transparent and open with their publics—a valuable asset conducive to building
more meaningful connections and relationships with consumers. Corporations
can position their blogs to engage consumers, to build bonds, and to increase
knowledge about an organization (Sinha, Ahuja, & Medury, 2011). In particular,
a CEO blog is especially effective for communicating “large-scale topics of
personal, immediate interest that only he or she can address” such as mergers or
acquisitions, product recalls, and strategic changes (Hanson, 2006, p. 7).
Currently, there is minimal research on executive blogs. This capstone
project examines selected CEO blogs in order to recommend best practices that
will enable an executive blog to increase readership, foster audience
engagement, and enhance organizational image. I use case study analyses for
my research (textual analyses) and expert interviews are conducted. Four CEO
blogs were selected, all of which feature high-profile executives from a variety of
organizations: Richard Edelman (Edelman PR), Richard Branson (Virgin), Ted
Leonsis (Monumental Sports & Entertainment), and Adam Goldstein (Royal
Caribbean International). CEO blogs with high readerships were selected from
diverse industries in order to allow this project’s concluding best practices to be
applicable to a range of organizations.
First, relevant literature in the fields of corporate communication, corporate
blogs, and CEO blogs will be reviewed. Secondly, the research methods of this
study as well as the results will be discussed. Following this, using the research
results, this paper will attempt to give a set of best practices for CEOs who seek
7 to utilize a blog in order to enhance their company’s public image, disseminate
information more effectively, and improve relationships with stakeholders.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Corporate Communication
Companies have realized that “dissemination and alignment of the core
ideology of the company to the communication processes and activities is vital to
achieve a favorable public exposure” (Karaosmanoglu & Melewar, 2006). If
companies are successful at maintaining a positive identity and image using
corporate communication, they can gain competitive advantages such as better
relationships with stakeholders and increased sales. Karaosmanoglu and
Melewar (2006) define corporate image as “the net result of the interaction of a
person’s beliefs, ideas, feelings, and impressions about organizations.” In
contrast, they state that corporate identity is more controlled by an organization
and is defined as “the strategically planned expressions of corporate personality
via the cues given by its symbols, behavior, and communication.” Corporate
communication encompasses both and takes place externally but not always in a
way that a company controls; external message sources include the
interpersonal (word-of-mouth), intrapersonal (company knowledge), and
intermediary (word-of-mouth via mass media).
Recent studies have confirmed that corporate communication is a
strategic management function focused on challenges such as the need to build
trust with all audiences, the demand to build an accountable and global corporate
8 culture, and the demand for greater transparency (Goodman, 2006). Corporate
communication has become an umbrella term for activities such as public
relations, annual reports, advertising, government relations, etc. As a field,
corporate communication is interdisciplinary, drawing on “anthropology,
communication, language and linguistics, management and marketing, sociology,
and psychology” (Goodman, 2006, p. 197). Modern-day corporations are
increasingly focused on human capital rather than actually making physical
products. In fact, many corporations are able to be hugely successful without
actually manufacturing the products themselves. Nowadays, it is all about
human capital, and consumers expect responsiveness from the corporation, not
its products. Therefore, it is paramount for high-level executives to understand
the influence and importance of their organizations’ corporate communication
practices.
In a study that used empirical research to test the use of principles of
authentic communication in the business world, Bishop (2006) found that the
principles could be proposed as a set of corporate communication principles.
The study supported the use of communication principles based on symmetry
and dialogue: specifically, the ten principles being clarity, relevance, timeliness,
consistency, truthfulness, being fundamental, comprehensiveness, accessibility,
care, and responsiveness to feedback (Bishop, 2006). Clarity includes using
language that is understandable for the receiver, and relevance means actively
having communication make connections to the receiver’s interests. Timeliness
involves providing information quickly and providing enough time for input;
9 consistency is making sure messages are in line with the organization’s values
and actions. Truthfulness is about exemplifying accuracy as a standard of
professional behavior; the principle of being fundamental, more than just being
factually correct, encompasses disclosing central issues rather than peripheral
information. Comprehensiveness, adding to the principle of truthfulness, means
“including the context, meanings, and implications of the issue in question,
ensuring there is no deception, and that communication can lead to genuine
understanding” (Bishop, 2006, p. 220). Accessibility specifies that information
should be readily available to all parties involved, encouraging feedback and
dialogue; care means to express concern for the opinions and feelings of
everyone. Responsiveness to feedback assures that communication is two-way,
equal, and adaptable. These ten characteristics provide a guideline for an
organization in its corporate communication practices. In today’s world of
consumers demanding more transparency and openness, these principles are
increasingly relevant.
Corporate Blogs
Traditionally, a blog is defined as a frequently updated personal website
that is comprised of an ongoing timeline of information which reflect the interests,
opinions, and experiences of the author (He & Zhu, 2007). Blogs are conducive
to dialogue and conversation as a result of facilitating the building of virtual
communities, the sharing of information, and the giving of opinions. A blog is
distinct from other computer-mediated communication in that it has an easy-to-
10 use management system, archive-oriented structure, newest-information-first
order, and ease of responding to previous blog posts (Sinha et al., 2011).
As a result of the growing millions of blog writers and blog readers
worldwide who are changing the media landscape, the blogging phenomenon
has transcended the personal realm into the corporate realm. Corporate blogs
have been increasingly identified as an alternative instrument that can be
effective in advancing an organization’s goals. A precise definition of a corporate
blog is “a blog published by or with the support of an organization to reach that
organization’s goals. In external communications the potential benefits include
strengthened relationships with important target groups and the positioning of the
publishing organization as industry experts. Internal blogs are generally referred
to as tools for collaboration and knowledge management” (He & Zhu, 2007, p.
46).
There are five main types of corporate blogs: employee, group, executive,
promotional, and newsletter (Lee et al., 2006). An employee blog is a personal
blog that is maintained by a single employee. Although the majority of employee
blogs are independent of the company website, they are now being increasingly
incorporated into web domains of companies who wish to sponsor them. An
example of an employee blog is OracleAppsBlog, a blog where hundreds of
Oracle consultants contribute material about their topic of expertise (Lee et al.,
2006). In contrast to the employee blog, group blogs have at least a few authors
who typically write about a specific topic. Particularly in recent years, executive
blogs have become increasingly utilized due to the public’s interest and
11 fascination with the CEOs who are running the companies. The personal nature
of blogs can help even the highest executives seem more approachable and
relatable to customers, shareholders, employees, and the general public.
Promotional blogs serve to promote products and events, though the lack of a
genuine voice behind the blog has made promotional blogs controversial within
the blogging community (Lee et al., 2006). Lastly, newsletter blogs are utilized
by some organizations to deliver carefully crafted messages and company news
to consumers. Similar to promotional blogs, newsletter blogs also do not have as
much of the personal feel that is typical for the vast majority of blogs.
One of the first studies concerning blogs in public relations, conducted by
Kelleher and Miller (2006), divided study participants into two groups and
exposed them to either Microsoft’s organizational blog or its official website. Due
to the inherently personal nature and feel of blogs, they found that participants
who were exposed to the organizational blog felt a stronger perceived
relationship with the organization than participants who were exposed to the
official website. Objectives for organizational blogs include providing solutions to
exploratory consumer browsing, giving consumers access to organizational
promotional campaigns, and responding to controversies and current issues
(Ahuja & Medury, 2010).
Corporate blogs can be an effective way to promote a company’s brand.
A brand is “the perception of value that a customer believes he receives in
purchasing a particular product, service, or experience from a particular
organization;” so consumer brand knowledge has to do with the personal
12 meaning tied with a brand in consumer memory (Sinha et al., 2011). Increasing
consumers’ brand knowledge and consumer emotion about the brand can mean
increasing consumer-brand loyalty. Customer-brand loyalty in online mediums
demonstrates “an evolution from the traditional product-driven, marketercontrolled concept towards a distribution-driven, consumer-controlled and
technology-facilitated concept” (Ahuja & Medury, 2010, p. 96). In recent related
studies, participants were exposed to a corporate brand blog, and their levels of
consumer-brand knowledge and emotion were measured both before and after
(Sinha et al., 2011). It was reported that participants were more interested in
answering questions about a corporation after being exposed to the corporate
blog. Higher brand-related knowledge resulted in increases of consumer
emotion tied to the brand. Therefore, organizations that utilize their blogs to
engage consumers, build bonds, and increase knowledge also increase
consumer emotion, resulting in faster product adoption (Sinha et al., 2011).
Another study also attempted to study the impact of brand communication
(in organizational blogs) on consumer engagement. Engagement theory involves
the dimensions of involvement, interaction, intimacy, and influence; when
measuring consumer engagement, different types of user interaction determine
the level of engagement (Ahuja & Medury, 2010). Using factor analysis in
surveying and categorizing top corporate blogs, researchers were able to
categorize blog content into three types of content typologies—organizational,
promotional, and relational (Ahuja & Medury, 2010). Organizational content is
defined as sharing news, such as about projects and awards, where the aim is to
13 enhance brand image and build respect. In contrast, promotional content
involves sharing factual data such as prices and product features, and relational
content strives to address rumors and generate feedback (Ahuja & Medury,
2010). It is important to determine the content typology that is most effective for
increasing consumer interest and engagement so that corporate blogs can be
more strategic with choosing content. The study found that relational posts were
most successful in producing higher degrees of consumer engagement, and not
surprisingly, that higher volumes of posts also generated more participation and
comments.
He and Zhu (2007) found that the higher ranked Fortune 500 companies
were more likely to have corporate blogs. The four industry categories that
utilized corporate blogs the most were Computers and Office Equipment, Internet
Services and Retailing, Semiconductors and Other Electronic Components, and
Telecommunications (He & Zhu, 2007). In addition, all 40 blogs included in the
study were categorized as communities of interest (focus on information
exchange), 85% of the blogs were goal-oriented communities of interest (share
diverse perspectives and production), 35% were learner’s communities
(emphasize participation in a collective project), and 55% were communities of
practice (encourage professional practice development) (He & Zhu, 2007). From
these categorizations, He and Zhu (2007) were able to ascertain that corporate
blogs as virtual communities are mainly used for exchanging information, sharing
diverse perspectives, and producing products.
14 Particularly within recent years, as major organizations have had to
defend their corporate images in the midst of scandals and the recessions, crisis
communication has become an increasingly integral part of maintaining
relationships with publics. Blogs provide a unique approach to the practice of
crisis communication in that corporations can utilize their blogs to frame
emerging crises and issues. Framing research “argues that frames function to
suggest how audiences can interpret an issue or event, even exercising a
substantial influence on citizens’ beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors” (Tewksbury &
Scheufele, 2009). Framing is about the lens through which a media form
chooses to present particular issues. Therefore, in the face of a controversy, a
corporation can choose to elaborate on an issue through a blog post in a timely
and personal manner. For example, an organization could have its CEO blog
about the specific issue, frame the issue from the organization’s perspective, and
provide information on solutions and actions being undertaken in reaction to the
issue.
In addition to simply being reactive to crises, many organizations choose
to take a more proactive approach in regards to crisis communication and
corporate image. Some corporations can, and already do, choose to highlight
their efforts involving sustainability and charity. Using a corporate blog to post
videos, information, and photos showcasing an organization’s dedication to being
eco-friendly or philanthropic may appear more sincere and intimate than using
more traditional tools such as news releases or press conferences.
15 New media, which includes corporate blogs, can be utilized to work
together with more traditional tools (phone, fax, etc.) in order to maintain existing
stakeholder relationships as well as reach potential, new stakeholders (Hearn et
al., 2007).
Studies suggest that the more a person interacts with a specific
medium, the more he or she tends to view that particular medium as credible
(Sweetser, Chung, & Kim, 2008).
Though blogs are widely used, older
generations tend to be laggards when it comes to adopting new technologies.
Therefore, it is still important to still utilize traditional tools while implementing
new tools so as to not risk alienating segments of your existing audience. In
addition, as research suggests, corporate blogs will continue to rise in credibility
the more an organization’s public interacts with them, gradually replacing older
communication tools.
Executive Blogs
The concept of identifying and incorporating opinion leaders into strategic
communication tactics has risen in the last decade. One definition of opinion
leaders are that they are distinguished by the level of their personality strength, a
construct “reflecting confidence in leadership roles, their aptitude at shaping
others’ opinions, and their self-perceived impact on social and political outcomes”
(Weimann, Tustin, van Vuuren, & Joubert, 2007, p. 180). Typical personality
traits possessed by opinion leaders include confidence, persuasiveness, and
leadership. They are connected to more people, therefore, they are more likely
to influence greater numbers of people. Some opinion leaders of organizations
within different industries, such as high-powered executives, have already
16 chosen to use their leadership capital by writing their own personal, corporate
blogs. Given that CEOs are an integral part of a company’s standing with
investors and reputation with consumers, well-written blogs have become a
successful outlet for some CEOs to engage with the public in a more personal
and humanizing way. In particular, it is best for a CEO to blog when there is “a
large-scale topic of personal, immediate interest that only he or she can
address,” such as a merger and acquisition or a product recall (Hanson, 2006, p.
7).
Although there has been limited research evaluating CEO blogs, one
study reveals that individuals are more trusting of blogs written by executives of a
company rather than an official corporate blog (Wyld, 2008). Successful blogs
are based on candor, urgency, timeliness, pithiness, and utility (Wyld, 2008).
However, it is oftentimes difficult for CEOs to exemplify this in a blog because of
potential legal ramifications and the tendency for executives to be carefully
controlled. Blogging requires people to be spontaneous, something that most
high-level executives naturally are not. However, despite these barriers,
blogging allows executives to use more interactive media than traditional forms
like the press release; blogging enables two-way dialogue and comments (Wyld,
2008). Additionally, these days, the ease with which a blog can be created and
maintained with available software has made blogging more feasible for
someone who is not necessarily technologically savvy.
Statement of Research Objectives
17 There has been significant research on corporate communication and
corporate blogging. However, there has been minimal research conducted
specifically focusing on CEO blogs. A CEO blog poses unique challenges for
executives in that they must merge the authentic tone that the blogosphere
demands with their own purpose of using it as a corporate communication tool.
With a focus on the principles of authentic communication, this study attempts to
examine how successful corporate blogs from various industries are currently
presented both textually and visually. Subsequently, this study will give a set of
best practices for executive blogs that can be applied to both current and future
blogs. The research questions are as follows:
[RQ1]: How are successful executive blogs currently presenting themselves?
[RQ2]: What are the best practice guidelines for an executive blog?
METHODS
The goal of this capstone is to give a set of best practices for executing a
CEO blog. This study was conducted using case study analysis, consisting of
mostly textual analysis, of a sample set of executive blogs: “6 A.M.” (Richard
Edelman of Edelman PR), “Ted’s Take” (Ted Leonsis of Monumental Sports &
Entertainment), “Richard’s Blog” (Richard Branson of Virgin), and “Sea Views”
(Adam Goldstein of Royal Caribbean International). These particular CEO blogs
were selected due to relatively high readership and high profiles. All blog posts
from each of the blogs written over the course of two months (January 15, 2013,
to March 15, 2013) were read and examined in order to gain comprehensive
18 insight into each of the four selected executive blogs. See Table 1 for a
breakdown of the number of posts analyzed per blog. Special attention was paid
to trends in topic trends, writing style, and presentation/layout.
Additionally, two in-depth interviews with corporate communication
experts, John Buckley and Audrey Change, were conducted. Both interviews
were conducted one-on-one in their personal offices. Mr. Buckley was Executive
Vice President for Communications at America Online, Inc. from 2002 to 2007.
While at AOL, Mr. Buckley oversaw the launch of more than two-dozen
technology products, and ran the company’s media relations operation. Prior to
joining AOL, he was a Corporate Vice President at its parent company, which
then was known as AOL-Time Warner. From 1991 to 2001, Mr. Buckley was
Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications at Fannie Mae, where he
was in charge of the company’s media relations, executive communications, and
advertising. Ms. Chang is Managing Director at The Harbour Group, a boutique
PR firm in Washington DC, where she focuses on corporate communications and
issues management campaigns. She currently directs the firm’s work for the
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). Ms. Chang has also overseen a
number of corporate communications projects in the health care, technology,
philanthropy and media/entertainment spheres. Both in-person interviews were
unstructured and were conducted in a single setting. Generally, the same
questions were used in each interview; questions were regarding the
interviewees’ views on CEOs blogs as well as their professional opinion on how
best to execute one.
19 Table 1. Number of blog posts analyzed over the selected time period
CEO
Blog
Posts
(1/15/13 – 3/15/13)
Ted Leonsis
“Ted’s Take”
281
“6 A.M.”
9
“Richard’s Blog”
92
“Sea Views”
13
(Monumental
Sports &
Entertainment)
Richard Edelman
(Edelman PR)
Richard Branson
(Virgin)
Adam Goldstein
(Royal Caribbean
International)
CEO Profiles
Ted Leonsis
Ted Leonsis is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Monumental Sports &
Entertainment, a company that owns the Washington Capitals, Washington
Wizards, Washington Mystics, and the Verizon Center in Washington, DC
(“About Me: Ted Leonsis,” n.d., para. 1). Mr. Leonsis also serves on the board of
governors for the NBA and NHL. Previously, he was the President of American
Online Services Company (AOL), AOL Studios, and AOL Web Properties. In
addition to currently managing Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Mr. Leonsis
20 is a partner at Revolution, a “speed-up capital” investment company that
supports promising start-ups, as well as chairman of SnagFilms, the largest
online distribution channel for documentary and independent films.
Richard Edelman
Richard Edelman is the President and CEO of Edelman PR. After
graduating with a B.A. from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business
School, Edelman has grown his company into the largest worldwide public
relations firm with over 4,500 employees (“Richard Edelman,” n.d., para. 1).
Edelman PR has recently received the “PR Agency of the Decade” award from
both Advertising Age and The Holmes Report. Mr. Edelman works with clients
such as Hewlett-Packard and PepsiCo., and he serves on the Board of Directors
of the Ad Council and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.
Richard Branson
Richard Branson is the founder and CEO of the Virgin Empire, a business
juggernaut that counts its own record company, airline, mobile phone network,
internet company, railway network, and healthcare clinics among its many
enterprises and ventures (“Richard Branson Biography,” n.d., para. 8). Mr.
Branson has become one of the most recognized CEOs worldwide, having
become famous for his personal adventures and outspoken lifestyle. He
received a knighthood in 1999.
Adam Goldstein
21 Adam Goldstein is the President and CEO of Royal Caribbean
International. Mr. Goldstein oversees fleet operations, sales and marketing,
brand development, and community relations among many other duties. He
serves on the Board of Directors of the Travel Industry Association of America
(TIA) and on the Board of Trustees of the nonprofit, Our Kids, Inc. (“About
Adam,” n.d., para. 2). Mr. Goldstein has a Bachelor’s degree from Princeton
University, a law degree from Harvard, and an MBA from INSEAD, a European
business school in France.
RESULTS
Blog Analysis
Ted’s Take
By far the most prolific blogger out of the four CEO bloggers analyzed for
this study, Ted wrote 281 separate posts from January 15, 2013, to March 15,
2013. The background for his “Ted’s Take” consists of images of Leonsis in his
teams’ jerseys and standing with athletes. At the top of the blog, there are tabs
linking to his Pinterest boards about Monumental Sports, his business
community, and his charitable community. Leonsis offers an extensive “About
Me” section in addition to his reasoning for maintaining a blog. “The most
important part of a blog is that it can be activating,” he states. “It allows others to
look at your thoughts and follow your life and then launch their own ideas,
comments and perspectives on what you’ve seen and done. In short, your
personal blog is a way to leave your footprints in the sand.”
22 His posts tend to be brief, link frequently to external articles and videos,
and lack images. Tickets for sale are linked to prominently, and many blog posts
consist of his reflection and up-to-date information on his sports teams’ games.
On March 15 alone, Leonsis blogged in separate posts about SnagFilms,
entertainment choices at Verizon Center, the Washington Wizards, and the
Washington Capitals—all owned by his company, Monumental Sports &
Entertainment. In regards to the Wizards and the Capitals, Leonsis frequently
blogs about how he feels each team fared in their latest game, appearing as an
avid and involved supporter rather than just co-owner. Additionally, Leonsis
gives in-depth analysis of games as well as future predictions, writing in a March
15 post about the Capitals, “We took the two points back on the road that we lost
at home to Carolina this past weekend, and we sit seven points out the eighth
spot and eight points out of the division lead.”1 The nature of Leonsis’
enthusiastic and sports-centric posts enables fans of the Wizards and the
Capitals to relate to him and follow his blog. Leonsis, through his blog, has
positioned himself as an opinion leader in the realm of Washington sports.
6 A.M.
Richard Edelman’s executive blog, 6 A.M., has a plain white background
and streamlined appearance. In the “About” section, a simple summary captures
the blog—“trends in communications, as well as the issues, lessons and insights
gathered from Richard Edelman” (2013). Consisting of longer posts with images,
Edelman blends personal stories and professional commentary to engage
1 March 15, 2013; “Caps Rally and Get Two Points” 2 January 16, 2013; “Dan Edelman: The Indomitable” 23 readers. He has been blogging since September of 2004. In the two-month time
period examined, Edelman posted nine times, with several posts focusing on the
passing of his father.
In his January 16 post, titled “Dan Edelman: The Indomitable,” Edelman
talks about his father’s childhood, wartime experiences, passions and hobbies,
and belief in public relations2. He writes of his father, “It has been a rare privilege
for a son to work with a father so closely for 34 years…we have been partners in
building a great global enterprise.” A month later, Edelman dedicated another
personal post to his father, writing, “I wanted to give you a bit of the back story on
the months leading up to his passing and express my appreciation for the
outpouring of support for my family in the wake of his death.”3
Edelman also displays thought leadership with posts ranging from why
executives should practice inclusive management to why public relations should
replace advertising as the lead creative resource. Edelman’s blog posts receive
comments from readers frequently sharing their feedback and opinions;
somewhat surprisingly, enabling comments is a typical characteristic for the
majority of CEO blogs with comments tending to be positive in tone.
Richard’s Blog
Richard Branson’s blog, aptly entitled “Richard’s Blog”, has a simply styled
structure and format. At the top of the blog, there is a visually colorful graphic
2 January 16, 2013; “Dan Edelman: The Indomitable” 3 February 14, 2013; “One Month On” 24 with the company’s emblazoned name. His blog is a direct tab on Virgin’s main
corporate website, and Branson’s Twitter feed is clearly displayed on the right of
the blog. Brandon has been blogging since September of 2008. From the period
of January 15, 2013, to March 15, 2013, Branson blogged 92 times, sometimes
more than once a day. Overall, Branson’s posts tend to be short, sometimes just
a simple thought or caption, and are almost always accompanied by a visual
image.
Branson’s blog posts tend to be lighthearted in tone, though he frequently
talks about his opinions on social issues such as animal rights, food waste, and
even nuclear arms. Just between January 15, 2013, and March 15, 2013,
Branson posts on social issues include “100 million sharks killed per year,” “On
the verge of victory for manta rays,” and “Demand zero nuclear weapons.” In his
March 12 post titled “On the verge of victory for sharks & manta rays,” Branson
passionately writes, “We call upon the nation members of CITES to stand behind
their votes to regulate trade in mantra rays and sharks; now is the time for CITES
to establish itself as a leader in marine conversation” (2003).4 For many of his
posts on social issues, Branson links to petitions and other organizations’
websites in order to encourage readers to get involved and take action. In
addition to social issues, Branson shares personal updates and his vision for the
future of his company, blogging about Virgin Galactic’s preparations for
commercialized travel to space. In a March 5 post titled “This isn’t sci-fi,”
Branson reflect on his company’s progress in space exploration by saying, “This
4 March 12, 2013; “On the verge of victory for sharks & manta rays” 25 project really means so much to all of the people involved, from the engineers to
the future astronauts to supporters around the world who one day dream of going
to space” (2013).5
Sea Views
Adam Goldstein’s executive blog, “Sea Views”, shares a similar blue and
white themed layout as Edelman’s blog. Goldstein has been blogging since April
of 2009. In the time period analyzed for this study, there are 13 posts. Every
month, there is a new post from the “Ask Adam Blog Series” in which Goldstein
directly responds to questions about the company from customers. Questions
answered in this series include a diverse array of topics: locations customers
would like Royal Caribbean to sail to, how Royal Caribbean is learning from rival
Carnival’s Triumph crisis, and whether there should be more handicap-friendly
excursion options. This added element of the blog enables him to appear more
transparent about the organization, therefore encouraging two-way
communication between Royal Caribbean and its public.
In addition to blogging about improvements and developments with the
Royal Caribbean experience, such as his February 21 post on improving internet
experience onboard6, Goldstein frequently blogs about charity-related work and
relates his organization to corporate responsibility. In his February 8 post, “The
Many Advantages of Table Tennis,” Goldstein writes about a Royal Caribbean
Ping-Pong fundraiser for the Israel Center for Disabled Sport and relates the
5 March 5, 2013; “This isn’t sci-­‐fi” 6 February 21, 2013; “Improving the Royal Caribbean Onboard Internet Experience” 26 event to his past personal experiences (2013).7 Along with a picture of him with
two young participants from the fundraiser, Goldstein describes “playing an
exhibition against two remarkable Israeli athletes with disabilities--one was a 16year-old girl who was born paralyzed and is one of the top female wheelchair
players in Israel.”
In the time period examined, there are two guest posts from company
employees. In the March 1 guest post, “Helping Make Wishes Come True with
Make-A-Wish,” an employee shares her experience with hosting the families of
children who are granted their wish onboard the cruise ships.8 She writes,
“Whether it is their siblings, their parents or friends sharing the wish with them –
we always try to make sure every person in the family gets their very own
personalized VIP treatment such as a spa treatment for Mom, free arcade credits
for the teens, a personal meeting with Shrek or the gang from Madagascar”
(2013).
Interviews
Audrey Chang
When asked which CEO blogs she personally follows, Ms. Chang said she
reads Ted Leonsis’ and Steve Case’s blogs, both of whom are former AOL
executives as well as clients of hers. She believes that a CEO should always
write his or her own executive blog because readers can discern if the “voice”
7 February 8, 2013; “The Many Advantages of Table Tennis” 8 March 1, 2013; “Helping Make Wishes Come True with Make-­‐A-­‐Wish” 27 seems genuine. In addition, she feels that an executive blog is typically about
thought leadership; so, ideas should come directly from the CEO. However, Ms.
Chang recommends that in order for a CEO to be kept on message, there should
be a collaborative effort between the CEO and his or her communications team
to ensure an executive blog is effective.
When asked how an executive blog can be improved, Ms. Chang
recommended for CEOs to post content that contains personal stories with
specific details; real examples can serve to provide evidence for a CEO’s writing
and a personal, more engaging tone should be used. In terms of how an
executive blog should be formatted, she believes that the format should match
the CEO’s personality and the corporate brand he represents; a photographic,
media-heavy layout would better serve visually creative fields, whereas a
traditional blog format might make more sense for a traditional business-tobusiness company. Main company websites should link directly to the CEO’s
blog and each post promoted via social media because “an active social media
strategy can enforce somebody’s digital identity.”
Ms. Chang believes that the incorporation of multimedia can enhance the
appeal of an executive blog, stating, “I love video as long as it’s short. Two
minutes is a good length, but four minutes is too long. People are using
smartphones and tablets more and more these days, and [they] can’t wait forever
for videos to download. Also, infographics are powerful for showcasing trends
and statistics; they help readers understand more quickly and easily.”
28 Ms. Chang also provided an example of how she utilized a corporate blog
in a crisis communication situation. When Redbox, which specializes in movie
and video game rentals, was under both regulatory and business threats, her
team established a blog section that the company’s leadership authored. The
top executives at Redbox talked directly and personally to consumers through
the blog, explaining why the threats were relevant issues for customers as well
as actions they could personally undertake. Whereas a press release states
facts, she believes that “a blog is the interpretation of these facts.” Ms. Chang’s
team pushed each blog post out on Facebook in order to increase engagement
and readership.
John Buckley
When asked about his experience with executive blogs, Mr. Buckley said,
“Having been at AOL, you would think that a CEO blog would have been
adopted, but it never was surprisingly.” Similar to Ms. Chang, Mr. Buckley
believes that the core ingredient of a successful blog is authenticity, that it be
written in the blogger’s own voice. Blogging regularly can be difficult for a CEO
to commit to given time constraints. However, unlike other communication forms,
he feels that a CEO blog cannot be subcontracted, answering, “In my opinion,
the right role for a corporate communications team should be proofreading what
the boss has written, possibly suggesting topics, but blogging is the “it” medium –
there should not be a middle man.” Mr. Buckley added, “Higher digital mediums
have flattened the hierarchy of a company. A CEO now has the same email
address format as someone in the mailroom, and anyone can communicate with
29 anyone within a company, making the CEO less exalted. Therefore, blogging is
a communications medium that helps reduce CEOs within big corporate
structures to a human being speaking to an audience.”
During the interview, Mr. Buckley cited Google as being the most
successful corporate communications entity from 2002 to 2008. He said, “One of
the reasons [Google] was so authentic was because everything they
communicated was through blogs. They did it in their own voices as opposed to
stilted, corporate voices that PR practitioners would create.” Mr. Buckley
believes that even though CEO blogging has not yet become a standard
expectation of organizations (remaining mostly a technology company
phenomenon), it will become an expectation in the future, stating, “It is a
tremendous mechanism for which the CEO can point to the North Star for their
various publics, whether it be their industry, surrounding community, employees,
customers, etc.” Mr. Buckley believes that as a position-appropriate
communications mechanism, a blog is more “CEO-worthy” than Twitter,
Facebook, or other social media platforms. A CEO should appear direct and
approachable, but a CEO runs the risk of appearing too familiar on a medium
such as Twitter.
As for advice he would give to a CEO writing an executive blog, his first tip
is to be genuine. “CEOs are the embodiment of a corporate brand; the
distinction between a CEO and the company’s voice is nonexistent, meaning
they are one and the same,” he stated before adding, “Most people think of the
voice of the company as the CEO, so be natural, be true to yourself, and
30 communicate authentically.” Mr. Buckley also recommends executives to blog
often on subjects that are relevant and matter to their industry. He does not
believe that a CEO should be like a typical blogger who weighs in on everything.
Instead, he says they should “focus on what’s relevant to the company and its
stakeholders” (Buckley, 2013). Mr. Buckley feels that a CEO should not weigh in
on political or religious topics especially; however, it is acceptable for CEOs to
comment on business trends, societal trends, policies, and albeit very carefully,
legislation.
When asked about executive blogs in relation to crisis situations, Mr.
Buckley stated, “One of the best reasons to have an executive blog is to have a
valuable crisis communications tool. An executive blog is the most direct
mechanism by which a company can address something that has happened. A
CEO video is still a more formal apparatus than a CEO sitting down writing his or
her own thoughts. [A blog] is an immediate communications vehicle—you can
review what you say before it goes out, you have more control.” He also strongly
advises that corporate communications professionals and lawyers review each
post in order to prevent any backlash or legal ramifications.
In discussing the use of a blog by an executive in response to a corporate
crisis issue, Mr. Buckley cited Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, manufacturer of electric
vehicles. When Tesla came under scrutiny after a New York Times reporter
made claims debasing one of their vehicles, Musk fought back through Tesla’s
blog, which Mr. Buckley believes was the best action to take. He stated, “[Musk]
was a little bit hotheaded and made accusations, but it’s a blueprint for the future.
31 The unmediated, un-lawyered, un-corporate communication projection of direct
voice and real emotion is a positive, not a negative. Granted, CEOs have to
mature in how they do it, but as a mechanism to grab people and address things,
it’s really good.” He added, “People prefer when CEOs directly admit they don’t
know the cause of a problem but are working on it over just no comment
anyday.”
DISCUSSION
As described previously, each of the four CEO blogs examined widely
varies in the frequency and number of posts. However, numerous similarities are
noted between the blogs. Each blog follows a simple timeline format and layout
design. Colors used in the blogs are consistent with each organization’s
standard logo and colors. In addition, links to other social media channels, such
as Twitter and Facebook, are featured on each blog. All four executive blogs
examined utilize personal stories and experiences, which serve to help humanize
the CEO to readers and key publics. In order to make a leader appear more
three-dimensional, sharing stories of personal pain and triumphs with genuine
emotion, such as Edelman’s blog post on the passing of his father, enables the
audience to be able to relate more to a high-powered figure. All of the CEO
blogs clearly promote a positive image of their respective companies, whether it
is reflecting on corporate charitable events or discussing future ventures.
However, there are also key differences between the CEO blogs
examined. Whereas posts from Edelman (“6 A.M.”) and Goldstein (“Sea Views”)
32 tend to be longer and more organized, Leonsis (“Ted’s Take”) and Branson
(“Richard’s Blog”) seem to write more often and randomly in short posts. This
approach to writing blog posts makes Leonsis and Branson appear more informal
and casual to the audience, which can be both detrimental and beneficial. If a
CEO posts more often, they keep their audience engaged; however, posting too
often may lessen the impact of each individual post’s message. As stated by
John Buckley during his interview, a CEO should want to appear approachable
yet not too familiar—too informal of language in blog posts may cross this line.
Best Practices
Based on the similarities noted across the CEO blogs examined and
insight offered from the expert interviews, a set of best practices for CEO blogs
have been developed:
1. It is imperative for the CEO to write his own blog posts in order to give
forward an authentic, genuine voice. However, it is acceptable for public
relations professionals to help the CEO brainstorm possible topics in
addition to editing and proofreading the CEO’s writing. Additionally, it is
best for lawyers to review posts in order to mitigate any potential legal
ramifications for the organization.
2. In blog posts, CEOs should utilize personal stories, real people, and
unique experiences in order to make their writing and ideas more relevant,
interesting, and relatable.
33 3. A CEO should post often and consistently. In order for any blogger to
keep his or her audience’s attention, there must be new content updated
regularly. Higher volumes of posts also generate more participation and
comments.
4. To foster and encourage two-way communication with publics, a CEO
should consider having a periodic post dedicated to answering readers’
questions and concerns. Comments on posts should also be allowed,
since engagement theory suggests that relational posts are most
successful in producing higher degrees of consumer engagement.
5. Blog posts should incorporate images and videos within posts to increase
the visual appeal of the blog. In today’s world where consumers have
increasingly shorter attention spans, visuals help keep an audience
interested.
6. For types of post topics, CEOs should have a variety but still remain
focused on issues relevant to the organization. Having posts that are only
focused on the organization will bore readers; rather, it is best to also
comment on general industry-related trends and news.
7. It is advisable for a CEO to refrain from making political statements unless
it is on how a specific policy may affect his or her organization. However,
it is still acceptable for CEOs to comment on current events and social
issues.
34 8. A CEO should keep in mind all of his stakeholders (employees,
consumers, policymakers, etc.) when blogging, writing posts at a reading
level that is suitable for all publics.
9. A CEO’s blog should be promoted throughout all of the organization’s
communication channels. The link to the blog should prominently be
featured on the official company website, and each new blog post on
Twitter, Facebook, etc should be socialized. Conversely, other social
media channels should be linked on the blog itself.
10. During a crisis situation, the executive blog should be utilized as an
immediate communication channel through which the CEO can directly
speak to the public and frame the issue.
This set of best practices aids executives who want to either improve his
or her existing CEO blog or begin a new one. A CEO blog, executed correctly,
can be an invaluable communications tool that helps an executive appear more
approachable, engage in two-way communication with audiences, improve brand
image, and communicate an organization’s messages more effectively.
Limitations and Future Implications
This study has numerous implications for future research. Though it is
true that female CEOs are in a disparate minority in executive positions in
general, it was very difficult to find a prominent female CEO with her own
executive blog. This leads to the possible exploration of whether female CEOs
35 are hesitant to be bloggers and why. Additionally, a higher number of executive
blogs in general can be analyzed in the future in order to gain a wider
perspective on the subject.
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39 Appendix
Sample Expert Interview Questions
1. Do you read CEO blogs?
2. If so, which ones stand out to you?
3. In your opinion, what sets the best executive blogs apart from the rest?
4. How much involvement should a communications team have with a CEO’s
blog?
5. What are the most important tips you would give to a CEO for his executive
blog?
6. What kind of tone and content do you think a CEO should have in his blog?
7. In terms of the implementation of an executive blog, do you have any
particular tips?
8. How much influence can a CEO blog have on an organization’s brand and
public image?
9. How do you think an executive blog can be used in a crisis situation?
10. What do you think of multimedia use?
11. Any other comments or insight? Thank you!
40