The CEO Leaderboard: COVID-19 Reputation Rankings

NO COMPANY OR LEADER HAS ESCAPED THE PANDEMIC'S IMPACT.

For the past decade, marketers have embraced unfettered optimism – the “Big Idea,” “whitespace,” experiential activations. Now, COVID-19 is the macro-narrative that we all need to rally around. It is the most democratic – and existential – of crises. Nobody has escaped its impact. Every corporation has had to confront suddenly the same manifold challenges and changes, all at the same time: supply chain disruptions, workforce dislocations, collapsing sales and revenue and severe threats to employee health and safety.

Brands – and brand leaders – must find ways to connect with customers, talent and other stakeholders on a genuine, relatable level. And the leaders who can best achieve this will determine how their organizations will perform in a world forever changed by the pandemic.

So we took a deep dive – how well did the Fortune 100 CEOs live up to this new standard, and how did they fare at bolstering their reputations?

For the past decade, marketers have embraced unfettered optimism – the “Big Idea,” “whitespace,” experiential activations. Now, COVID-19 is the macro-narrative that we all need to rally around. It is the most democratic – and existential – of crises. Nobody has escaped its impact. Every corporation has had to confront suddenly the same manifold challenges and changes, all at the same time: supply chain disruptions, workforce dislocations, collapsing sales and revenue and severe threats to employee health and safety.

For the past decade, marketers have embraced unfettered optimism – the “Big Idea,” “whitespace,” experiential activations. Now, COVID-19 is the macro-narrative that we all need to rally around. It is the most democratic – and existential – of crises. Nobody has escaped its impact. Every corporation has had to confront suddenly the same manifold challenges and changes, all at the same time: supply chain disruptions, workforce dislocations, collapsing sales and revenue and severe threats to employee health and safety.

Brands – and brand leaders – must find ways to connect with customers, talent and other stakeholders on a genuine, relatable level. And the leaders who can best achieve this will determine how their organizations will perform in a world forever changed by the pandemic.

So we took a deep dive – how well did the Fortune 100 CEOs live up to this new standard, and how did they fare at bolstering their reputations?