The document provides guidance on how to effectively engage C-level executives through customized experiences. It emphasizes that experiences must be tailored specifically for executives and their unique needs and interests. Experiences should focus on relevant content, create the right context for conversations between executives and their peers, and ultimately provide real value to this busy audience. Effective experiences are short, invite participation, and allow executives to both learn and share ideas with other C-level participants.

1. The C-Suite
Project
Creating Effective Experiences For C-level Audiences

2. Reaching senior executives has never been
more important.
Engaging senior executives has never been harder.
Everyone targets senior executives these days. Creating relevant
And with good reason: when it comes down
to it, the people with the power to make real,
brand experiences
game-changing decisions are in the C-suite. is the single most
Senior executives are the cornerstone of the effective way to
ongoing, trusted partnerships that all of us—
brands, service organizations, agencies and
engage people
suppliers—seek and need to build. in the c-suite.
Targeting C-level executives isn’t a new idea.
But the sheer amount of executive communication
out there is.
With executives more in demand than ever, it’s
harder to break through the clutter. It takes an
intelligent, programmatic approach, a clear
value proposition and a real understanding of
this unique audience.
C-suite executives are smart, successful,
sometimes arrogant (usually deservedly
so). They’re over-scheduled, responsible for
impressively broad portfolios, and protected
by gatekeepers. But they’re people, too. And,
just like other people, one of the most effective
ways of engaging them is to create experiences
that are uniquely targeted to their wants, needs,
interests and influence.
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3. Getting to know the C-suite.
It’s dangerous to over generalize, but there are per week, and only attend a few each year.
a few basic truths about executives.
Take-away: Breaking through and getting an
1. They’re BUSY. executive’s attention requires something of real
With a company-wide portfolio, they are value, purpose and distinction.
constantly jumping from one topic to another.
3. They’re HUNGRY for ideas.
They make the complex and difficult decisions.
A recent HBR article pointed out an interesting
(The easy decisions get made by others; only
irony: “The skills that help you climb to the top
the truly complicated and tough decisions are
won’t suffice once you get there.” Executives
theirs.) They’re constrained by resources—both
need different skills—leadership skills and
monetary and staff. They have to prioritize
business acumen—that mid-level managers
opportunities and allocate limited resources to
simply don’t. They need to learn, to absorb,
achieve their objectives. All of which makes them
and to stay on top of emerging trends to be
incredibly busy.
successful. And they have few peers within their
Take-away: Every experience designed and organization to learn from or interact with.
created for executives has to compete with a
Take-away: Executives crave fresh insights,
crowded landscape of demands and needs.
ideas and content. They seek out opportunities
So be relevant. Be direct. Be quick. Be gone.
to interact with true peers. If your experience
2. They’re IN DEMAND.
can address one of those needs,
Internally and externally, executives are in
demand. Internal teams and staff want answers you’ve broken through.
and direction from executives. Clients and
customers demand attention and engagement.
Ecosystem partners and agencies seek business
and partnership. Some executives will receive one
to two invitations to conferences or experiences
The C-Suite Project /3

4. Of course, just like any other audience,
executives have unique perspectives,
personalities and needs.
Some differences are obvious: marketing 4. Image-Conscious Influencers (22%) Understanding who
executives have very different interests than care about how others view them. They like to
financial executives. Yet there are other, equally “demonstrate their wealth” and influence, and
you’re dealing with
important differences of attitude and viewpoint. are opinionated and vocal. can make a huge
A recent Ipsos MediaCT survey into the
5. Local Elites (17%) difference in the style
“Business Elite” segmented the executive class
into five distinct categories:
are less likely to work in global enterprises. They and approach you
value “status within their local community”, stay
take. Take the time
1. Traditional Conservatives (20%) close to home and are deeply involved within
are “risk-averse and guarded”, all about and outside of work. to really understand
financial results, the traditional “suits” of yore executives as people.
(and yes, they predominantly wear suits).
2. Ambitious Trendsetters (18%)
see themselves as “innovators, embracing
change and adopting the latest technology”.
They’re rich, live in luxury and prideful of
influence and importance.
3. Conscientious Leaders (22%)
have “a strong moral compass, with ethics
coming before money”. Luxury per se isn’t a
draw: issues and ideas are.
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5. The rules of engagement (executive style)
So we know our audience. The next step is Rule 3: Make it shareable. attendees will use in evaluating the experience.
creating a powerful and relevant experience for Executive experiences should tap into technology Was it a valuable way to spend my time? If the
them. Here are five central rules to keep in mind as well as our primal human desire to share. answer’s yes, you’ve made your mark. If not,
Executives are increasingly digital and mobile, well, you blew an opportunity – and you might
Rule 1: Invite participation.
tweeting away on their iPads and sharing their not get another one.
Executives have a wealth of education and
learnings with their wider teams (internally and
experience and they expect their voices to be
sometimes externally). So provide content in
heard. Their presence adds value, and they
shareable ways, and create experiences that
(rightfully) know it. Successful experiences
encourage storytelling and sharing.
invite their participation, draw them in, and
get them involved. A one-way presentation of Rule 4: Create a community.
company information is a waste of the executive This audience craves peer-to-peer connection,
audience’s time—and yours. Participation with and shared experiences are the most effective
this audience means high-level discussion, case way to create those relationships. Execs
studies or moderated debate, not a game show want (and expect) to be in an audience with
set on stage. other C-level participants with whom they will
have plenty of time to network, learn, and
Rule 2: Build it specifically for them.
form alliances to grow their businesses. Don’t
Always important, user-focus is especially
shortchange them by limiting networking time
important with executive experiences, which
(or space). And do what you can to facilitate
must be relevant and customized. Even at scale,
conversations before and after the
when your audience is 3,000 C-level executives,
experience, too.
each attendee should derive real value, be able
to shape the experience to meet their interests Rule 5: Add value.
and needs, and feel taken care of. And although Above all, the experience needs to provide real
content is king, executives expect to be treated value to the executives. It’s how you’ll cut through
really, really well—so make it happen. in the first place, and also the central metric
The C-Suite Project /5

6. Big C, little C.
What begins with C?
When talking about this audience, we talk • Informative content shares new information • It must be amazingly executed. An executive
about C-levels, CXOs, or the C-Suite. And when (often under NDA), new research results, experience should be superlatively well
creating valuable brand experiences for them, new facts and truths. executed. It must be crisply, elegantly produced,
we look at three other Cs: content, context with seamless logistics. After all, execs are
• Entertaining content strengthens relationships
and conversations. often too busy to be encumbered with their own
and can provide star-power or “I was there”
schedules and details, so make their experience
Content bragging rights. simple to navigate and beyond buttoned up.
For the C-level audience, content is everything.
• Inspiring content helps busy executives get Conversation
The content drives the relevance and value of
energized and excited about the possibilities Finally, the way to engage the C-level audience
the experience. And it differentiates your brand
and opportunities before them. is not to sell. It’s to converse and to facilitate
and your experience. So don’t be tempted to
Context great conversations for the audience. And in
recycle (or “edit”) existing content for a C-level
The context of the experience is critical. It is the many cases, it’s not even conversations with
audience. We’ve all been part of a meeting the brand. Often the role of the brand is to be
where a mid-level presenter flails in front of environment we create to surround the content
the cocktail host – to ensure all your guests are
an executive—presenting too much detail or and interaction; the world we create to house
having great conversations amongst themselves.
getting into intricacies the executive just doesn’t our experience.
• Conversations with true peers.
care about. Executives expect tailored content, • It must be true to the brand. The environment
delivered quickly and straightforwardly, must reflect the brands’ character and • Conversations with luminaries.
in actionable ways. personality. In many ways a C-level experience • Conversations with brand leaders.
Creating exec-relevant content is a skill, and it is the essential expression of the brand.
• Conversations with subject matter experts.
can come in many different flavors: • It must be tailored to the audience. With a
All in a relevant, intimate environment you
demanding, busy audience, our experience must
• Insightful content provides new analysis and created especially for that purpose.
be tailored to their needs. Sessions should be
insights into trends and the state of the industry.
short, and all experiences white-glove. It should
feel intimate and personalized, engaging execs
both as professionals and as people.
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7. An executive summary (naturally)
1. You have to know who you’re targeting, and C-level audiences represent a tiny sliver of the
tailor your experience accordingly. potential audience base for any given brand,
yet their influence and importance is paramount.
2. You have to hit your three C’s—presenting
Brands have recognized the importance of
your tailored content in a powerful context that
this audience, but many are using the same
fosters the right conversations.
strategies and approaches and not rethinking
3. And you have to know what it is you’re and revitalizing their strategies.
actually trying to accomplish.
Yes, executives are unique. But they are people,
The ultimate purpose of any experience will too. And effective experiences impact them, just
shape how everything gets applied. An as experiences can change the behavior and
experience designed to nurture relationships beliefs of other audiences.
will look very different from one looking to
The bottom line? The C-Suite isn’t as far away as
accelerate sales with existing clients. The best
you think. Executives are hungry for ideas, and
programs are often singularly focused on an
the door is open for those providing real value.
objective. They may hit many different notes, but
You just need to create relevant experiences as
they focus on doing one thing exceptionally well.
unique as they are.
Savvy brands balance this laser focus with a
broader, year-long engagement strategy for
key C-level executives comprised of numerous
touchpoints. One-off activities are integrated into
an overall C-level engagement strategy,
which may include in-person experiences,
on-going community engagement, and a mix
of social, networking and thought
leadership content.
The C-Suite Project /7

8. Talk to Jack
Contact: Liz Bigham, SVP, Director of Brand Marketing
E: liz_bigham@jackmorton.com
T: +1 212 401 7212
Read our blog at blog.jackmorton.com
Follow us on twitter @jackmorton
Visit us online at jackmorton.com
About Jack Morton
We have deep experience with B2B brands in creating and delivering
C-level experiences, and extensive knowledge about the audience, their
expectations and how to engage them. We have created and delivered
C-level experiences for Fortune 500 brands, and companies large and
small around the world.
Jack Morton Worldwide is a global brand experience agency with offices
on five continents. Our agency culture promotes breakthrough ideas about
ACK
how experiences connect brands and people – in-person, online, at retail
J
and through the power of digital and word of mouth. We work with both
BtoC and BtoB clients to create powerful and effective experiences that
engage customers and consumers, launch products, align employees and
WHITE PAPERS
build strong experience brands. Ranked at the top of our field, we earned
over 50 awards for creativity, execution and effectiveness last year. To read our earlier white papers, visit our Slideshare
Jack Morton is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE: IPG). channel at slideshare.com/jackmortonww
© Jack Morton Worldwide 2012
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