VPs of Communication: Transform Executive Messages from Flat to Phenomenal

Incredible executives are blending into the crowd because their communications are too safe. They’re tiptoeing around being distinctive rather than pushing forward and evolving with their unique voice. It’s a harsh reality many are up against.

Why Executive Communications Vanish in the Crowd

As a VP of Communication, you likely juggle stakeholder messaging, internal alignment, public perception, and countless other responsibilities. Managing teams, positioning executives as thought leaders, and ensuring consistency across channels—it’s a lot.

When executive communications don’t hit the target, it feels like shouting into a void. The market is raucous, and getting your executives’ voices heard is more challenging than ever.

The Weight on Your Shoulders

You feel the pressure. The CEO wants more visibility. Stakeholders expect thought leadership that delivers actionable insights, like specific data on industry trends and concrete examples of change. They want your executives to offer sharp commentary on industry direction. Meanwhile, some competitors are flooding LinkedIn and industry blogs with compelling content. Seeing others succeed where your efforts aren’t gaining traction is frustrating.

A Concrete Solution: Focused, High-Impact Thought Leadership

Instead of adding to the clutter, hone in on being focused. You know what needs to happen—the challenge is finding time to do it consistently and with enough depth. A lean, high-impact content strategy can get your executives’ voices into meaningful conversations without overwhelming your already packed schedule (or theirs). A few ideas include:

• Monthly Blog Series: Abandon the vague thought leadership. Each post should tackle industry-defining shifts, like “The Impact of AI on Supply Chain Logistics in 2024” or “How Remote Work Redefined Our Company Culture.” Posts that are rich in detail stand out. Another example could be “Navigating the Talent Shortage: Strategies for Attracting Top Talent in 2025.”
• LinkedIn Articles: Use your executives’ decades of experience to share real lessons. For example, “Six Leadership Mistakes I Made in My First Year as CEO.” This shows vulnerability. It’s humanizing and relatable. It also offers tangible learning and takeaways.
• Quarterly Webinars: Host webinars on timely issues like “How to Lead During A Polarizing Election Year.” Give attendees concrete strategies to navigate divisive conversations, like specific communication frameworks.

Implementing the Plan Without the Overload

You don't have to create a ton more work. And you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Repurpose existing insights and leverage the content you’ve already developed instead. Focus on what moves the needle. Delegate specific tasks to your team (or a contractor) based on their strengths. Your analytics expert can track engagement while your writers and social media teams shape the content for each platform.

Highlighting the Effort Behind the Scenes

Every compelling piece of content comes with its own backstory: hours of research, multiple drafts, and strategic revisions. Showcase that. When audiences see the effort that goes into developing these pieces—whether it’s a blog post shaped by data from 50 market reports or a webinar drawn from years of leadership lessons—it adds weight and credibility.

Specificity Wins

It’s easy to say, “Our CEO is a thought leader.” But it’s more powerful to show it: Share how she led a digital transformation project that cut costs by 15% in a year or increased customer retention by 30%. These details paint a vivid picture and give credibility to your message.

Embrace Storytelling

Executives need to see themselves not just as decision-makers but as storytellers. Whether it’s detailing how they navigated a crisis or explaining the thought process behind a tough decision, these stories make their communications more relatable and human.

Final Thought: Authenticity Over Perfection

Audiences don’t want flawless, generic messages. They’re already drowning in that kind of content. They want real stories—struggles, wins, and everything in between: fear, joy, pain, despair, and triumph. Sharing an executive’s missteps in a new role or a tough decision that kept them up at night resonates more than a polished corporate update.

Need immediate assistance to kickstart this strategy? I’m here to help. With expertise in crafting compelling executive narratives and a client history of several Fortune 500 companies, I can partner with you to make your executives stand out. Send me a DM or email cheril AT phenomenalwriting.com to chat more.