The challenges that food & beverage brands have faced during COVID-19 have been unique, even in comparison to other CPGs. 

While food & beverage has been one of the only categories we’ve seen an increase in spending, while most other categories have decreased, brands certainly aren’t experiencing a simple spike in sales. 

Several of the companies we work with have had supply chain issues, making it more difficult to fulfill product orders with retailers, even though demand is high. Grocery stores have turned completely upside down, of course affecting the food & beverage brands who rely on foot traffic for sell-through and important sampling and couponing programs to drive product discovery. Additionally, many brands have been forced to immediately prioritize DTC, either launching new shoppable sites or investing in a more sophisticated program to meet demand. 

Shopping habits have changed significantly, and many predict they’ll stay that way. Consumers are re-evaluating the brands and products they buy entirely, prioritizing those that they trust, are local and ethically made. 

The rise in spending on food & beverage paired with changing habits provide opportunities to create new, loyal customers. However, those opportunities aren’t viable if your brand isn’t visible, showing up in relevant ways for your target market.

That’s where we come in. 

There is one very clear opportunity to build trust and increase visibility that most brands are not leveraging–hardly at all, but certainly not to its fullest extent. 

That opportunity is CEO thought leadership.

CEOs are more trusted than government officials and journalists. Is your brand leveraging the trust opportunity?

Right now, our society is looking to CEOs as trusted thought leaders to play a role in the shaping of our society and our economy moving forward. One study shows that 92% of employees believe their CEOs should speak out about important issues. 

Consumers are increasingly buying based on their beliefs, seeking companies who align with their values and aren’t putting profits above people.

According to the same study, the trust that the public has placed in CEOs has risen over the years. Now, CEOs are more trusted than government officials and journalists. Please, let that sink in for a moment to evaluate if your brand is leveraging this trust opportunity. It’s a pivotal turning point for companies and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly or ignored. Brands have an opportunity to leverage that trust right now, and moving forward, executive thought leadership will be a must-have, not a nice to have. 

One very specific way to utilize thought leadership in this moment to drive brand visibility is sharing CEO and executive insights with the media. Our contacts are looking for industry predictions, how to thrive in the current economy and how we might expect brands to evolve in the near and further future.

If your team needs a strategy and execution support to create and fully optimize your thought leadership program, book a complimentary consultation call with our founder. 

Thought leadership is one of our core areas of expertise, and we’d love to help your brand get the attention it deserves.