Thinking out loud

Businesses today are increasingly looking to offer thought leadership as part of their marketing strategy. Why? Because it shows that they’re engaged with the big themes impacting the world and not afraid to ask questions.

We’ve been asked to help companies develop thought leadership programmes since we started out in business. Companies want to explore the hot topics impacting their business and create a platform for their best thinkers.

Successful thought leadership is about having the confidence to deal with subjects the businesses are not directly engaged in. These programmes recognise the wider environment than the company’s business niche, and that it is undergoing dramatic change. Whether they’re a wealth manager or a software giant, they need to be on top of the issues that are driving that change, to provide their own unique insights and add to the debate.

Building a technology platform

A big theme for many of our clients is artificial intelligence (AI), which is set to have a dramatic impact on society as a whole in the coming years. Last year, we produced the first issue of Antenna, a biannual magazine for wealth manager Brewin Dolphin, around the subject.

Working closely with the client, we explored how AI will transform the workplace, the home, and society as a whole, as well as featuring interviews with some of the leading thinkers working in this field, such as Joanna Bryson of the University of Bath and Princeton University. It won the gold award in the best external corporate publication category in November 2018 at the CorpComm Awards.

Other clients wanted to approach the topic from a different angle. CFM, a global asset manager based in Paris, asked us to write an article on how AI enables them to identify patterns in ever-growing quantities of data and execute trading strategies more efficiently. We put together an article that explained the history of AI and showed its relevance to financial markets, which then turned into a promoted social media campaign.

Journalism at its core

Technology is not the only subject businesses are keen to discuss. One of the big talking points at the moment is President Trump’s trade strategy with China, which could shape the global economy for years to come. For another of Brewin’s Dolphin’s magazines, Perspective, we commissioned political and economics commentator Iain Martin to investigate how trade wars of the past might provide an insight into what might be Trump’s thinking in his dealings with Beijing.

As a journalistically-led agency, we are able to turn these complex and ever-developing subjects into engaging content that readers will respond to. We also know who can deliver the best insights into complex topics.

Ultimately, readers are adults. Thought leadership helps businesses break out of the marketing echo chamber, allowing them to engage with an audience in subjects they are interested in or want to know more about. By treating these people as intelligent and inquisitive consumers, the business is developing trust and understanding, improving any future relationship. Just a thought.

If you would like to discuss how Wardour can help create effective thought-leadership that helps you meet your strategic challenges, please contact us at hello@wardour.co.uk or give us a call on +44 (0)20 7010 0999