Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg's reputation as a robotic tech villain has started to fade due to a series of authentic and — dare we say —charismatic communication choices.

Why it matters: Zuckerberg's new way of presenting himself to the world is casting a halo effect on the company itself, which signals a major PR turnaround.

The big picture: To better connect with audiences, companies are increasingly positioning their executives to serve as the human faces or walking embodiments of their brand.

• That's because CEO visibility leads to corporate visibility — which can help companies and brands have a leg up on the competition.
• Plus, consumers and employees report wanting to hear from CEOs directly.

State of play: Whether it's his recent social media posts, media interviews or even his appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee last month — we've never seen Zuckerberg act so ... real.

Zoom in: Zuckerberg prompted a viral moment when he delivered an impromptu apology to the families of child victims of online harm who attended the Senate hearing.

• Even Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen commented on the shift in Zuckerberg's demeanor during his congressional testimony.

He's also created a lot of buzz across social media by challenging Elon Musk to a cage match and posting about raising cattle.

• But his straight-to-camera review of Apple's Vision Pro received the most attention, with more than 250,000 likes on Instagram Reels.
• Zuckerberg replied directly to commenters and generated more than 5,200 media stories for the effective critique of a competitor's product.

Yes, but: This is the same guy who used his VR avatar to tour Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated the area in 2017.

• It seems he has found a more authentic, less tone-deaf way of promoting Meta products while also sharing more about himself.
• For example, earlier this week he posted a photo of himself eating at a McDonald's in Japan while wearing Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses.

Zuckerberg was known across the tech beat for being uneasy, unrelatable and cranky during interviews.

• However, his recent 40-minute interview on the "Morning Brew Daily" podcasts — in which he discussed his cattle ranching hobby, tech trends and his "controversial" leadership style — is perhaps the most open we've seen him.

What we're hearing: Current and former Meta employees Axios spoke with say Zuckerberg seems liberated.

• "Mark is just being Mark," said former Meta executive Campbell Brown. "He's a genuinely approachable guy and people externally are getting to know what people inside the company have known forever."

What they're saying: Meta declined to comment — which is maybe one thing that hasn't changed about its PR tactics.

💭 Thought bubble from Axios co-founder Mike Allen (who has interviewed Zuckerberg):

• "Mark is increasingly putting himself out there — his sports, his passions, his theories. No filters, no nets. People eat up anything that's real, daring and unguarded."

What to watch: Meta is boasting record profits and has found a way to position its products as strong alternatives to X and Apple.

• But rough patches are inevitable — especially given the upcoming election and continued regulatory scrutiny. It will be interesting to see how Zuckerberg shows up and communicates during testier times.

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Generative AI tools can not only help you write a speech — they can help you deliver it with confidence.

• We were skeptical too ... and then we played around with these tools for a week.

Why it matters: Two out of three people are terrified of public speaking, and artificial intelligence-powered tools like Yoodli are looking to ease these oratory woes.

Zoom in: Yoodli — founded in 2021 by Google alum Varun Puri and former Apple employee Esha Joshi — has raised more than $7 million from investors like Madrona, Cercano and Paul Allen's AI Institute.

• It has also struck partnership deals with public speaking organization Toastmasters and executive search firm Korn Ferry.

Between the lines: Fortune 500 executives might have the resources for in-person media or speech training, but generative AI can bring that kind of coaching to anyone, anytime, says Puri.

• "I want to help people around the world — especially kids in India — speak with confidence. Too many people miss out on opportunities they deserve because they may not communicate effectively," he added.

How it works: The platform can assess uploaded videos of speeches, presentations and pitches and provide feedback on delivery speed, word choice, repetition, eye contact and more.

• The plug-in can also run in the background of a video call or meeting — though it only hears and records the speech of the Yoodli user — and will provide real-time notes on how you're communicating.
• It can also help users prepare for tough conversations — like a request for a raise — by gaming out how the conversation could go or assist with live interview prep by peppering users with pointed questions.

The big picture: There has been a major influx of AI-backed communication tools hitting the marketplace, and 64% of PR professionals have incorporated AI tools into their workflows.

What they're saying: Media trainers Axios spoke with said they could see some use cases for tools like this.

• "I could see using this for continued engagement with clients and potential 'homework' exercises," says Sarah Brown, founder of media and presentation training firm Brighton Media.
• It could also be used before a client's first session to help level-set and establish goals for human-led training.

Yes, but: Neither speech coaches nor the Yoodli co-founders view this as a replacement for in-person counsel.

• "Yoodli is not designed to compete with human coaching," says Puri. "It's a way to augment human coaching and bring it to millions of people."

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We wanted to put numbers behind Zuckerberg's new communications style, so we used Yoodli to examine just how far he's come.

• Yoodli analyzed one of Zuckerberg's first public speaking engagements — a guest lecture at Harvard in 2005 — and compared it to his recent address at the 2023 Meta Connect conference.

If you watch the speeches, you can see that he is more confident and polished in his delivery, but here's what AI found ...

• Speed: In 2005, Zuckerberg spoke at a pace of 206 words per minute. That's too fast, according to Yoodli, which recommends a pace of 170 words per minute. In 2023, he was in that sweet spot with 174 per minute.
• Starters: Zuckerberg started a sentence with "so" 43% of the time in 2005, compared to 16% of the time in 2023.
• Weak words: Words like "I mean," "kind of" and "I guess" made up 7% of his speech in 2005, while those weak words only showed up 3% of the time in 2023 (the goal is 4%).

Yes, but: The analysis found that Zuckerberg still relies heavily on filler words.

• The early speech included 38 "ums," 25 "likes" and 15 "you knows." In 2023, he said "you know" 69 times, "um" 61 times, but "like" only appeared once.

Whether you're a CIA agent, surgeon, astronaut or TV producer, you can't be effective at your job if you can't communicate, writes Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist and author Charles Duhigg in his new book, "Supercommunicators."

Why it matters: "Communications is the thing that makes success happen," Duhigg told Axios.

• "If you think about why people end up in the C-suite, a huge part of it is their ability to communicate. ... It's usually because [they] can communicate and convince others to join them, or to see a vision for what they hope to create."

Zoom in: Supercommunicators can bring together audiences with different interests by understanding what kind of conversation they need to have — an emotional one or a practical one.

• "The top suggestion I would give a leader is learn to ask questions," says Duhigg. "And when you hear something authentic, respond with your own authenticity — because that's how you will connect with other people, no matter what your business."

What to watch: AI won't take away our need to connect, but it could help leaders better understand how to connect with particular audiences.

• We are in the golden age of understanding the science of communications, and technology — like AI — could enhance that, adds Duhigg.

Go deeper… check out "Supercommunicators"

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As the first-ever chief communications officer of the New York Mets, Nancy Elder is focused on the team's broader mission off the field.

• Why it matters: Elder is tasked with taking an iconic team with an active fan base and retooling how it thinks about itself as a brand, not just a baseball team.

🗣What she's saying: Communications is a conduit to fans, and players, coaches and executives prioritize that.

• "Some of these guys have done more interviews than I have," Elder told Axios. "They have communicated any number of things — whether they're on a hot streak, or whether they're working through an injury or having a slump or whether they're talking about a partnership or foundation work. ... It is as important as the game they play because it's a way for them to connect directly with fans."

⚾️ Biggest challenge: Keeping momentum when the team isn't playing well.

• "We're here to win ballgames and hopefully win a World Series a couple of times, but we do so many other things that impact the community, and [during downtimes] is when it's important to remind fans of that," says Elder.

📈 Trend spot: She has noticed the "trend of businesses deepening their connection with the community — moving from sort of philanthropic, CSR stuff into real social impact."

🧠 Best advice: Work hard to stay in touch.

• "When you have an opportunity to connect with someone, and you really do connect with them — and I'm not just talking about a random LinkedIn connection, but you actually get on with them over lunch, coffee or Zoom — and there is a real connection or a shared interest, then you should make an effort to stay in touch with them."

Go deeper ... read the spotlight in its entirety

"To say communications is everything is not an over exaggeration."