Study: Link between CCOs and Fortune ranking

A new study finds a compelling link between corporate communication departments and companies on Fortune’s “Most Admired Companies” list

A study released yesterday by Weber Shandwick and Spencer Stuart shows that Chief Communications Officers (CCOs) in Fortune magazine’s “Most Admired Companies” list are 60 percent more likely to report to the CEOs of their companies than CCOs working for less-highly rated companies.

“I agree with the study, and it is indisputable, that if you’re a strong communications officer, you can influence a chairman or CEO who is open to being more disclosure-oriented,” says public relations expert and best-selling author Fraser Seitel of Emerald Partners, of The Rising CCO survey. “You really can make an impact.”

The survey polled 141 senior communications executives from Fortune 500 companies in the United States and Europe.