The Page Thought Leadership Journey

This brief summary is intended to cover the main points of the major thought leadership reports issued by the Page Society.

The Authentic Enterprise – 2007 

In the face of:

• The emergence of a new digital commons,
• The reality of a global economy, and
• The empowerment of new stakeholders:

To establish a distinctive brand and achieve long-term success, an enterprise must:

• Be grounded in a sure sense of what defines it:
  • Why it exists,
  • What it stands for,
  • And what differentiates it.
• And those definitions – values, principles, beliefs, mission, purpose and value proposition – must dictate consistent behavior and action.

Building Belief: The Page Model – 2012 

The Page Model creates a framework for creating an Authentic Enterprise: 

• Corporate Character is the enterprise’s unique identity, its differentiating purpose, mission and values. The idea is that these must be defined clearly and then authentically brought to life through strategy, business model, operating plans, corporate culture and expressed through corporate brand. 

• Authentic Advocacy is the connection to all stakeholders both for understanding their needs and desires as you create the corporate character, and for the purpose of achieving stakeholder support for the enterprise – corporate reputation and permission to operate. 

The CCO is expected to help the enterprise to define its corporate character by bringing in stakeholder perspectives and advocating for definitions of purpose, mission and values. Then, the CCO must work with leadership to activate the Corporate Character by building the strategy, business model, operating plans, corporate culture and corporate brand. 

The CCO works with stakeholders during this process to bring in their perspectives and to convert them to supporters of the approach.

The New CCO – 2016 

This report describes the three basic skills necessary for the CCO to provide the leadership required to succeed in building Corporate Character and Authentic Engagement:

1. The Foundational CCO. These skills are:
   1. Providing strategic counsel to management to define and implement Corporate Character and 
   2. Building Authentic Engagement with stakeholders to foster corporate reputation.
2. The CCO as Integrator. This is the CCO’s ability to drive cross-functional collabora­tion and integration around strategic priorities to ensure that the enterprise does, in fact, authentically create the value that it promises in its Corporate Character. 
3. The CCO as Builder of Digital Engagement Systems. The CCO must build sophisticated platforms that map stake­holders, understand them (usually through data), and systematize the process of engaging with them, not merely as segments but as individuals.

The CCO as Pacesetter – 2019 

This report digs deeper into how the CCO can be a partner with the CEO and the executive leadership in four areas in order to build Corporate Character with Authentic Stakeholder Engagement. 

• Societal Value – How the enterprise determines what value to create and how to create it for ALL stakeholders, including customers, shareholders, employees, business partners, communities where it operates and society at large.
• Corporate Brand – How the enterprise’s distinct character is expressed in all the ways stakeholders experience it through every interaction with the enterprise, its products and services.
• Corporate Culture – How employees understand the Corporate Character and Corporate Brand and work to deliver its value and experience in everything that they do, and how the enterprise earns their trust and engagement to do so.
• CommTech – How the enterprise can use technology to design journeys that lead to specific desired outcomes, developing content for each touchpoint, and continually adjusting and optimizing that content based on audience engagement metrics.

Beyond Communication – 2024 

Here, we assess the state of the role of the CCO in the wake of the progress achieved so far and in the context of massive disruption driven by accelerating technological change that is disrupting entire industries, increasing populist backlash against ESG and DEI, a global pandemic that disrupted supply chains, and increasing political polarization in many countries. Our findings:

• CCOs are rising to the challenge 

CCOs are now pivotal in defining (or redefining) mission and purpose, decoding societal trends, fostering innovation and guiding companies through times of crisis. Their unique multistakeholder orientation is indispensable for businesses aiming to achieve long-term, sustainable success in an increasingly complex environment.

• Broadened scope and/or responsibilities 

The remit of many CCOs has widened considerably in areas such as sustainability, public affairs, brand and marketing, people and culture, societal responsibility and diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).

• Technological advancements and the rise of CommTech 

While technology facilitates deeper insights and more personalized stakeholder engagement, CCOs are also tasked with navigating the ethical implications of AI and ensuring their teams are equipped to leverage these advanced tools effectively and responsibly.

• Teams are not yet suited to new demands 

The expanding scope and increasing complexity of the CCO’s role present challenges related to skills, resources and team well-being. As CCOs pilot their functions through this transformative era, there is a pressing need for strategic investments in team development, techno­logical tools, and supportive work environments that foster innovation and resilience.

2025 Benchmark Report

The Page Navigator Benchmarking Reports equip you with peer-driven data to advocate, plan, and lead with confidence. Based on insights from more than 150 CCOs across sectors, regions, and company sizes, it goes beyond budget and headcount to reveal how today’s most effective teams are structured, resourced, and measured, and what’s changing next.

2026 Page Navigator

Built on data from 179 senior communications leaders across 23 countries, it helps leaders understand where the function stands today, identify what may need to change and learn from peers navigating similar challenges.

• Benchmark Trend Report helps you understand what is changing across the communications function.
• Data Explorer helps you see where your function stands relative to relevant peers.
• Functional Framework helps you assess what your organization needs and where your function may need to evolve.
• Peer Communities help you learn from and contribute to leaders navigating the same issues.