Going beyond the boardroom to deliver continual value and meaningful experiences. Read our strategy guide where we cover the following areas:
- How to understand C-suite challenges by researching industry trends and understanding business context
- Why tying solutions measurable outcomes like ROI and customer satisfaction is critical to delivery value
- Tips for building trust through transparency, responsibility and consistent, clear communication
- How face-to-face still resonates today and a blend of virtual and in-person can make meetings more valuable
- Which metrics are best for tracking measurable results across growth, retention and conversions
1. Why does executive engagement matter more than ever?
Engaging executives has often been treated like a high-stakes, high-effort activity. Something separate from broader marketing efforts. Think: a few high-touch dinners or one big annual summit. But things have changed. In today’s world, where meaningful relationships matter more than quick wins, executive engagement matters more than ever.
So we need a new playbook, one that helps build more meaningful connections, supports continual learning, value and (results!), and allows for lasting relationships built around trust.
Because executives aren’t just a target audience anymore, they’re part of your brand’s narrative. Engaging with them more directly and intuitively means meeting them where they are so you can truly connect.
And to do so, you need to move beyond old-school ideas of “engagement” and start creating experiences that are thoughtful, built to last, and deliver mutual value.
Ready to get started?
2. So what’s the big idea (and opportunity) behind executive engagement?
Let’s be honest: connecting with executives isn’t easy. They’re busy, overwhelmed with invites, and laser-focused on ROI. They’re selective about how they spend their time, what they read, where they go, and who they talk to.
And that is exactly what makes this such a powerful opportunity.
When you get it right, executive engagement becomes something bigger. It builds rapport, earns trust, and can lead to real strategic collaboration. It’s not just about engaging execs, it’s about creating value with them.
So how do you get results from your executive engagement programme? You need to build relationships, engagement and connections that feel natural, unforced and intuitive, and that starts with:
Knowing their needs, biggest challenges and opportunities inside out:
- What is keeping executives awake at night and why?
- What does your target audience really need to improve right now?
- In a perfect world, what is your target audience’s biggest opportunity?
Ensuring every engagement or event is intentional and meaningful:
- How do all of the individual steps in your executive plan fit together?
- How can you help provide fresh ideas, insights and viewpoints?
- How can you ensure engagement is meaningful and memorable?
Our recent video on growing executive relationships by nurturing real connection, understanding and empathy shows exactly how you can put this into practice. For more information, check out our executive engagement content hub
3. How do you go from engagement to an exclusive, ongoing experience?
Getting from engagement to exclusive, ongoing experiences begins with:
- Understanding the power and influence of fast moving industry trends
- Seeing opportunities in tying solutions to outcomes to build trust
- Sharing, promoting and championing insights from other leaders
- Respecting executives’ time by delivering truly intentional engagement
What does that look like in practice?
At its best, executive engagement is not a campaign or a calendar—it’s a journey. You should be aiming for an evolving, well-curated series of experiences.
This could be peer-to-peer interactions that span content, events, networks, and always-on communications, all built around the idea of respecting executives’ time by delivering intentional engagement,
Rather than focusing on isolated, fleeting moments, thinking about engagement as a connected journey helps build a foundation based on community that naturally provides ongoing value, the most relevant insights, and truly authentic connections.
Everything starts by moving from a transactional mindset (“How do we get this exec to attend our event?”) to a relational mindset (“How do we build an ongoing, trusted relationship with this exec?”). Shift your focus from short term, quick wins to long term value and service based around sharing and promoting ideas and insights.
It’s not just about hosting a dinner. It’s about inviting execs into a community where they’re exposed to your best thinking, your top client champions, and like-minded peers in rich, interactive formats—whether in-person, virtually, or both.
4. What brings executives in, and what keeps them coming back?
To successfully bring executives into this journey as an experience you’re building, you have to understand what truly matters to them. Here’s what we’ve learned that works:
What brings executives in?
- A community with a difference: Not just another roundtable, but a space that feels tailored, intentional, and filled with people they respect.
- Rich, forward-looking insights: Executives are drawn to perspectives that help them see around corners and anticipate what’s next.
- Exclusive access: Whether it’s visionary scale up leaders, analysts, or sector-specific experts, access is a premium currency.
What keeps them in?
- Fresh content and experiences: Keep things dynamic and relevant, or execs will check out.
- A sense of participation and community: Active participation (vs. passive consumption) is key to fostering connection and loyalty.
- A centralized digital home: A single space where execs can revisit content, connect with peers, and stay updated.
- Opportunities to build personal brand: Executives are human - career advancement, public speaking opportunities, and visibility matter.
- Face-to-face events with precise targeting: Think location- and topic-based meetups, not generic gatherings.
What does a scalable online and offline executive engagement program look like in the real world?
- Identify and define your ideal executive audience. Create personas and tier your execs. What roles and seniority levels are you targeting? By defining a clear ideal executive persona profile up-front you can be more targeted and personalized without over-engineering; tailoring content, community design and engagement strategy - because CMOs in fintech startups need different things than COOs in global manufacturing firms.
Top tip: identifying your list of target executives and gathering social intent at the same time (what kind of topics matters to these executives right now) will support the development of real relevance in your messaging, content, and can inform a targeted calendar of specific tactics e.g. topic-focused in-person events.
- Validate your messaging and value proposition. What is the differentiated value you offer execs? What’s your reason for being in their world? This has to go beyond product—it’s about insight, community, and differentiated outcomes at a true business level.
Top tip: We help multitudes of customers build their structured value proposition to engage executive customers - aligning to strategic business goals and answering these with critical value, use cases and differentiation. We have found that by creating a unified narrative that is agile and adaptive, you can adjust with time effectively and stay on the front-foot with executives. Check out some more of our thinking on value proposition development
- Leverage new media for cut-through. From thought leader-driven social campaigns to short-form video, you need to show up where execs are, with content that’s worth their time.
Top tip: “Thought Leader” LinkedIn ads are a great new format for starting and engaging in conversations with execs without leaving LinkedIn - supercharging your sales navigator and placing relevant content in-front of execs, through paid channels, who would otherwise miss it.
- Drive executives to a digital ‘home’ for access to exclusive content. Give them a centralized space where they can find exclusive content, connect with peers, and explore what your community has to offer. Bonus points if you create a flexible space that allows you to spin up personalized versions for specific executive personas, or even individual accounts / executives.
5. What kind of online program components can you use for executive engagement programmes?
Give your target execs a centralized space where they can find exclusive content, connect with peers, and explore what your community has to offer. Bonus points if you create a flexible space that allows you to spin up personalized versions for specific executive personas, or even individual accounts / executives.
Enlist your customer execs to co-create the community. The best communities aren’t built for execs, they’re built with them. Invite existing customer execs to help shape the program, enroll their peers, or share their stories
- Online Forums
- Invite only spaces can help create a sense of community and belonging for peers to share insights and read up on exclusive content
- They can also be a space to bounce ideas, drive discussions and network with other professionals
- Virtual events
- Virtual roundtables, podcasts and hosted webinars are a great way to prompt discussion, debate and knowledge sharing
- Make sure the format is inclusive, interactive and value-focused to make sure attendees get maximum benefit
- Strategic social media engagement
- LinkedIn and other professional platforms provide an ideal place to connect, share ideas and promote highly relevant content and insights
- Social media is also a fantastic way to build awareness of thought leadership pieces and content which can then be shared more widely
6. What kind of offline programme components can you use for executive engagement programmes to orchestrate those moments that matter?
Orchestrate the moments that matter.
Strategic engagement isn’t just big events, it’s the little things: peer-to-peer connections, job change outreach, curated follow-ups, or briefings timed to business inflection points. These moments are where real relationships are forged. As engagement in your community grows, you’ll start to see opportunities for more tailored, one-to-one moments.
- Exclusive, High-Value Events
- Organize small, intimate gatherings with a carefully selected group of executives to create strong relationships and higher value though insight sharing
- Focus on peer-to-peer learning and high-level discussions at in-person events to give executives opportunities to connect and grow their network
- Advisory Boards
- Invite key executives to participate in advisory boards,this gives them a platform to shape products and services while gaining valuable insights
- Industry Conferences
- Pre-scheduled, one-on-one meetings or small group discussions with tight group of executives can help build trust, understanding and connection
- Understand what executives want, need and are interested in for each conference
- One-on-One Strategic Meetings:
- High-level meetings between your executives and target C-suite members give you plenty of opportunity to strengthen relationships by really listening and taking on ideas and proposals
- Executive Briefing Centers (EBCs):
- Create tailored agendas for executive briefing centres that address the specific strategic interests of visiting executives, and showcase your relevant solutions and thought leadership in the best possible light
- Collaboration Workshops:
- Invite executives to participate in workshops aimed at collaborating and creating solutions to shared industry challenges to help foster a greater sense of partnership
7. Measuring the success of your executive program
Executive engagement is often most easily assessed using subjective or anecdotal measures, but securing investment in such programs requires quantifiable evidence of impact.
Since executive programs are typically aligned with long-term business strategy and the creation of shared value, the most effective approach combines both quantitative metrics - such as the number of new executive connections - and qualitative insights, like stories that highlight deeper relationships and strategic partnerships.
Other possible executive experience success metrics might include:
- Number of execs engaging at multiple touchpoints
- Growth of the community
- Referrals or peer introductions from engaged execs
- Executive participation in co-creation (e.g. thought leadership, event speaking)
8. In summary
Executive engagement is no longer a standalone tactic. It’s a strategic, ongoing experience - a journey that must be designed with care, intention, and executive personas at its heart.
By shifting from engagement to experience, marketing teams can build executive relationships that deliver value well beyond the next meeting.
The question isn’t “how do we get this exec to respond?”—it’s “how do we create something they never want to leave?”