CCOs are getting a seat at the C-suite table. This is how in-house PR teams should prepare.

Dustin Siggins is founder of Proven Media Solutions. 

AI is getting all the headlines. But something more fundamental is happening for in-house communications departments that may mean even more – and bigger – changes.

What do you mean?

For years, communications officers have advocated for more meaningful roles in corporate leadership structures. They’ve had a front row seat to a dynamic consumer becoming more engaged in 2-way communication with brands and a penchant for basing trust and loyalty on overall brand perception – beyond just product and service quality. For years, communications professionals have advocated for a spot in the C-Suite, especially as consumers’ decisions to pay more attention to corporate practices has resulted in challenges to brand trust and loyalty. 

A viral June 2024 study shows that corporate boards are beginning to understand this, and are responding by finally giving communications teams seats at the C-Suite table. But this new class of Chief Communications Officers aren’t just being tasked with messaging strategies and media relations. They’re now also responsible for helping guide interdepartmental synergy and are accountable for overall organizational success. 

“I think you’re seeing a greater recognition that communications has a bottom-line impact,” said Jeff Berkowitz, founder of  political and reputational risk advisory firm Delve. “C-Suite executives are realizing that every part of a company impacts stakeholder reputation. Unless you have a lead communicator at the decision-making table, there won’t be someone in the room who understands how sales and operations tie into brand management. And that’s a mistake in an era when a single wrong step can cost a company sales and brand equity in one fell swoop.”

The growing emphasis on communications as an indispensable part of business planning and growth will certainly impact senior and mid-level in-house teams. And while many are slammed with short-term Q4 tasks, they need to be looking ahead to Q1 2025 to catch up with the trend that will undoubtedly mean more responsibility. 

More respect…and responsibility

Culture and policies roll downhill, and more respect for comms from the C-Suite means more respect commanded and assumed throughout an organization. It’s a significant opportunity to be integrated into the different departments and functions of the broader corporation. 

“Many corporate public relations teams already seek this integration – but a Chief Communications Officer makes it easier for it to happen,” said Nick Lagalante, a B2B corporate marketing and communications executive who has led global teams for technology companies. “This creates more opportunities for a higher quantity and quality of brand storytelling that impacts markets and drives the business forward.”

It’s easy to see where this is all leading: in-house comms teams will suddenly have twice the workload.

Casually skimming an engineering report’s Executive Study to prep answers for a “general business” beat reporter or new product press release is no longer going to cut it. Spokespersons will now need a comprehensive understanding of technical specifications to hold their own in interviews with top-tier trade outlet journalists who know every three- and four-letter acronyms in industry parlance. Gaining this mastery will require extensive new training and more rounds of technical editing on content, all while conducting outreach to a wider swath of media outlets.

Stephanie Roberts is Head of Global Communications for Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems, a company with over two billion dollars in annual sales and 9,000 employees. She said that this increased responsibility is the natural consequence of a business landscape that radically changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“External stakeholders have greater expectations about transparency and how a company functions,” she said. “Senior executives expect to share thought leadership and company news on social media, through SEO, and via webinars and conference speeches. Instead of being its own silo, communications now demands knowledge of operations, sales, finance, etc. as well as working relationships with those department heads to ensure alignment.” 

Public relations department and team leads, therefore, must take advantage of the boss’ new seat at the C-Suite table. Alan Shoebridge is Associate Vice President of National Communication for Catholic healthcare system Providence, which has 51 hospitals and a presence in seven states. He says communication leaders must build “a solution reputation and good relationships” to successfully advocate for a bigger team, more budget for outside help, and greater operational freedom. 

“It’s critical that leaders understand what resources the communication team needs to keep the lights on, continue the current level of service, or elevate to an even higher level,” said Shoebridge. “Effectively advocating for more resources – budget or people – requires showing a vision, clear goals, and a measurement plan to elevate the communications function and impact the business.”

CCO integration can make you indispensable today – and for the rest of your career 

Integration comes with another benefit: whereas once upon a time, comms people were viewed as mere guards at the branding gate, now we are designing Central Command’s design and strategic choices. 

This means that comms gets to be a part of making the decisions that determine how the PR soldiers will carry out their battle plan. But those soldiers will also become more embedded into the organization – and therefore indispensable and hard to fire or lay off. This means both short-term job security and opportunities for career acceleration because of the in-depth knowledge gained about corporate operations, sales, finance, HR, and other key aspects of business.

“Being seen as a primary guardian of reputation instead of a mere order-taker has major implications for PR team leads beyond their current roles,” said Jeremy Tunis, a fractional PR advisor to start-ups, conglomerates, and nonprofits who has worked in-house at Edelman and Amazon. “The more that CEOs integrate communications into everything the organization does, the more that PR team members will be tasked with complex matters like bridging internal communications friction between departments, and managing the inevitable crisis.The tactical skills of PR are important; applying those unique skills as a company-wide trusted business counselor is far more difficult and valuable.” 

Start preparing now for the brighter future

The authors of Four Disciplines of Execution pointed out that growth happens when leaders take 20% of their time to focus on one critical area of improvement. PR leaders are in Q4, with all the last-minute goals, holiday vacations, and other stresses associated with it. They can hardly stay ahead of the news cycle, never mind look a few months down the road.

But you must, or you’ll miss the CCO opportunity that’s going to deluge your department with opportunities and responsibilities.