2019 Thought Leadership Impact Study

B2B companies know that thought leadership matters.

When done well, it can make specialised expertise accessible, strengthen a business’s reputation, and spark meaningful conversations that lead to real business results. However, when poorly executed, thought leadership can not only damage a brand’s reputation, but it can also tangibly hurt a company’s sales efforts.  

In the 2019 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Study, we have surveyed over 300 senior decision makers and marketers across a wide range of industries in Germany, France and the UK.

We wanted to better understand the shifts in perception of thought leadership as well as its impact throughout the customer journey.

Through our research, we found that not only does thought leadership content influence the majority of  buyers, but it also can help brands win,  retain and even grow customer business:

1. It’s more powerful than marketers think.  B2B marketers and salespeople significantly underestimate the impact of thought leadership on demand generation and sales efforts compared to actual feedback from B2B buyers. 

2. Senior decision-makers are willing to pay a premium. B2B buyers are likely to pay more to work with companies who have clearly articulated their vision through thought leadership.   

3. Consumption  is on the rise.  Each year, decision-makers are spending more time reading thought leadership; in fact, most do so for at least an hour per week.   

4. Vision and substance matter.  The majority of decision-makers said they gain valuable insights from thought leadership only half of the time, and they are disappointed by the lack of high-quality thought leadership.