Date post: | 23-Jan-2018 |
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP DISRUPTED:
NEW RULES FOR THE CONTENT AGE
Chris Shedd
@cjshedd
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
SEA OF CONTENT
3
© THE ECONOMIST GROUP AND HILL+KNOWLTON STRATEGIES 2016
THE ECONOMIST IS A SMART GUIDE TO THE
FORCES THAT SHAPE THE FUTURE
TRUSTED The Economist is
relied upon as a filter of
world affairs.
SMART Our readers turn to
The Economist to make sense of the forces that
shape our future.
GLOBAL The only publication with
a dedicated section covering every region in
the world, every week.
BOLD Founded to defend free
trade, The Economist is not afraid to advocate
for positive change.
WELL-WRITTEN Readers value The
Economist’s distinct style of intelligence
and wit.
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
WE’RE MORE THAN
A MAGAZINE
Research
Mobile
Content
& Events
TVC &
Films
Special
Publications
Apps
Data
Visualization
Podcasts
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
5
© THE ECONOMIST GROUP AND HILL+KNOWLTON STRATEGIES 2016
WE SURVEYED
838 business thought leadership consumers executives
<$500m
>$5bn
806 marketers
C-suite or equivalent
57% YES
43% NO
29% Western Europe
25%
Rest of World
21% North America
25% Asia
Geography
Samples annual global revenue
66%
15%
C-suite or equivalent
30% Western Europe
20% Rest of World
23% North America
26% Asia
Geography 41% YES
59% NO <$500m
>$5bn
Samples annual global revenue
53%
22%
6
© THE ECONOMIST GROUP AND HILL+KNOWLTON STRATEGIES 2016
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP \ˈTHÔT\\ˈLĒ-DƏR-ˌSHIP\
The practice of influencing a community of interest by
developing information, analysis and insight that helps its
audience understand its world and plan for
the future. It can be delivered in any medium, and can help
companies raise awareness, shift perception and increase
the status of their brand.
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
7
© THE ECONOMIST GROUP AND HILL+KNOWLTON STRATEGIES 2016
AUDIENCES ARE REACHING CONTENT
OVERLOAD
3 in 5 global
executives admit
sometimes feeling
confused or
overwhelmed by the
volume of content
they encounter
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
8
© THE ECONOMIST GROUP AND HILL+KNOWLTON STRATEGIES 2016
YET MARKETERS KEEP CHURNING OUT CONTENT
80% of marketers plan to
increase the
amount of thought
leadership content they produce
Half of marketers
believe
<20% of current output
gets engagement
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
9
© THE ECONOMIST GROUP AND HILL+KNOWLTON STRATEGIES 2016
AND WE CAN SEE WHY
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
z
83% would be influenced in
their choice of potential
business partner
76% of senior executives
are influenced in their
purchasing decisions
67% would be willing to
advocate for that
brand or organisation
externally
10
© THE ECONOMIST GROUP AND HILL+KNOWLTON STRATEGIES 2016
GOOD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN WE DO IT RIGHT
CONSUME
MORE SHARE
MORE
z
PURCHASE
MORE
ADVOCATE
MORE
z
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
BUT THE PROBLEM IS,
WE’RE DOING IT WRONG
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
‘The challenge for B2B content is that it competes in a huge array of
media fighting for time against other always-on entertainment.’
John Rudaizky, Brand & Marketing Leader, Partner, EY
WE STILL NEED TO FIND
A CONNECTION
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
SO HOW DO YOU MAKE THE SHORTLIST?
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
RULE 1: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT (AND NEED) NOT JUST WHAT YOU’RE WILLING TO GIVE
MARKETERS ARE NOT TRULY FOCUSED ON THE
AUDIENCE
Nearly half of all marketers (47%) cite differentiating their
company from the competition as a primary objective.
42% cite gaining recognition for their company or key
individuals as experts/authority in their field.
Only 28% of marketers cited helping their audience to become
more knowledgeable as a key objective.
Only two in ten cited social media shares or time spent with
content (24%, 21%) as a top measure of ROI.
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© THE ECONOMIST GROUP AND HILL+KNOWLTON STRATEGIES 2016
AND LAY OFF THE SALES PITCH
#TLDisrupted #DSPDX
RULE 2: KNOW YOURSELF
FIRST, WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF
OUR OWN WAY
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
INTERNAL ALIGNEMENT IS KEY
More than 60%
strongly agree or somewhat agree that internal alignment is a barrier to thought leadership production.
#TLDisrupted #DSPDX
WHO ARE YOU?
“It’s important for all companies to have a clear idea
of their brand internally before you go ahead and talk
about how that manifests itself externally. To be
credible you have to have a clear understanding of
what you want to portray.”
Hamish Rickman, VP Marketing, Virgin Atlantic
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© THE ECONOMIST GROUP AND HILL+KNOWLTON STRATEGIES 2016
AUDIENCES ARE REACHING CONTENT
OVERLOAD
#TLDisrupted #DSPDX
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
RULE 3: INVOLVE OUTSIDE EXPERTS
When asked about who was NOT involved in the planning of thought leadership, but should be marketers cited:
Media partners
All employees
Customers/other outside sources
50%
49%
47%
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© THE ECONOMIST GROUP AND HILL+KNOWLTON STRATEGIES 2016
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
RULE 4: LESS IS MORE
< = >
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
RETURN TO THE FUNDAMENTALS
55%
Trust is established through
the quality or nature of the research and whether the
data is ‘credible’.
‘Challenger brands’ who want to break through and make the shortlist must employ rigour: for an unfamiliar source to prompt engagement, it needs to be a ‘source of hard facts’ (47%).
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© THE ECONOMIST GROUP AND HILL+KNOWLTON STRATEGIES 2016
SURPRISE!
TEXT STILL MATTERS
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
RULE 5: THINK BIG & BUILD
A RELATIONSHIP OVER TIME
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
DESPITE THE NOISE, EXECS ARE STILL
HUNGRY FOR HELP
68% consume thought leadership on at least a weekly basis.
33% do so daily. 20% have increased consumption “a lot” over the
past 12 months.
< 5% have reduced consumption either a little or a lot.
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
RULE 5: THINK BIG & BUILD A
RELATIONSHIP OVER TIME
Executives and marketers agree: Compelling TL is ‘innovative’, ‘big
picture’, ‘credible’ and
‘transformative’.
According to executives unimpressive
TL is ‘superficial’, ‘sales-driven’ and
‘biased’
#TLDisrupted #DSPDX
RULE 6: BE A THOUGHT PARTNER
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
EFFECTIVE THOUGHT LEADERS
PUSH BOUNDRIES
of consumers like to
encounter thoughts and ideas that go
beyond current thinking.
96%
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
“It’s mindshare
before market share.”
Rebecca Edwards,
Chief Communications Officer, GE Oil & Gas
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
THE NEW RULES
1. Know your audience – put them first
2. Know yourself – know where you have a right to play
3. But don’t be limited – involve outside experts
4. Less is more – return to the fundamentals
5. Think big – build a relationship over time
6. Stop trying to be a thought leader – be a thought partner
WE MUST REMEMBER
IT’S THEIR JOURNEY THAT MATTERS…
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
SO WHAT ARE YOU
GOING TO DO?
#TLDisrupted #DSKC
#TLDisrupted
TLDisrupted.com
Chris Shedd VP, Brand Partnerships, Financial Services The Economist Group @cjshedd