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Thought Leadership: What It Is and What It Should (Never) Be10 January 2018
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Niels FootmanHead of Marketing, CopyLab
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Thought Leadership in Asset Management: What It Is And What It Should (Never) Be
January 2018Niels Footman I Head of Marketing Find out more at copylab.co.uk
@CopylabUK
@CopylabUKThought Leadership…
“Content that challenges received wisdom, thereby provoking or leading thought.”
@CopylabUKThought Leadership shouldn’t…
- Just be news, analysis or marketing spiel
- Be explicitly self-promotional
- Be pointlessly abrasive (or click-baity)
- Follow the herd
@CopylabUKThought Leadership should…
- Be timely
- Be credible
- Be highly relevant and accessible
- And above all…
@CopylabUK
Source: Edelman, June 2017
“Directly led us to decide NOT to award business to a specific company”
@CopylabUK- GO AGAINST THE GRAIN (but not too far)
- BE TIMELY (but don’t follow the herd)
- PROMOTE YOUR VIEW (not the product)
- FIND YOUR NICHE
- PERFECT THE FORMAT
Rob DaviesHead of Public Relations and Thought Leadership, Aviva Investors
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Laura O’ConnellManaging Partner, Instinctif Partners
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Good thought leadership is…
• Objective – addresses themes of broad interest not a sales agenda
• Incisive - has a fresh and well-articulated angle
• Robust – has intellectual rigour to its viewpoint
• Influential - moves thinking or debate forward
• Credible - resonates with a company or brand’s culture
It is not:
• Self-promoting
• Product pushing
• Flimsy or unsubstantiated
• An unbelievable stretch from the brand
The acid test?• Longevity – it will stand the test of time!
Thought leadership is content – but content
marketing is not thought leadership
Thought leadership content:
– Strengthens your reputation
– Elevates your profile above your peers
– Engages audiences – is thought provoking
– Can be utilised across multiple channels
from direct to digital
– Creates the brand awareness and
credibility to support content marketing
Content marketing:
– Drives leads to your sales funnel
How to create good thought leadership
Being objective Consider the news and issue agenda of your target stakeholders.
What resonates as a news theme or area of interest to them?
Being incisive Consider the current narrative, facts and debate on the issue or
theme. What questions are unanswered?
What would be of relevance or interest to your audiences?
Find strong new angles – this is key!
Being robust Design a fact based narrative
Then create the process to substantiate it
Being influential Consider the response you want – your thought leadership
should deliver outcomes that move the debate on – how will it do
that?
Being credible Honestly assess the thought leadership content against your
brand’s culture and values
Does it sit comfortably?
Is it relevant?
Longevity How could this thought leadership last beyond launch day?
Case study: Schroders
‘DC Default Funds Report’
Establishing authority
Objective Provide insight and thought on DC pension investing
IncisiveTrack investment asset class trends in Default Funds
(in which the vast majority of DC pension saving
goes)
Robust Unique in-depth analysis of real fund composition
data from FTSE 350 DC schemes
Influential
Credible
Longevity
Factual analysis of asset class trends
Schroders’ commentary
Ongoing platform to promote greater asset class
diversification
Launched at Schroders’ annual DC conference
Media launch
Built on Schroders strong association
with DB pension investing
5 years - 11 issues
Case study: Schroders
‘DC Default Funds Report’
Establishing authority
Case study: Aviva
‘Road to Reform’
Influencing public policy
Objective Call for public policy to address the causes of the
'whiplash claims epidemic' which were pushing car
insurance premiums up
Incisive Reveal the financial impact of the
epidemic
Reveal what consumers think about
whiplash claims and what should be
done (including those who have
claimed)
Present solutions
Robust Consumer research – of both
claimants and the general public
Financial analysis
A viewpoint backed up by consensus
2 reports 18 months apart
Influential
Credible
Longevity
Proposed a clear agenda for change
High impact media campaign – e.g. 40
broadcast
Platform for effective public policy
engagement
A leading voice
The largest U.K. General insurer had
a mandate to speak
Queen’s speech June 2017
announced legislative reform
to whiplash claims processes
consistent with Aviva's views
Case study: Aviva
‘Road to Reform’
Influencing public policy
Case study: Arrow Global
‘Debt Britain’
Responsible thought leadership
Objective Lead thinking on the UK ‘problem debt’ sector and be
seen as a force for good
Incisive
Econometric analysis of debt default
trends
Research of defaulting debt
consumers
Agenda for change to help
rehabilitate problem debt consumers
Robust
Examine economic trends and predict
the future
Provide consumer insight
Market overview
Propose solutions to better
rehabilitate those with problem debt
Influential
Credible
Longevity
Business media programme for CEO
Debate for industry stakeholders (e.g
debt charities)
Included in City analyst presentations
Aligned with Arrow’s stated strategic
aims – deep customer understanding;
data and analytics focused; transforming
the customer journey
An ongoing content platform with
industry stakeholders, investors
and media
Case study: Arrow Global
‘Debt Britain’
Responsible thought leadership
Panel Discussion and Q&A
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