Comms teams have spent years trying to make execs credible, trusted and, in turn, powerful. Turns out, that's actually making them less influential.
A real point of view now builds more influence than proven qualifications. Lived experience beats training. And being a "fire-starter" makes you more powerful than being trusted.
These were just some of the findings from Woodrow's first Influence Economy report, published this month; something I was very proud to be part of (shameless plug, link at the end).
But what's been most interesting about the last few weeks hasn’t been talking about our data. It's been watching it play out in real time across global politics.
In the UK, we welcomed our fifth Prime Minister in four years. Enter Andy Burnham and his headline-grabbing PR campaign. A few things stood out as we watched it play out:
He communicates fluently on social media, backed by a PR team that understands the new media landscape better than most corporate comms teams.
He tells a genuinely personal story. His passion for social care, forged by his Dad's battle with Alzheimer's.
He lands an argument with a clarity and simplicity that many recent political leaders never nailed (maybe I'm biased because I'm northern...).
His arrival campaign proved that the days where credentials outweigh personality are gone. In other words, Keir Starmer's legal background firmly lost to Burnham's ability to bounce from an Elizabeth Day interview to Westminster.
And it's not just a UK thing.
Look to the US and Zohran Mamdani's success follows a similar pattern. His influence far outpaces many others. That’s down to his fierce opinion, his deep New York roots, and his handle on new media.
What this tells us globally is simple. Influence now demands personality, relatability, and the confidence to have an opinion worth hearing.
Because today, what you say – and what you stand for – are just as important as the soapbox on which you stand.
Check out our full Influence Economy report in the comments. And this is just the start. We’re excited to make this analysis annual and something that continues to help us sharpen our strategies and support our clients.
Until next year…
