South Africans on the annual listing that identifies, profiles and surveys the 100 most influential chief communications officers and chief marketing officers of leading brands, companies and organisations around the world, include:
Now in its twelfth year, the Influence 100 showcases the in-house communicators and marketers who have the most clout, in terms of their personal voice, their senior counsel to powerful CEOs, the status of the companies they work for, their budgets, and the agency hiring decisions they make.
In this first tranche of research, the report, supported by FGS Global, profiles all 100 influencers, and looks at their backgrounds, education and the sectors they work in, from technology, FMCG, financial services and healthcare, to entertainment, social media and energy.
For the fourth year running, the list has more women than men, with 61% women and 39% men.
In terms of geography, this year half of the influencers are from North America, 32% come from EMEA, 13% are from Asia-Pacific and 3% are from Latin America.
Overall, 23 countries are represented. In terms of ethnic diversity, this year, people of colour make up 32% of the list, including 11% Black representation.
Further insights, to be released, will look at budgets, organisational structures, relationships with agencies, diversity and inclusion, and qualitative research into future challenges for the CCO and CMO roles.
The study will also reveal who its influencers think are the best and worst communicators among the world’s leaders, which companies and brands have done the best and worst job of managing their reputations over the past year, and the PR agencies they admire the most.
In addition, the Influence 100 report will also identify the Crossover Stars – its ‘hall of fame’ of those former CCOs and CMOs who have taken the rare step of moving into a broader management role within their organisation – along with Rising Stars, its annual list of the potential CCOs and CMOs of the future.
