The bar has never been higher for leadership confronted by a global pandemic, economic turbulence, and social upheaval. In the face of such challenges, business leaders must adapt to be more accessible and transparent than ever before. New research from Brunswick reveals that employees and financial readers in Italy expect company leadership to use social and digital media to communicate, though in 2019, just 15% of Borsa Italiana FTSE Mib, Mid Cap & Small Cap CEOs had an active presence*.
Key Findings
- Business leaders must reach people where they are. Employees and financial readers use social media daily and exceeds their use of traditional media by more than 10%, indicating that an effective communications strategy must incorporate both social and traditional media.
- 88% of employees in Italy find it vital to hear from leaders in times of crisis. However, regardless of the situation, 9 out of 10 financial readers say it is important to hear from CEOs on social media.
- Leaders must build and sustain trust using social media. Majorities of employees and financial readers in Italy trust a CEO who uses social media more than one who does not.
- Stakeholders will draw their first impressions from digital sources. More than half of employees will review a CEO’s social media presence before joining a company.
The Landscape
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8 to 1 financial readers trust a CEO who uses social media more than one who does not. |
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6 to 1 employees prefer to work for a CEO who uses digital and social media. |
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9 out of 10 financial readers say it is important for business leaders to actively communicate on social media. |
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