Key findings
Executives are consuming more thought leadership, but from fewer sources. For marketers, the challenge will be to reverse the trend of “more is better”.
Key finding #1
Audiences are confused or overwhelmed by the volume of content they encounter with more than half noting that ‘intrusiveness’ has increased in the last 12 months
3 in 5 global executives sometimes feel confused or overwhelmed by the volume of content they encounter
56% of executives think that intrusiveness has increased
Key finding #2
Still marketers continue to churn out content
80% of marketers plan to increase their output of thought leadership this year
Yet marketers believe on average only a quarter of all thought leadership content is engaged with
Key finding #3
Internal issues can be a barrier to thought leadership development
More than 60% of marketers strongly agree or somewhat agree that internal alignment is a barrier to creating effective thought leadership
Those not involved in thought leadership development but who should be
Key finding #4
On a more positive note, the vast majority of executives recognise an improvement in presentation, aesthetics and delivery
67% noticed an increase in optimisation of content across devices
63% note improvement in ease of access and navigation
60% saw an increase in visual or aesthetic appeal of delivery
Key finding #5
Executives have become more selective about the thought leadership they consume because of volume
75% of executives have become more selective
Just over 80% cite volume of content as the reason for being more selective
Key finding #6
Executives remain hungry for thought leadership content
33% of executives consume thought leadership daily
Just under 20% of executives have increased consumption “a lot” over the past 12 months
Key finding #7
The rewards are big for those who get it right. After consuming compelling thought leadership
76% of senior executives are influenced in their purchasing decisions
67% would be willing to advocate for that brand or organisation externally
83% would be influenced in their choice of business partner
Key finding #8
Marketers see thought leadership as a flexible strategy that can help with a range of goals
Key finding #9
Thought leadership attributes
The qualities executives most associate with compelling thought leadership
Innovative 40%*
Big Picture 36%*
Transformative 36%*
Credible 35% *
* % of executives associating their top three qualities with compelling thought leadership
The qualities executives associate with unimpressive thought leadership
Superficial 34%*
Sales driven 31%*
Biased 28%*
*
* % of executives associating their top three qualities with unimpressive thought leadership