- CEOs across industries responded to the US capitol riots last week. It was a study in corporate communications, and in what makes a powerful piece of corporate messaging.
- The most impactful messages on the riots called for urgent action, instead of just decrying the violence.
- It's important for any CEO statement to be timely, and for leaders to be self-aware about the issues they're addressing.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Within hours of the siege on the US Capitol last week, a flurry of statements from business leaders denouncing the violence blanketed social media.
The range of messages — some succinctly conveying the executive's outrage, others arguing for the removal of the US President — was a study in crisis communications, and in what makes a powerful piece of corporate messaging.
Something similar happened over the summer, when, after the killing of George Floyd, leaders across industries publicly vowed to prioritize racial equity within their organizations. At the time, LaToya Evans, a corporate communications and PR veteran who's worked at companies like IBM and Walmart, told Insider that when a company doesn't speak out against racism, it "will almost certainly be damaging to their business in some way." Evans added that "'opting out' of being vocal during this time simply isn't an option."
But executives who are willing to speak out need to be sure they do so thoughtfully. Insider asked Evans, as well as two professors who have studied CEO activism, to share some critical elements of a sensitive and compelling statement.
Here's a guide to writing corporate communications that makes a positive impact.
Move quickly
The National Association of Manufacturers was one of the first organizations to respond to the US Capitol riot, at 3:37 pm Eastern. That timeliness, combined with their demand that Trump be held accountable for inciting violence, turned heads.
Effective statements are "quickly delivered," Evans said, "versus waiting for days to acknowledge the situation." Being one of the last executives to speak out suggests that you're just jumping on the bandwagon.
Aaron Chatterji, a professor at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, said coming out with a statement quickly is even more important "in a 24/7 news cycle, where we're all on Twitter and social media, following these things literally as they're happening." Chatterji added that the first few statements "are the ones that people pay attention to."
If you want your statement to make an impact, don't leave it until the last minute.
Call for action
Taking a strong stance — and not backing down — is a way to stand out amid more wishy-washy messaging.
Michael W. Toffel, a Harvard Business School professor of environmental management, told Insider most of the statements in response to the US Capitol riot "narrowly condemn the violence and the particular individuals who broke into the Capitol." The more powerful statements, he said, "go further and say, for example, they should be held fully responsible."
The Business Roundtable, for example, which is an association of CEOs from some of America's largest employers, issued a statement that "calls on the President and all relevant officials to put an end to the chaos."
And Todd Snitchler, President and CEO of the Electric Power Supply Association, wrote that "those who broke the law today should be held fully responsible for their actions." To Toffel, this sentence was a rare display of authenticity. Calling for lawbreakers to be held accountable "shouldn't be terribly controversial," Toffel said. "But it is." He added that the organization is "putting a little bit more at risk by making a statement like that."
Look inward
"A common critique of CEOs who speak out" on social issues, Chatterji said, "is that they are in glasses houses, throwing stones." In other words, these leaders may be condemning the same social ills — say, a lack of diversity — that exist in their organization.
Today's consumers expect the brands they solicit to take an authentic stand on social issues, as opposed to putting out slogans designed to win over customers. As Evans previously told Insider, "Whether it's the global COVID-19 pandemic or the murder of George Floyd, companies need to understand that people — including their employees, consumers, shareholders, and stakeholders — are watching their actions carefully during this time."
Outdoor apparel brand Patagonia, for example, posted on its website that it was still learning "how to become an antiracist company." The blog post read, in part: "We are a white-led outdoor company reliant on recreation on stolen Native lands that are not yet safe for all. Recent months have revealed how much more we need to do to live up to our values as an activist company."
Chatterji acknowledged that the current situation may be unique because most companies don't condone violence or lawbreaking. But before publicly posting any message, he said, leaders should ask themselves: "Can you look internally and commit to make some actions that are in the spirit of what you're calling for others to do?"
