Thought leadership
Many organisations now subscribe to the idea of becoming a thought leader, but what is a thought leader. Thought leadership put simply is positioning a company or individual in a position where they lead on an issue. That is to say that they are considered an authoritative figure and a vital partner to delivering future change.
Over my career I have had the opportunity to develop innovative research and policies which with the right engagement can be considered as positioning the company/individual as a thought leader in their area.
Research - Innovative ideas, empirical evidence and sound policies are all vital as part of research to be a thought leader. It is not enough just to have a high level idea, or to simply believe there is a problem that needs thinking. To be considered a thought leader a company/individual needs to prove their is an issue, comment on the scale of the issue and provide practical solutions.
Traditional media - having a message or a solution is no good unless people know about it. For this reason, it is important that research is aligned with a campaign to inform trade, regional and national media.
Social media - It is no longer enough to purely engage with traditional media. Opinions and support can be built and formed from a much wider audience through social media. This can be achieved through existing account or advertising and should be part of a calculated and targeted campaign.
Launch event - launch events allow a company/individual to not only engage and promote their work but also provides a venue for engagement with the media.
Focus groups - focus groups allow a company/individual to further explore the implementation of their ideas and policy proposals. It is no longer enough to simply have an idea, being able to demonstrate your organisations ability to understand the practicalities of implementing the idea is essential.
To contact me about a thought leadership project please click here