Q&A: How do I get my CEO on board for my brand project?

A client asked me last week how to get her CEO on board with a large brand project. The CEO is the single most important person in the brand building process. The CEO of an organisation must believe in the brand, embrace it, then imbue it from the top down.

If you are the Marketing Manager, running a brand project, the first step is to understand your CEO's mindset. From my experience I have have found that CEO's can tend to fall into one of the following groups:

The Optimist 

Believes "we just need a new logo" or new "look and feel". There is no need to engage with people in the business or with clients, "all we need to do is freshen things up a bit". 

The Realist 

Knows that a new or refined brand means organisational change. It means listening, engaging and having an open mind. This CEO knows she has to sell the brand internally and externally. This CEO knows the power of a new idea to unite and invigorate his team.

The Skeptic

This CEO has either been burnt in the past, has poorly executed a brand rollout, or simply undervalues the role of marketing and design within her business. Change is slow, the business becomes paralysed with indecision and missed opportunities to innovate. The Skeptic needs to see a brand strategy succeed multiple times with other companies prior to taking action. By this point the market has already moved on.

The Defeatist

"We are never going to change the culture of the business". This CEO fluffs around the edges of the brand – making superficial changes that he can "control". Change management and engagement with the team is seen as futile and too hard. 

In Denial 

This CEO is not aware of a changing environment around him. New competitors. New communication channels. Changing customer needs. Inconsistent messages going out from the company. 

The Jumper

This CEO can start with the best of intentions, but she ends up jumping in and out of the branding process at vital times. This results in half hearted involvement in, and adoption of the brand.

The Latecomer

Pays little interest in the branding project until launch, then changes key pillars of the brand late in the game, weakening the foundation of the tactical execution, and frustrating other members of the brand team.

The Absentee 

Plays no role in the brand building and leaves it to the "marketing team". This CEO then wonders why the brand is shallow and he doesn't get internal buy-in. 

Understanding your CEO early in the project allows you to be proactive in guiding the outcome. The best way to start is with candid and open discussions, along with support from your brand agency. It should be reinforced with a process that encourages involvement and provides the CEO with the tools required for him or her to lead the brand.