The Economist Group has conducted an interesting piece of research that suggests business leaders are overwhelmed by the amount of thought leadership landing on their desks.
The research suggests that a third of all thought leadership is superficial, sales driven and biased.
Thought leadership is often at the heart of professional services marketing, and this study raises some interesting questions.
Firstly, much of what is badged as thought leadership is nothing of the sort. It is just content.
Secondly, it should be credible, focused, evidence-based, have an impact on clients' business and, obviously, demonstrate leadership.
The Economist study finds that, if done well, thought leadership will influence buying behaviours, turning clients into advocates.
Our appetite for thought leadership is not going to disappear, but quality, not quantity should be the driver.
There is no harm in churning out content, but treat it as such.
A study by The Economist Group has found senior business people are overwhelmed by the amount of content they face, making them more choosy about where they go for thought leadership. The global study surveyed more than 1,600 producers and executive consumers of thought leadership worldwide and found 60 per cent felt overwhelmed or confused by the sheer amount of content they encountered. Over half said they felt that "intrusiveness" had increased. As a result, three-quarters have become increasingly selective about the thought leadership they read.
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