Thought Leadership’s Proven Impact
Thought Leadership Study
The Crucial Importance of a Thought Leadership Culture
Deep thinking and intellectual rigor
73% of Producers credited deep thinking and intellectual rigor among the most important drivers of their last exceptional Thought Leadership success
Characteristic 1
Net of
35% It came out just as there was a lot of emerging interest in the topic
34% It was based on rigorous, high-quality research
33% We said something new, substantial and potentially game changing on the topic
31% It laid out a clear set of actions that organizations should take in response to the challenges or opportunities the piece identified and discussed
Support from leadership and across the organization
65% of Producers credited support from leadership and across the organization among the most important drivers of their last exceptional Thought Leadership success
Characteristic 2
Net of
39% Senior executives championed and were highly visible around its release
32% Our best thinkers and top executives were involved in producing it
27% Our organization as a whole worked in a coordinated fashion to foster its success
21% We thoroughly trained our leadership and business development team in how to understand and effectively communicate the big ideas presented in the piece
Promotional follow through and support for distribution
58% of Producers credited promotional follow through and support for distribution among the most important drivers of their last exceptional Thought Leadership success
Characteristic 3
Net of
40% We distributed it broadly and effectively
31% We effectively engaged our employees in its amplification
11% We supported it with paid promotion
Greater brand impact | Promotional follow through and support for distribution
A significant gap exists between organizations that produce high-quality versus lower-quality Thought Leadership in achieving brand impact.
A
Increases Brand Recognition
(17 Point Gap)
B
Increases Brand Reputation
(18 Point Gap)
C
Broadens Perception of Capabilities
(13 Point Gap)
D
Builds Trust
(18 Point Gap)
Producers of High-Quality Thought Leadership
Producers of Low-Quality Thought Leadership
Enhanced sales impact | Higher-quality Thought Leadership generates
A significant gap exists between organizations that produce high-quality versus lower-quality Thought Leadership in achieving sales impact.
A
Increases Brand Recognition
(9 Point Gap)
B
Increases Brand Reputation
(11 Point Gap)
C
Broadens Perception of Capabilities
(15 Point Gap)
D
Builds Trust
(15 Point Gap)
Producers of High-Quality Thought Leadership
Producers of Low-Quality Thought Leadership
Commitment to a culture of Thought Leadership yields greater rewards over time
32% of Producers say the Thought Leadership their organization creates is of very good or excellent quality
9% of Producers creating Thought Leadership for less than one year say the Thought Leadership their organization creates is of very good or excellent quality
20% of Producers creating Thought Leadership for 1-5 years say the Thought Leadership their organization creates is of very good or excellent quality
29% of Producers creating Thought Leadership for 6-10 years say the Thought Leadership their organization creates is of very good or excellent quality
29% of Producers creating Thought Leadership for 11-20 years say the Thought Leadership their organization creates is of very good or excellent quality
35% of Producers creating Thought Leadership for 21+ years say the Thought Leadership their organization creates is of very good or excellent quality