B2B CONTENT STRATEGY

CASE 4: Thought leadership

See other titles in the series

Contents

Thought leadership
where original thinking goes to die*
(*and why sticking it on iPad is not the answer).

Who we are
We are the UKs only content marketing agency dedicated to business and nance. We deliver deeper customer engagement through compelling content. In the past 15 years, weve successfully delivered over 250 content projects for leading global nance brands. Our team include ex-FT journalists, best selling business authors, BAFTAwinning TV directors, award-winning designers, digital developers and content strategists.

What we do
Content strategy I ntegrated campaign planning Content strategy Content audits Tone of voice Content creation Web writing Video T  hought leadership Publications S  ocial media content Ezines C  ontent for tablet and mobile Training B  espoke workshops Presentations

THE CHALLENGE
OUR THINKING

IN PRACTICE
READY TO ENGAGE

THE CHALLENGE
Although the phrase is much derided, scaling the heady heights of Thought Leadership is the goal of many B2B marketers. According to Sourceforconsulting.com, the number of reports put out by the 26bn B2B consultancy market has increased five fold since 2004. Producing them is estimated to cost 5% of firms gross revenue. As quoted in the Economist, Lenny Mendonca, McKinseys Head of Knowledge Development, says, We only worry if were spending enough. From a marketing perspective, the ambitions are laudable. These reports engage the cynical C-Suite with relevant insight, build brand consideration, get picked up in the media and provide the front line with collateral. Our beef, from a content marketing standpoint, is that the delivery is so often misbegotten.

NEXT PAGE
PRINT HOMEPAGE

CONTACT

AWARDS 2011
FINALIST

www.editionsfinancial.co.uk

OUR THINKING

So often the serried ranks of these reports stare forlornly from a reception magazine rack. Or are hidden in a box the frontline have not bothered to mail out to their clients. And lets just imagine the dismay on a clients face as the 60-page report thwacks onto their desk. Return on Investment (RoI) is often solely measured in PR column inches, and the glow of self-satisfaction of the senior execs when they find themselves quoted in their favourite industry titles and papers. But there is another way...

OUR THINKING

often comes not from headlines, but how the front line can use the insight as a conversation aid. Interrogate them and understand the meeting process, and then develop the most natural format for delivery, whether its on an iPad or a simple infographic. And the report shouldnt sit on its own, but be an integral part of your overall content marketing strategy (see our model overleaf).

START AT THE END: The greatest RoI

front page off most thought leadership reports and youd struggle to know who produced it. Differentiate yours in the way you curate the thinking, down to the tone of voice and photography of your thinkers. Most B2B services are purchased on relationships, and yet the reports are dressed up in sterile Sunday best.

EmBODY YOUR BRAND: Take the

Contents

THE CHALLENGE
OUR THINKING
IN PRACTICE

pyramid. The initial content chunk should be as little as four points in 25 seconds. Then stagger your content engagement in two-minute chunks, and only use video at the end.

DONT GET HEAVY ON YOUR FIRsT DATE: Engagement works in a

Engage the cynical C-Suite with relevant insight.

READY TO ENGAGE
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INTERACT: Your audience dont want to be passive recipients. Give them the chance to interact with your data or thinking through benchmarkers and tools.
best approaches blend the heavy data with pithy nuggets of insight from CEOs. Its what they can relate to.

MARRY THE QUAL AND QUANT: The

PRINT

Whatever tech hucksters might tell you, the medium is not the message. If your content is not compelling, it wont matter if you deliver in a 3D holograph like Obi Wan Kenobi. Make it exible across all the platforms. New publishing software now makes it easy to reformat content across multiple devices.

AVOID sHINY-KIT sYNDROmE:

HOMEPAGE
CONTACT
www.editionsfinancial.co.uk

IN pRACTICE

Editions understanding is second to none. Their input to our strategic objective is invaluable, and they are a delight to work with.
MARKEtINg MANAgER, GLOBAL FINANcE BRAND

IN PRACTICE
GLOBAL tHOUgHt LEADERSHIP cAMPAIgN Our client wanted to build a thought leadership position around its global business strengths. While current trade data is readily available, there is more value in looking at future possible trade flows, and research was commissioned on this basis. The results have been worked into an interactive tool that clients and prospects can interrogate based on their needs, which was in turn supported by a digital advertising campaign. We interviewed global CEOs and leaders around these topics to build qualitative insight to support the data. This was then activated online, in video and through existing print channels. Finally, we turned the content into an infographic and conversation tool for the front line to engage clients and prospects.

RESULTS SNAPSHOT

$1.1m 2.14%
PR VALUE

INCrEASED DIGITAL CLICK-THrOUGH rATE FOLLOWING rESEArCH

$12.9m

Contents

NEW rEVENUE BrOUGHT IN FrOM FrONT LINE DIrECT ENGAGEMENT

THE CHALLENGE
OUR THINKING
IN PRACTICE

SEctOR tHOUgHt LEADERSHIP Our client wanted to demonstrate its pre-eminence in a specific sector. We devised a thought-leadership approach which collated insight from leaders in the sector. We married this with opinions and conversations from the clients sector team. The output format was structured in a way that best supported Relationship Manager (RM) conversations with clients.

This was then activated through seminars and conferences, along with a phased prospect mailing campaign with RM follow-up.

RESULTS SNAPSHOT

97%

READY TO ENGAGE
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PRINT
HOMEPAGE CONTACT

OF rEADErS WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO rECEIVE THE TITLE

93.8% 12.5%

SAY THE TITLE HAS MADE THEM MOrE LIKELY TO SEEK GUIDANCE FrOM THE CLIENTS SpECIALISTS OF pOLLED rEADErS HAVE rEQUESTED A MEETING

www.editionsfinancial.co.uk

READY To ENGAGE

OUR CONTENT STRATEGY MODEL

Faced with increased noise, B2B marketers are ramping up content offerings to engage customers and prospects. However, much of this content is produced in silos across marketing, digital and social media teams. The Content Engagement Funnel is a strategic way of approaching content. Taking an integrated approach across all channels  and media.
Driving deeper engagement at each stage. Making the most cost-efficient use of each channel. 

GOT ANOTHER 30 MINUTES?

Are you interested in discussing thought leadership and your content strategy? In a 30-minute session, our Chief Content Strategist, Caspian, can present:
 A more detailed explanation of our thinking. E  xamples of best practice in your sector.  How a content strategy can improve your ROI.

 Call: Tony Dickson Tel: 020 3170 6277 Email: tony@editionsnancial.co.uk

Caspian has produced content strategies for a number of global financial organisations. He is Editor-at-large at Argent, the journal of the Financial Services Forum, and has written two worldwide business best-sellers for Financial Times Prentice Hall.

HOOK
1 CONTENT STrATEGY 2 ATL: CONTENT ADVErTISING 3 THOUGHT LEADErSHIp

CONtENt StRAtEgISt: CASPIAN WOODS

1 TO MANY

http://www.linkedin.com/in/caspianwoods
ENGAGE
4 MICrOSITES 5 EZINES 6 VIDEOS

1 TO FEW

ONLY GOT 2 MINUTES?

Order other reports in the series: Is print dead? Video: the comeback kid Navigating the social media maze Arm your front line content strategy cutting through the noise B2B events increase roi Email tony@editionsnancial.co.uk to get a copy.
www.editionsfinancial.co.uk

INTERACT

1 TO 1

7 SOCIAL MEDIA 8 EVENTS 9 RM TOOLS