The best thought leadership doesn’t just inform. It makes people think differently. It changes minds. It sparks action. And in the years to come, high-quality thought leadership is going to make an even bigger business impact, helping companies rise above AI-generated noise. To deliver this kind of content, we’re going to have to be braver with our ideas. More generous with our insights. And sharper with our measurement.
Thought leadership is one of the most misaligned and misunderstood terms in business. It’s often mistaken for thinly veiled product promotion or executive vanity publishing. Yet, when done well, it’s a powerful tool for marketers to build trust with customers and drive growth through the funnel.
Political and economic uncertainty, and changes to established ways of working through AI are delaying business decision-making, refocusing priorities and extending sales cycles. A joint study by Edelman and LinkedIn surveying 3,500 business decision makers reveals that 64% have tightened their procurement processes, while 44% expect to be less receptive to sales calls and marketing outreach.
This means companies will have to work harder to earn the attention of busy business leaders. They’ll need to nurture conversations with prospects over longer periods and to really prove the value of the expertise they offer. These are all areas where thought leadership can make a bigger difference compared to other forms of marketing.
The Commercial Value of Thought Leadership
Our research found that:
- Nearly three-quarters (75%) of decision-makers say thought leadership is a more trustworthy basis for assessing a company’s capabilities than traditional advertising or product marketing.
- The same percentage (75%) say a strong piece of thought leadership prompted them to research a solution they weren’t previously considering.
- Out of 10 business leaders, six will pay a premium to work with a company which clearly proves the quality of its thinking and expertise of its people.
The data shows that thought leadership can be decisive through the funnel, with 86% of respondents more likely to invite companies with high quality content to tender. It improves the ability to cross and upsell; boosts repeat business and can tip the balance when it comes to closing deals.
If buyer journeys are increasingly self-guided, with more people on the buying committee and longer sales cycles, then thought leadership is a valuable means of nurturing conversations, reaching a wider group of decision makers and ensuring companies are known for the right things.
(Re)defining Thought Leadership
Part of the challenge is in having a common definition of thought leadership. Perhaps, obviously, it is about ‘thought’, but that means genuinely fresh perspectives and new data from subject matter experts. ‘Leadership’ is about vision, unexpected angles and shaping the agenda. Some of this seems self-evident but content badged as thought leadership often ends up aggregating existing views. Too often, it’s based solely on opinion and doesn’t move a debate forward, nor drive action.
The impact of AI on this definition is interesting. If everyone has access to the same AI tools and Large Language Models, responses are based on existing available web information and content based solely on this may become similar and derivative. If AI is used as a thought partner to stimulate new ideas and concepts, make unexpected connections between disparate sources of data, aid deeper research and free up thinking time for experts then this can really aid thought leadership. AI is a powerful tool but as with many things, originality, creativity and quality remain key.
Why Now?
Over half of CEOs (54%) spend over an hour a week consuming thought leadership content. If you’re leading a business, this makes sense. You need trusted external sources of information and new ideas to spot competitive advantage. During challenging times, people are hungrier for fresh insight. Business leaders are searching for new opportunities, key trends and ways to be more effective in their jobs. They want to understand how their organisation can succeed in tough conditions
The use of Generative AI is growing faster than the adoption of the computer or internet, with Gartner predicting that brands organic search traffic will decrease 50% by 2028 as B2B decision makers switch to LLMs to help them evaluate companies and potential service providers *. Companies need to evolve their marketing as traditional advertising and search optimisation will no longer be as effective. The emphasis will shift to trusted sources, quality content and distinctive creative, which earns attention – all of which means thought leadership will have more influence and impact for companies in the near future. To prepare for AI-driven search, companies need to act now.
To help companies adapt their marketing strategies, Edelman recently launched GEOsight, a new service that enables companies to benchmark where they are today across major AI search tools. Businesses can analyse content and use this to develop frameworks for marketing, communications and thought leadership.
Defining What Good Looks Like
When it comes to understanding, planning and evaluating content, Edelman has developed the Thought Leadership Flywheel. This useful lens defines the six core attributes of the most effective content:
- White Space: uncovering contrarian angles, which surprise the audience and enable bolder, more imaginative thinking.
- Relevance: grounding insights in primary customer and real-world data; avoiding the ‘everything to everyone’ trap of trying to cover too many topics, too broadly.
- Vision: providing a unique, forward-looking perspective, which drives action and behaviour change.
- Trust: focusing on topics your organisation has credibility talking about; bringing in diverse, trusted third-party experts.
- Brevity: clear, accessible human storytelling; with shorter, easy to digest formats and bite-sized options for busy professionals to consume.
- Attribution: our Thought Leadership Impact story has found that only 29% of organisations can link sales leads back to specific pieces of content. Quantifying this makes the case for further investment, which leads to better content and a virtuous circle for businesses.
Where Next for Thought Leadership?
Ask most companies and they’ll say they want to reach more senior decision makers, retain or grow their customer base, and be seen as the most trusted partner in their industry. Thought leadership is the foundation beneath any plans to achieve this. For B2B marketers, there are several key considerations:
- Think through the funnel: thought leadership is often associated with awareness and reputation but can play a valuable role throughout sales, marketing and business development. Set KPIs, which quantify how your thought leadership helps you reach new decision-makers, move deals along, start new sales conversations (cross and upsell) and boost conversions
- Maximise the value: If you’ve invested in quality thought leadership, the content can often be adapted, personalised and extended through account-based marketing, direct sales and partner engagements. It can also be brought to life through events and experiences. Also think about how you can use it across different channels like Reddit, Substack or Instagram.
- The challenger advantage: 60% of decision makers say thought leadership builds credibility for companies looking to define or break into a new category and for newer players to punch above their weight.
- Earned, not bought: In an age of ad blockers, algorithm fatigue and AI-driven search, quality thought leadership is how brands cut through with relevance.
- Drive action: while thought leadership is about ‘thinking’, the most impactful campaigns drive tangible action and behaviour change. An example is the DP World ‘Move to -15’ campaign, which galvanised logistics companies, warehousers and supermarkets to reduce the temperature at which frozen food is shipped, stored and sold. The campaign drove an 11% increase in trust for DP World, as 60% of the world’s biggest food producer, retailers and transporters signed up to make a meaningful change.
In short, we are all going to have to think differently about the thinking we offer our industries. In a market full of noise, the companies that invest in showcasing their thought leadership will enjoy the strongest growth.
Andrew Mildren, Managing Director, Edelman Business Marketing EMEA.
Sources:
All figures from the Edelman Thought Leadership Impact reports from 2022 – 2025, based on interviews with 3,500 business decision makers and producers of content across seven markets and a range of sectors. To view the latest report, click here.
Gartner, ‘How Marketing Can Capitalise on AI Disruption’, February 2024.