More chief communication officers are reporting to CEOs

By the numbers: Memo surveyed 1,000 full-time communication professionals at companies with over 100 employees between February 28- March 11, 2024 and found that 56% are reporting to the CEO — an increase of 34 percentage points since last year.

• Only 37% ladder up to marketing, compared to 63% last year. Revenue and legal teams also saw their influence over communications dip.

The big picture: Communication teams are now advising on issues ranging from geopolitics to the economy and the rise of AI.

• The expanding scope of senior communicators is likely why we're seeing a rise in communications-to-CEO reporting structure, says Heyman Associates CEO Jessamyn Katz.
• "As their responsibilities extend to areas like ESG, public affairs, policy and even marketing, their strategic importance to the C-suite — and particularly the CEO — becomes more pronounced," she added.

Of note, the CCO+ role has increased by roughly 88% since 2019, outnumbering traditional CCO roles for the first time, according to a study by the Observatory on Corporate Reputation (OCR).

What they're saying: Communications has been elevated because it is now clear that corporate reputation directly impacts a company's success, says Jessica Bayer​​​​, DHR Global's managing partner for corporate affairs and communications.

• "CCOs must be smart about the business to ensure the communications strategy impacts the bottom line and drives key business objectives. ...Understanding financial communications, corporate governance, and investor relations at public companies has become table stakes for CCOs," added Bayer.

More on Axios: Chief communications officers are absorbing more corporate functions, report says

• Evolution of the communications function
• Commanding the communications hot seat