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Page’s Impact on the Mountain | Page @ Davos 2026
January 28, 2026
Continuing our convening of Chief Communications Officers at Davos for the fourth year, Page brought together an impactful and insightful week of research launches, peer dialogue and strategic conversations at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026. Through a series of intimate roundtables, research presentations, and networking events, Page created essential spaces for CCOs to grapple with the most pressing challenges reshaping the communications function.
Page-Harris Confidence in Business Index 2026
Page and The Harris Poll unveiled exclusive data from our annual study of over 15,000 consumers across 14 markets, revealing a critical credibility gap: 61% say economic stability and growth is very important for leading companies to deliver, yet only 31% have high confidence companies can actually achieve it. That 30-point gap represents a vulnerability that politicians and activist investors are already exploiting.
The breakfast roundtable, hosted by Qualcomm and supported by Stagwell, explored four key insights for communications leaders:
Moderated by Eleanor Hawkins of Axios and presented by Rob Jekielek, of The Harris Poll, the session translated data into practice, creating space for honest dialogue on how CCOs must rebuild credibility through coherence between what organizations say and demonstrably do.
Go deeper:Download the 2026 Confidence in Business Index |GEO and the New Rules of Reputation
Sandpiper Reputation Capital Scorecard 2026
Sandpiper partnered with Page to launch groundbreaking research on reputation management in turbulent times, featuring insights from over 3,000 C-Suite and Corporate Affairs leaders across 27 markets. The study revealed that 72% of CEOs now believe reputation is critical to commercial success, yet significant gaps persist between preparedness and action. The research introduced the Reputation Capital Scorecard—a 360-degree assessment measuring Insights, Strategy, Relationships & Connectivity and Resources across eight pillars of reputation management. The findings showed that insights capabilities are the lowest-scoring area (55 out of 100), despite being the most important differentiator for effective reputation management.
Go deeper:Download the Sandpiper Reputation Capital Scorecard | Link Sharing: McKinsey & Company's CEO Guide on Stakeholder Impact
Hotwire Agentic Organizations Report
Hotwire partnered to present research on how AI is fundamentally reshaping organizational agency—both inside enterprises and in the marketplace. The report explored how 69% of professionals now feel more empowered by AI, while simultaneously 56% believe AI could do "most or all" of their job within five years. The research introduced the concept of "agentic brands" and revealed that AI assistants are becoming the new interface between consumers and brands, with 82% of professionals relying on AI tools for decisions in shopping, travel, or entertainment.
Go deeper:Download the Hotwire Agentic Organizations Report |The AI Advantage: How Top Communicators are Leading the Shift
Additional Key Sessions:
These findings converge to create both urgency and opportunity for how CCOs position their function, make the business case for investment and navigate the transformation already well underway.
The Stakes Are Rising—And Becoming More Specific
The Sandpiper research shows 78% of CEOs report that reputational weaknesses have negatively impacted their ability to trade and sell in the past year, with 65% saying it affected company valuation and talent attraction. More than half of leaders believe reputation will become harder to manage in the coming years.
But the Page-Harris Index adds critical nuance: the credibility problem isn't primarily about what companies are doing—it's about visibility and understanding. When only 29% of the global public see both company action and context, the issue becomes clear. As the research notes, "Actions and examples are the bedrock of proof. But context is what helps people actually 'get it'—and what differentiates one company's approach from another's."
The Opportunity Is Real—If We Act on the Right Priorities
Despite challenges, investment signals offer hope. Leaders across all areas of reputation management forecast higher investments in the coming year, and nearly 90% of organizations now use AI in at least one business function. The C-Suite increasingly sees the value of holistic reputation management approaches and is unlocking multiple, compounding benefits from it.
The Page-Harris Index data provides a clear roadmap: economic impact for everyone is the foundation, generational differences require calibrated engagement strategies, closing the visibility gap demands both action and context, and channel modernization is not optional. This is the time for communications teams to ensure their organization owns its financial story.
The Transformation Requires New Capabilities—And New Positioning
Success demands more than tactical execution. CCOs must rebuild channel strategies from the ground up (if your plan treats search as an afterthought and GenAI as something to monitor rather than optimize for, you're already behind), close insights gaps through predictive analytics and maintain strategic influence as organizational structures evolve.
The Sandpiper research shows that organizations in the top quartile are 16 percentage points more likely to have their CCO reporting directly to the CEO. They're also 40 percentage points more likely to be seen as strategic, 35 points higher on productivity, and 35 points ahead on respect. The most advanced organizations are moving from "doing the work" to "designing the doing," elevating humans to become orchestrators of AI-augmented work.
As the Hotwire report frames it: "Agentic AI isn't here to erase human agency. It's here to challenge it, sharpen it, and expand where human agency is heading. The organizations and their leaders who are willing to engage that challenge today won't just survive the next era of business—they'll shape, define, and in the end, author what comes next."
Key takeaways from Page members from what was discussed at our events.
On future talent: As AI reshapes roles, what's your advice for ensuring the next generation builds judgment, expertise and executive presence?
Critical thinking requires a sharpening of the human edge to elevate our potential and leverage the power of AI. I would encourage exposure to philosophy, reasoning, psychology and neuroscience to build creativity, fuel curiosity and strengthen strategic impact.
On partnerships: What makes an external partnership truly strategic versus just opportunistic?
The best external partnerships are founded on trust and complementary, aligned ambitions, cemented by commitment to creating tangible value together.
Page @ Davos 2026 would not have been possible without the generous support of our hosts and sponsors:
Alethea | AXIS | Axios | Burson | Earned First | Hotwire | IBM | Manchester United | Mubadala | Qualcomm | Sandpiper | Stagwell | Team Farner | The Harris Poll | TCS
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